Help of translation of the tang

[rajko84]

I got offered this sword, but it looks modern to me. I do not have many pictures, but they send me some pics if the tang. So any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Regards Rajko

[rajko84]

1

[GHP]

Hello Raijko,

Please show the full tang. From what I'm seeing, the engraving looks like it was done with a modern round-point electrical engraving tool. I do not know if my assumption is accurate because the photos are not so crisp. The date looks funny:

...国大連陳朝波乙酉年
koku Dailian ..... Rooster Year.

Probably the missing kanji is Chu 中 for 中国 Chukoku [China] because that is where Dailian is; they make some good-quality blades for modern iaido practicioners. I've used some for test-cutting that would have made good gunto.

An overall view of the tang will give our collectors more of the "pie" to judge, not just a slice.


-Guy

[GHP]

Chinese-Made Blade

乙酉年 "Wood Rooster Year" is 2005.
source
2005 平成17 乙酉

By the way, I can now see vestiges of the 中 kanji that the hole has obliterated. The entire legend is:

中国大連陳朝波乙酉年
Zhōngguó Dàlián Chén Cháobō Yǐyǒu Nián
China, Dailian, Chen Chaobo, Rooster Year

Chen [family name]
Chaobo [Morning Wave]

Dalian/Dairen [Port Arthur] makes some good quality Japanese-style martial arts-grade swords for iaido and test-cutting. Some American importers [SwordStore] actually contracted with Japanese sword furniture makers in Seki to ship handles/scabbards to Dalien to be fitted to the "samurai-style" swords, then exported to the USA. I tested about four of the different blades and found they cut well. BUT, these are "Gunto-quality" swords and may NOT be imported to Japan. In Japanese a real sword is called "shin-ken"; we jokingly called these "Chin-ken" because they were Chinese-made swords, [or, was it because they were made by Paul Chen of Hanwei Forge???]. Or .... was it some guy who used to work for Paul, then went into business on his own .... it's been over 10 years, so I forgot the details.
IF this were a Japanese sword [which it is NOT], the maker's name 朝波 would be pronounced AsaNami.



--Guy

[rajko84]

Hello Raijko,

Please show the full tang. From what I'm seeing, the engraving looks like it was done with a modern round-point electrical engraving tool. I do not know if my assumption is accurate because the photos are not so crisp. The date looks funny:

...国大連陳朝波乙酉年
koku Dailian ..... Rooster Year.

Probably the missing kanji is Chu 中 for 中国 Chukoku [China] because that is where Dailian is; they make some good-quality blades for modern iaido practicioners. I've used some for test-cutting that would have made good gunto.

An overall view of the tang will give our collectors more of the "pie" to judge, not just a slice.


-Guy

Guy, thank you so much. I will try to get the picture of the whole sword.

[zts]

modern swords made in China DALIAN.

[GHP]

modern swords made in China DALIAN.