Help identify wakizashi

[gorec5642]

Good day everyone! Help determine the approximate period of this wakizashi. The length of the sword in the scabbard is 57 cm. There is a photocopy of the document. I will be grateful for any information. Thank you. With respect to you.

[George KN]

I'm a nihonto novice, but I'd say that's a nice wakizashi! Suriage, so likely a katana in the past, and nice to have even a little bit of the signature so you know it isn't mumei. The mei is also on the side to suggest it wasn't a tachi either, and from the patina it's clearly been this way for a while.

 

I'm therefore taking a wild guess at saying a koto blade that was them shortened in the shinto period? Sadly I can't help with the translation.

 

The tsuba looks good and old too. It looks like it was for a larger sword and has then been fitted to a smaller one - so I guess it is possible this tsuba was the same one pre/post suriage.

 

It would be good to have another picture of the kissaki since I can't make out any details on the first once.

[ROKUJURO]

Only BI- is left of the signature, so it is probably a BIZEN or BISHU blade. BITCHU is another possibility. 

[Lee Bray]

Mokume hada and gunome /midare hamon, koshi-zori would go along with Bizen, as Jean notes for the solitary kanji.
Likely Koto. Kissaki appears somewhat extended.
What's the distance between the ana on the nakago-jiri and the new nakago-ana? Add that to the nagasa(57cm?) and it should give you a rough indication as to the original length, providing the 'Bi' kanji isn't part of an old gimei.

[Bugyotsuji]

備（以下きれる）says "Bi-, (cut off below)"

関谷吉廣 Sekiya Yoshihiro (?) on the right must be a previous owner's name.

[gorec5642]

Thanks everyone for discussing this wakizashi.

[Rivkin]

Long wakizashi with an o-kissaki is basically Tensho or later. The signature is placed along the edge, non-callygraphic, which suggests koto, which means likely Tensho. The style is sort of meh-average of the period, can be Mino, can be something else, especially since we don't see jigane above the shinogi. Bi is likely Bizen as was stated... possibly ok. Nothing seen disproves it with certainty.