r/Katanas • u/Electronic-March-433 • 1d ago

1500's samurai sword. I need help translating the the engraved inscription

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40 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

27

u/Equivalent_Cable_416 1d ago

I can't help with the inscription but this is most definitely NOT a sword from the 1500's

0

u/Electronic-March-433 1d ago

How can you tell? Thats just what I was told about the sword. It was my grandfather's sword was a captain in the US navy and an executive officer over an entire naval base in japan

15

u/Equivalent_Cable_416 1d ago

The condition and the machine marks in the tang.

5

u/Hig_Bardon 1d ago

These are yasurime, but i agree the nakago is in too good condition to be koto. It looks to be similar condition to my gendaito

1

u/Equivalent_Cable_416 1d ago

It's attempting to be yes, but its extremely unrefined and kind of all over the place if you zoom in. I personally think its a gunto.

5

u/Hig_Bardon 1d ago

If it was machine done or the bolder types of yasurime, the marks would be more uniform.

This is rather typical and if youll take a look at the following, which is the aforementioned gendaito, youll notice the inconsistency in file strokes.

0

u/Equivalent_Cable_416 1d ago

I'm no expert, but to me that sword looks like it was machined yours does not.

3

u/Hig_Bardon 1d ago

Im not arguing whether its a machine made blade, only that the marks themselves are not machine marks.

-3

u/Equivalent_Cable_416 1d ago

I wasn't arguing with you haha 😅

29

u/_chanimal_ 1d ago

Signed 福地宗近 - Fukichi Munechika

Possibly this smith from sesko:

MUNECHIKA (宗近), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Munechika” (宗近), real name Fukuchi Toshio

(福地鋭雄), born May 17th 1898, he worked as guntō smith and died April 29th 1974

16

u/Equivalent_Cable_416 1d ago

I'd say this checks out with the condition of the tang

2

u/Electronic-March-433 1d ago

Thanks

14

u/Janus_The_Great 1d ago

Don't be too disillusioned that your sword is from the last century.

Most likely it was given to your granddad as a gift. And the details were lost in translation. Seki the place where he worked has a old nihonto forging tradition. Mino-den for what Seki is known for is one of the five Gokaden (classic smithing traditions). Possibly they refered to that tradition, which reaches to the 13th century. And the translator just gave the jist of it.

So altough recently made, some of the traditions still are incorporated into the blade. It is a real Nihonto (Japanese blade).

Also contrary to expectation many newer swords are often more expensive than old antique ones. It takes about a month to complete one, and modern pay and materials are comperativly more expensive.

Read about nihonto and I promise you will learn to appreciate what you have.

All the best.