Help on Mei and Hamon is needed

[Tatyana]

I'm sorry to start a thread on non-traditional sword, but I was reading posts on this forum since 2 years and simply do not know a better place to ask my question. The sword in question have shin-gunto koshirae and is in well preserved original polish. I believe that it have ko-itame hada, but I am not an expert. The nakago have "Sho" (Showa) arsenal stamp and the signature that starts with "Seki" and ends with "saku". I would like very much to know, how the other part is read, i.e. the name of the smith (I like to call my swords with their smith's names ) If something is known about this particular smith, then please tell me.

Other question is about hamon: it is similar on the whole length of the blade and looks like Koshi-no-hiraita midare. But the distance between groups of 3 peaks is much greater than in classical examples. Maybe someone can tell me how this hamon is called correctly?

Thank you very much in advance, and now the pictures (I hope, the will be shown )

[Nobody]

Hi,

The Mei reads Seki ju Fujii Kaneoto saku (関住藤井兼音作). He was one of smiths for WWII military swords in Seki. His real name was Fujii Otoji (藤井音二).

 

Ref.

http://www.touken-kasugado.com/faq_2.html

http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/seki.htm

[Tatyana]

Thank you very much for the prompt reply! Now I know the name of my sword! I have tried to read the Mei myself using Kanji tables, but the same characters (printed in the book and carved on the Nakago) look quite different to me. Even "Seki" and "saku" I have found on another Oshigata. Can you please tell me what "ju" means?

[Brian]

Tatyana,

 

Jû means "resident of" so it is Fujii Kaneoto, resident of Seki, made this.

 

Brian

[Stephen]

classic mino Sanbonsugi ....out of John Yumotos book....A set of three sharp pointed tempered lilnes characterized by a regular zigzag pattern. Almost exclusively a feature of the Kanemoto or Magoroku, school of Seki Province.

[David Flynn]

The valleys are to wide to be proper sanbonsugi. Looks like, just based on the triple formular.

[Tatyana]

That's why I ask about hamon type - the valleys are up to 3 cm long and are straight suguha. I have never seen this type of hamon before. Maybe it is not classical and have no name at all

[Tatyana]

And there are also double, not triple groups of "claws", see picture.

[John A Stuart]

Hi Tatyana, In the first post of this thread by you you called the hamon type correctly I think. ' Koshi no Hiraita Midare w/ Togariba'. Seems just about right for a Seki Ha sword. John

[Nobody]

I also think that the hamon is basically "Koshi no Hiraita Midare". And it might be especially called Yahazu (矢筈; end notch of an arrow), though I have not seen the hamon before and am not sure.

 

Ref. http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/terms/terms.htm