Two nakago questions

[Mark S.]

Two blades sold at a recent auction.  I have two questions about nakago I saw on two blades.  I’m not asking for opinion on whether you think they are shoshin… it has more to do with condition of one and mei placement on another to help me address a lack of experience on my end.  

First blade was listed as a Hosho Sadamune.  The condition of the nakago threw me, and I have seen this on a couple other blades in the past.  They only way I can describe it is the bottom half of the nakago looks ‘muddy’???  Is this natural aging/patina or is there something else going on?  

 

The second blade was listed as a 14th Cent Rai Kuniyoshi tachi.  While it is signed tachi-mei, is the mei placement above the mekugi-ana correct/common or a red flag?  Not asking if mei is good… just not sure if placement is correct?

[Rivkin]

I don't think anybody issues papers to Hosho Sadamune anymore for the last 40 years. The light source is very non-uniform, but besides that I don't see anything super-criminal...

On the second blade: there were Yamashiro smiths signing above the ana and towards the mune, though if there is just one ana it tends to be then considerably lower than the signature. By default I would suspect gimei here.

[DRDave]

In the second photo, is it just me, or are there ghosts of mei below the ana?  

[b.hennick]

In the second one I see the character of Yoshi above the ana. The bottom part of the first one has been part of the tang much longer than the roguher part. The file marks (yasuri mei) have worn down and are now smooth --> muddy