Need help translating 2 sword tangs I have. Need help please

[Nicholas]

I acquired these 2 swords through family. I’m having a hard time translating the characters on the tang. Can someone please help me translate. I would love to know who made these 2 swords. Thank you

[SteveM]

Top one:

I have my doubts about it being a Japanese sword. Could be a Chinese fake

賴具武門暇日眞鍛作之 - A suspicious inscription. The final 4 kanji are plausible, but the preceding 6 kanji are a bit of a stretch. Would be good to have a look at the sword itself.

 

Bottom one is

越前国住下坂　Echizen-kuni jū Shimosaka. Is there anything inscribed on the reverse side of this one?

 

 

[Nicholas]

What is the inscription? Why would you say it’s suspicious? Forgive my ignorance as I’m new to swords. 
there’s nothing on the other side of either sword. Thanks for the reply and information by the way.

[ChuckJ]

Hi Nick,

 

Post a complete picture of the naked blade to assist in getting information about the signature as nihonto have very specific traits.  Steve M is among the very best there is at translation, once you post pics of the blade more can be determined.

 

Best wishes,

 

Chuck

 

 

[Nicholas]

The swords at my fathers house this is the only picture I have right now. I will post more pictures on Monday. Just mainly looking for the translation of what’s written on the tang now. Thanks again

[SteveM]

The bottom sword 

Made by Shimosaka, of Echizen province

Shimosaka is a group/school of smiths. If you search on them you will find a lot of information about them. Sometimes the sword will have the inscribed name of the specific smith who made the sword. This is why I was wondering if there was anything on the back. 

 

The top sword - its hard to say. I can read the individual kanji, but they make no sense to me in their entirety. Could be kanbun (a Japanese phrase with Japanese syntax, written using only Chinese characters) but I think this is different. When I put this into a search engine, I pick up one hit from a Yahoo Auction two years ago, where the seller was claiming a similar inscription was placed on a sword purporting to be from the Tokugawa family, and that the inscription was an allusion to the Japanese noble "Minamoto" clan, but, as I say, that feels a bit suspicious to me. A quick look at the sword might clear the air.  

賴具武門暇日眞鍛作之

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicholas]

Thank you Steve. I will post pictures tomorrow when I have the sword in hand.

[Nicholas]

Here are more photos of the sword

[Nicholas]

Here are more photos of the sword

[tesscoothome123]

Hi, This Ebay listing might help with this sword

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-WW2-Japanese-imperial-army-officer-Sword-with-a-1600s-30-034-blade-/353308870208?hash=item5242d98640%3Ag%3AHOYAAOSwne1ftWq6&nma=true&si=0%2BjoWtrWAh4%2FwxpY7UibKW5EAkI%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Regards, John

[uwe]

Mon seems to be “加藤氏” (Katō) or “目黒氏” (Meguro) family.