Translation Help on Partial Wakizashi Mei - RAI KUNITSUGU?

[tbonesullivan]

I can definitely make out the 國 KUNI in the middle, but this tang is definitely old, and the signature doesn't show the tagane-makura or tagane anymore. Getting pictures of it was "fun", and I had to use some corn starch, which I have been getting better with.

 

The first character looks like 耒 or maybe 秉, but I don't see those usually used in Mei. Unfortunately with the Mekugi-ana right in the middle That's the best I can do. Looking online suggests it might be 来 RAI?

 

It also looks like there is a third character after the Kuni, maybe 次 TSUGU?

[Shugyosha]

Hi David, 

Yes, I think that’s what it says. Probably not going to be genuine though…but some blade close-ups would be interesting. 

[tbonesullivan]

56 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

Hi David, 

Yes, I think that’s what it says. Probably not going to be genuine though…but some blade close-ups would be interesting. 

 

I'll see what I can do, but sadly the closer you get to the blade the worse it looks. It's got a lot of scuffing and scratching on it. I has been treated like a regular knife blade unfortunately, so it's got these long swirly scratches, almost like someone dropped it on a rock or something.

[Toryu2020]

Try the dark room trick -

Shut it up in a completely dark room and take photos with the flash - if theres a hamon and utsuri they may show up...

 

-t

[tbonesullivan]

This sword has been reduced in width, a LOT. It has definitely had the Mune-Machi moved up, probably several times. It also looks the right side with the Bo'Hi has lost more material than the other side. It looks like there were two small fullers on both sides originally. Right now, at the Mune-machi, it is 5.8mm thick along the Mune. A few cm in and it's down to 4.6mm. There is also a good amount of ware and fukure blade wounds on that side, and the tip may have had some type of repair done to it. I don't see any shintetsu though.

 

1cm behind the Mune-machi, where it used to be part of the blade, it's 6.6mm.

[Jacques]

Unfortunately gimei I add yasurime should be kiri

[tbonesullivan]

23 hours ago, Jacques D. said:

Unfortunately gimei I add yasurime should be kiri

 

I do see some of those that are more KURI-JIRI. I think there was also a 17th Century KUNITSUGU who may have used the signature at times.

 

Now the question is when the signature was added? It's definitely an old blade, and the signature looks to have been added a long time ago. It was purchased just as an "old ko-wakizashi" with a pretty bad blade, and was not costly at all.

[Jacques]

According to the Nihonto meikan, there are two Rai Kunitsugu in Shinto, but none signed in sanjimei. There was one who signed in sanji mei during the Oan period (1368-1375),  but there are no existing swords by this smith.