wakizashi Odd wakizashi

[moriarty]

Hi everyone,

 

I could do with some assistance with this one particular piece. A few months ago I received a wakizashi in shirasaya as a gift, but I've had much trouble trying to figure it out with my available resources. Blade seems to be an O-suriage with possible Machi-Okuri, no visible hamon and a bad polishing attempt to boot.

First Kanji seems to be "Kane"

While Second Kanji is cut by half, so it could be either "taka" or "Yoshi" to my speculation

Does anybody have any idea which one this may be?

Any assistance or thoughts would be much appreciated. 

[ROKUJURO]

Maurice,

as a part of the MEI is left, the blade is only SURIAGE.

The lower MEI character is perhaps not TAKA, but there are some other possibilities, I think.

It would be good to show your blade to an expert "in hand". Possibly there is more to see than on these photos. Perhaps some features lead to the identification, so the blade confirms the smith. There are many MINO based swordsmiths with "KANE" in their names. 

[Nobody]

Maybe 兼定 - Kanesada.

 

[Bugyotsuji]

That first character is so poorly written though, that it gives little confidence for approaching the second. I’ll go with Moriyama San here.