Help please

[aabderson]

Can anyone make the signature out? 

[ROKUJURO]

Looks a bit like KANEYASU    ( 兼  保 ) but seems to have more strokes in the second KANJI.

Generally, NAKAGO photos should be well focused, taken directly from above, with the light from the side, and taken with a dark background. Tip should point upwards.

You will have to wait for the experts.

[uwe]

I rather think it is “兼得” (Kanenari)!

 

[ROKUJURO]

Yes, that's it! I could not find it in the KANJI list of the NMB.

[uwe]

7 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

Yes, that's it! I could not find it in the KANJI list of the NMB.

I admit that I can’t remember whether I have ever noticed this character for “nari” before, Jean.
Quite rare I guess and “pointing”* to Mino 16th century in this case.

 

Edit: “might point”*. Condition of the nakago (patina) looks not that old. At least on the first two pictures…

[PNSSHOGUN]

Pictures of the full sword would confirm/rule out the Mei.

[aabderson]

[aabderson]

@PNSSHOGUN

[Tohagi]

This hamon could be beautifull with à fresh polish ! ....

 

Nice piece.

 

Best regards, 

 

Éric VD

[Nihonto student]

Dear Alex,

 

having the measurements of the blade would help to evaluate the period and tighten the circle,  takanoha yasurime are not very common in the Shinto period, from the photos I would also seem to see an O kissaki or elongated chu kissaki (I could easily be wrong given the different angles of the photo), so at first glance it seems to me compatible with Mino den late Muromachi, perhaps

 

https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/KAN1756 or https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/KAN1757

 

Regards,

Giordy

[ROKUJURO]

Alex,

as mentioned above:

Generally, NAKAGO photos should be well focused, taken directly from above, with the light from the side, and taken with a dark background. Tip should point upwards. 

This applies also to photos of the blade.

In addition to these recommendations, you can improve your photos by presenting them as cut-outs, so no background is disturbing. 

[Tohagi]

...could be an illusion but I see what seems koshibiraki in the hamon and maybe gunome choji ( 4th picture)... but difficult to say from these pictures...

 

Best regards 

Éric VD

[aabderson]

Thank you all for your help. I don’t know much about Kanenari. Was he a good swordsmith? 

[Jacques D.]

According to the Nihonto meikan, there are 4 Kanenari (with these kanji), all from Mino and working  during the 1500s. Fujisiro doesn't list any of them, which suggests that they were minor smiths.

[uwe]

The earliest is rated wazamono!

[Jacques D.]

Frankly, wazamono is not a quality brand. You have to look at the conditions under which these tests were carried out, and I doubt that the process was rigorous enough in terms of parameters to be truly reliable.  Let me add that it's the swords that were judged, not the smiths. 

 

It seems Markus Sesko index is mistaken

https://en.wikipedia...iki/List_of_Wazamono

 

Inoue Shinkai only rated wazamono ....

[PNSSHOGUN]

Absurd argument once again. Please point to a modern equivalent of the Wazamono list if you are attempting to hold a 17th century practice to modern scientific standards.

 

 

[Jacques D.]

Ok, show me how what I say is absurd, i look forward to reading your well-founded arguments.

[PNSSHOGUN]

You are the one dismissing the validity of the Wazamono list. Please present another that matches your criteria of reliability. Alternatively, head down to the morgue and start slicing and dicing, look forward to your results.