Soshu script? Showa-to mei.

[Lee Bray]

A friend in Hong Kong owns this unusual Showa-to. It was found in the basement of the Salisbury building by the owner in 1966. I mention that just because the building is around the corner from the Peninsula hotel, which was the Japanese military HQ during their occupation of HK in WW2.
It has an unusual mei, possibly stamped Soshu script? It also has three, seemingly defaced arsenal stamps and the numbers 258.
I have no clue as to what it says so looking for translation help, please.

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

@Bruce Pennington

[Bruce Pennington]

Well, this is going to be one for the record books!

 

Calling all translation experts!

 

[Brian]

I don't think it's signed, I think it's stamped. And I have the feeling we have seen this before. Hmmm

[Stephen]

4 minutes ago, Brian said:

I have the feeling we have seen this before. 

Yes we have.

[Lee Bray]

8 hours ago, Brian said:

I don't think it's signed, I think it's stamped. And I have the feeling we have seen this before. Hmmm

Meaning this sword or the stamped mei? I'm confused...

 

[Stephen]

1 hour ago, Lee Bray said:

I'm confused

Yes the mei is stamped not cut.

I don't have the foggiest what to search for

[Brian]

The stamped mei...whether this sword or another. I am not 100% sure even, but I recall this subject.
Also not sure how to search for it. Maybe @k morita can assist?

[vajo]

I think that script is etched not stamped (but you both could be right and it is stamped) and i think it is a chinese made blade.

[Lee Bray]

Etched or stamped, difficult to say for certain with the pic but I'm curious as to why you think it is Chinese?
Kissaki is properly shaped and defined and the kuri-jiri is properly shaped. It also appears to be machi-okuri, which I've never seen with fakes.
FB has also dropped it in the fake box based on the arabic numerals and stamped characters, but a look through the arsenal stamps topic in militaria shows all are possible. Ignoring the unusual nakago markings, the sword itself, shapewise, is legit.
Since it was found in '66, that would make it one of the very first fakes to be made, if they had even started back then, so it seems the fakers are going backwards with their sugata.

[Bruce Pennington]

Any hope for a translation? @SteveM @uwe @k morita and anyone else?

[Nobody]

I only guess its first part. (???)

紀元二六〇五年 - 2605 Imperial year

 

The writing style of numbers is rather strange for those days.

 

[SteveM]

After the date　冨士? (Fuji), then illegible to me after that. 

Maybe the last one is 源 (Minamoto)

 

I'm just guessing, too. 

Moriyama-san's reading of the date looks good to me though. Everything else...a mystery.

[Lee Bray]

Many thanks to Moriyama-san, Steve, et al.
I've passed on the info to the owner. I've also asked him if he wishes to pay for a Sesko translation but for that I assume I'll have to visit him and get some decent shots of the nakago, which I'll post here if it happens.
Thanks again.