Translation Assistance please

[robinalexander]

I just cant get my head into this at the moment and hoping someone else can.

 

Sorry about lack if clarity, unable to get any better pics at this time, so very happy to receive any attempt.

 

Rob

 

 

 

 

[Nobody]

天照山鍛錬場作 – Tenshozan tanrenjo made

昭和十五年二月吉日 – Showa 15^th year (1940), 2^nd month, a lucky day

[robinalexander]

Fantastic Koichi you have made my day, and for me today, thats a very nice thing.

 

Take care.

Rob

[Brian]

Just bear in mind that the cleaned nakago is a pretty serious issue.

[Misconstrued]

28 minutes ago, Brian said:

Just bear in mind that the cleaned nakago is a pretty serious issue.

Pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a Navy Gunto? I don't see many with much of any patina.

[mecox]

Some examples of Tenshozan tanrenjo from page 82:  

 

 

[Brian]

If the nakago was all clean, I'd say so. But those patches of cleaned rust show that the nakago must have been black at some point. There is pitting around the dark patches. Rust wouldn't have been so selective.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Brian, that patina isn't too suspect for these stainless Kai Gunto. 

 

[Brian]

Pitting means the rust was cleaned off extensively. That's all I can say.

[Bazza]

Gents, I believe the appearance is a property of the steel itself and its response to corrosion.  Reason??  I have a TENSHOZAN sword with a near identical rust pattern with area of pristine steel.  I believe Robin's sword was once like the one I have, but Robin's nakago has been cleaned.  I think it is clear that if I cleaned my nakago it would show the same pattern of rust and pitting.The mei is executed in the same thin characters.  I might add this sword is BIG and is in a Shingunto koshirae.

 

BaZZa.

 

      

[Bruce Pennington]

Rob,

FWIW - I have these dated from 1939-1943.  Yours is only the second 1940 blade I have on file, and only 1 1939, so in our online world, a fairly rare item!

[robinalexander]

14 hours ago, Bazza said:

I believe Robin's sword

 

10 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Yours is only the second 1940 blade I have on file

 

Thanks for your comments Baz and Bruce.

 

'FWIW' that confused my for a moment Bruce ...... FTR (look that one up ) this Tenshozan tanrenjo (Kai Gunto) is unfortunately, not my sword notwithstanding my best efforts. 

 

Rob

 

 

[Kiipu]

For the record, this is the oldest known Tenshōzan blade marked with the 天照山鍛錬場作 signature.  Prior to that time, they were made by either Fujiwara Kanenaga 藤原兼永 or Fujiwara Akimitsu 藤原昭光.

 

Only about half of them have the Tenshōzan anchor stamp.  The earliest being August 1939 and the last being June 1943.