request info on wakizashi I recently picked up

[Jumper]

Hello,

I ran across this and some other items recently.

Curious about the 3 holes and the smith/age?

Help with the translation is appreciated.

cheers J

[Jumper]

1

[GHP]

The signature is too degraded to read, other than two kanji.


On one side:
治

Peace; calm; heal


on the other side:
竹
bamboo


There's nothing that I can get a grasp on; possibly parts of a proper noun.



--Guy

[Jumper]

Any idea on the era?

[GHP]

Any idea on the era?

Sorry, no, I’m not a collector or scholar; however, I can say it appears older than Meiji-era.

—Guy

[Jumper]

more pics of the Tang

[Jumper]

12

[Jumper]

What do you think this menuki is?

And the carved out piece on blade? An insert of some kind that fell off over hundreds of years?

[GHP]

1. The signature is still to degraded for *me* to read; possibly a collector or polisher could read it.

2. The menuki are a lion (shishi) and cub.

3. The piece that fell out was probably what’s called 埋金 umegane — a plug used to fill where a kizu (flaw) had been cut out.

— Guy