Took a chance on a sword today...and I know when I need help

[PolishAvenger]

Purchased this sword locally this afternoon...couldn't help myself. One of the characters looks like "Nobu", but that's as far as I got. If someone could be so kind as to put it together, I would be most grateful. If I can make it any easier to read, please let me know what I can do to help. I've also included a picture of a piece of paper pasted to the saya for your perusal. Thanks so much for any help you may be.

 

-Mark Tyskiewicz

[cabowen]

Mei is Omi no Kami Minamoto Kanemasa....

 

EDIT- Whoops, meant Kunimasa.....time to go to bed....

[Jean]

I'll say Kuni Masa

[David McDonald]

Dear Mark

 

I read

Omi no Kami Minamoto Kunimasa

近O

江mi

守Kami

源Minamoto

国Kuni

正masa

 

Hawley KUN418 and KUN440

Worked in Musashi and Iwashiro around 1688 and student of Hidetoke

Worked in suguba

 

good luck

david mcdonald

[PolishAvenger]

Gentlemen, I thank you kindly. I'm primarily a custom knife enthusiast, but occasionally I step out into things like this. This forum is an awesome resource.

-Mark

[PolishAvenger]

David, thank you for the breakdown. If I may ask, what is the significance of the paper pasted to the saya?

-Mark

[Lance]

Hello Mark,

I can't read it but it looks like it's a surrender label. At the end of World War 2 soldiers and civillians were supposed to turn in their weapons/swords, sometimes they put their names and address on them in the hopes that they would have been returned later on.

Regards,

Lance

[PolishAvenger]

Thank you, Lance. I thought that might be the case.

-Mark