Please help with Mei

[joseph1]

Dear Sir's

I,ve been given a wakazashi,blade only, and I,m seeking help with the full translation.The blade has about a 22 inch sori,and is quite tired--rusted,chipped and someone has beaten on the nakago foreward of the mekugi ana's with a hammer!I was able to get the Bizen Nagamitsu part but I dont understand the rest?Any help and or opinions would be much appreciated.

Best Regards: Joe

[cabowen]

Bizen kuni ju Nagamitsu

[joseph1]

Thank you Chris

I understand the province,and swordsmith,and from Kanji,but what does the Kuni mean in the signature?What year Nagamitsu is this,as there seems to be a ton of them?

Again thankyou for your help: Best regards: Joe

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Kuni means province (country).

[Jean]

I'll say this blade is sue Muromachi but don't see any matching Bizen smith coming by this mei

[joseph1]

Thank you all for your response,s.I dont think I,ll ever be able to understand Kanji.Yumoto's book helps me the most,but Kanji in a book vs.kanji chisled on a sword are quite different.Throw in age of the inscription,and how the smith was feeling the day he chisled it,and who knows?(Kind of like made on a Friday in America!)Then there's those forgeries!Anyway,thanks again for all you're inputs.

Best Regards: Joe C.