Mei on tsuba

[Scogg]

Recently got a mumei wakizashi; and surprise! The tsuba is signed 

 

I appreciate any help in translating. I can provide more photos if requested 

 

Cheers,

-Sam

[Stephen]

Love love the turtle. 

Is there a Kanji above the two bottom visible ones 

[Scogg]

12 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Love love the turtle. 

Is there a Kanji above the two bottom visible ones 

Oh my goodness, that’s a turtle? That’s so cool! 
 

It appears there’s a kanji above, but it’s covered by rust except the very bottom part. I don’t think there’s a kanji below. Here’s another photo 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by GeorgeLuucas
Added clarification on kanji below

[Bugyotsuji]

Love the design.

I suspect it is a (deliberately?) failed attempt to write 信家 Nobuié.

[Geraint]

Dear Sam.

 

Start looking around Nobuiye, no guarantee that this is genuine but a good place to start.

Ah, Piers beat me to it.

 

All the best.

[Scogg]

Thank you both, that gave me a lot of good information to search

I found this old thread with the same design
https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/19513-what-would-make-you-think-it-is-not-a-nobuie-tsuba/

I see a lot of gimei nobuie out there, and mine looks like a pretty crude version of the signature (to my novice eye). Do you think mine might be a gimei akasaka copy of the design? Or potentially a fake?

Cheers,

-Sam

Edited August 26, 2023 by GeorgeLuucas
added observation about mei

[dimitri]

it looks like a bee, with the honeycombs. she is nice.

[Stephen]

2 hours ago, dimitri said:

it looks like a bee, with the honeycombs. she is nice.

Search crane and turtle tsuba....not honeycomb but it's shell.

[Stephen]

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/45550-crane-and-turtle-tsuba/

[Kurikata]

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/19513-what-would-make-you-think-it-is-not-a-nobuie-tsuba/#comment-200270