Worn Mei on Tanto. KANENAO? Confirmation requested.

[tbonesullivan]

This is a pretty small tanto, which has a lot of wear to the tang, so I was not able to get any truly clear photographs. As best I can tell, it reads KANE NAO SAKU - 兼 尚 作.

 

However part of me thinks maybe the second character is 周 CHIKA or something else. I checked the photos and there are no lines / markings that are missed in them, but due to the wear some may have worn away.

 

Any help is most appreciated!

[Nobody]

兼常 - Kanetsune

 

[tbonesullivan]

19 minutes ago, Nobody said:

兼常 - Kanetsune

 

One of these days I'll get things right. Thanks so much! It's a shame the blade is in such poor shape.

[Franco D]

2 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

It's a shame the blade is in such poor shape.

 

Years ago I looked at a mumei tanto that was in much worse shape than this piece appears to be in, damaged tip, and heavy rust. Only it had a small window opened up which showed quality. So, I bought it and it polished out just fine. If a sword has foundations issues choosing the right polisher becomes even more critical.

 

Regards

[Brian]

Agree. This would clean up nicely if the quality dictates.