Help wanted to translate Wakizashi Vet bring back

[marivo]

Hello I need help to translate both sides of this Waki.
The makers side is almost finished, I have: Sagami no kami fujiwara and i Think Kane Yasu.
The other side is driving me crazy.
Thanks and Greetzz,

[asterperious]

you'll have more luck at the Nihonto board, Nihonto Message Board it is a shame someone tried to clean the tang area of it's old rusty patina, it has significantly reduced it's potential value. what does the blade look like.

[marivo]

I posted it at the NMB but no response
Blade is out of polish, hamon is visible.

[ghp95134]

相模守藤原金安
Sagami-no-kami Fujiwara Kaneyasu
Kaneyasu Fujiwara Lord of Sagami
[honorary title: "Fujiwara, Lord of Sagami"]

It might be this smith, fourth from the bottom of p. 183. He used this exact title.

======
The other side presents problems in that I cannot make out many of the kanji. I have highlighted in magenta those mystery kanji, and have inserted close approximations to fill in the gaps; these are just "body doubles" not to be confused with what the actual kanji might be:
中尾ろ档朝右吉勝接之
Nakao [?] [?] Asa [?] Yoshikatsu [?] kore
I've seen the kanji 朝右 "A-sa" used as a name ... but usually something like Asaemon 朝右衛門 (A-sa-e-mon). I cannot find 朝右吉勝 Asayoshikatsu ... so I still might not be on the right track....
I sure hope that penultimate kanji is not 接 [weld; adjoin; contact; piece together] ... I don't think so judging by that long sweeping curve of the final stroke ....


Here is an authenticated Sagami-no-Kami Kaneyasu signature for comparison:

source
As you can see, there is a stylistic difference in this signature as compared to yours. Not always a red flag as some smiths had other craftsmen do their signature engravings ... but I do not know if that is the case with this Kaneyasu.


I'll leave the rest up to the Japanese Sword experts who may opine.


--Guy

[marivo]

Hello Guy, thanks, is the unknow side a date??

[ghp95134]

Hello Guy, thanks, is the unknow side a date??

Hi Marvio,

No, not a date. And, the writing/engraving is in a different stylistic hand than the opposite side.

[asterperious]

this suggests it is likely a 'gimei' false signature blade - which can range from intent equating to an homage to the original smith - sort of like a good cover tune of a band - to outright intent to defraud, even centuries ago a common pursuit to enhance the value of the blade.

Old kanji can be tough to translate as usage and meaning of the characters drift over time, like reading old English, and can be tough for native Japanese who are not classicists, even then a lot is debatable even by the learned Japanese. The inscriptions can be mundane, 'on an auspicious day in X year' to the esoteric use of buddhist bonji mantras. you might see if Tsurata-San at AOI will take a run at it Japanese Sword for Sale | Japanese Sword Shop AoiJapan

[Gunto]

Looks like someone has mounted modern fake fittings. Tsuba is sure a cheap fake.

[ghp95134]

Looks like someone has mounted modern fake fittings. Tsuba is sure a cheap fake.

I was so intent on the kanji that I didn't even notice. You're right. I had a kazari-to [decoration sword] back in 1970 that had a tsuba almost exactly the same, but had different sized hitsu-ana (the two holes next to the opening for the tang).

--Guy

[marivo]

This is the opinion about the fittings on NMB.
I don't think it's fake, just an average wakizashi put into whatever fittings were available. Same thing we see so often. Valued at the price of the blade mainly....and since the nakago looks cleaned a bit, it's a $500 package. Kogatana a modern filler. Fittings all average but real. Handle wrap having come loose long ago and poorly rewrapped.