showa-to mei

[drjoe]

can someone tell me what the mei on this sword says?

 

http://www.nihontoantiques.com/fss260.htm

 

also, i've noticed several showa-to with the painted on kanji -- looks like the date -- can you tell me why/when this was done?

[Stephen]

I think its Noshu Sukenobu

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/sukenobu.jpg

 

btw for a blade in polish with mounts that's not a bad price might even talk it down some.

 

edit to add , I think id call it Gendaito not showa to but that's splitting hairs

[Rich S]

The Kanji numbers painted on the nakago of Showa period blades are just assembly numbers so the koshirae fitters can keep straight what goes with what blade.

 

Rich S

[Stephen]

Thanks Rich i overlooked that part of his question.

[drjoe]

does seem to match this one from rich's site, though there is an extra last character, and no sign of a star stamp:

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/sukenobu.jpg

 

is this likely to be machine folded steel, or actual tamahagane?

[loiner1965]

does seem to match this one from rich's site, though there is an extra last character, and no sign of a star stamp:

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/sukenobu.jpg

 

is this likely to be machine folded steel, or actual tamahagane?

missing kanji is saku which just means made this.....star is a good sign as it usually means traditionally made

[drjoe]

there does seem to be a clear hada, so to my amateur eye this is folded and water quenched. i'm not quite clear on the signature though...

 

here are two others by what looks like the same smith, but a slightly different way of signing.

 

http://www.samuraisword.com/nihonto_c/g ... /index.htm

 

http://www.nihontoantiques.com/fss162.htm

 

did smiths regularly use variations in their signature (e.g. omitting "Ju" or the date) on blades?