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Thread: Kanji Help

  1. #1
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    Default Kanji Help

    I have purchased a Japanese str8.

    Now I need help with a translation.





    I know that the Cat is a symbol of luck I know that the two symbols below are big and west. I know that of the 4 or 5 symbols on the spine the top one I cannot find a match to in any of the Kanji numbers, but the 2 below it are 3 and 0. I think the numbers on the spine are a date and I think the words Big West refer to a forger or metalsmith west of Tokyo or east of Mt. Fuji.

    Can someone help? When it arrives I am going to put some clay in there to see if I can lift the kanji impressions out so that I can make out the maker or other information.

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    Quote Originally Posted by singlewedge View Post
    I have purchased a Japanese str8.

    Now I need help with a translation.





    I know that the Cat is a symbol of luck I know that the two symbols below are big and west. I know that of the 4 or 5 symbols on the spine the top one I cannot find a match to in any of the Kanji numbers, but the 2 below it are 3 and 0. I think the numbers on the spine are a date and I think the words Big West refer to a forger or metalsmith west of Tokyo or east of Mt. Fuji.

    Can someone help? When it arrives I am going to put some clay in there to see if I can lift the kanji impressions out so that I can make out the maker or other information.
    Not seeing the symbols.

  3. #3
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    There are four stamps above the cat.

    The top two I think are this:

    ----
    |
    |
    ___
    |___|

    and
    ___
    | |
    ___
    |
    ___
    | |
    ___

    Just gotta pretend the boxes are complete. Ahh ASCII what ever happened to it.

  4. #4
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    Name:  kanjipic.jpg
Views: 251
Size:  16.6 KB

    These are approximations of what I can see in the stamps.

    Any help is appreciated.

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    Senior Member blabbermouth JimR's Avatar
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    Well, I'm of no help, but if you don't have an answer by the time I get home from work today, I'll ask the wife.

  6. #6
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    Is there any way to find out information about "Big West"?

  7. #7
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    According to this website Onishi Sadanari could be the smith. It fits the time frame being somewhere between WW1 and WW2.

    Now if I get the wrap off and find a star stamp we are in the game. The cat is puzzling though.

  8. #8
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    Puzzles, Puzzles.

    So I have emailed a Japanese Studies professor at the local college and stumped her. I emailed two Japanese sword collectors and stumped them. I asked a local native Japanese lady that works across the hall from me. Nothing. I have since gone to the source. I email the Japanese international School in Tokyo and asked one of the Japanese language professors.

    I am attaching an approximation of the glyph. According to everyone that I have talked to it is not a Kanji. The pic of the blade is at the top. Any help would be great. I think if I can get this glyph cyphered I'll be in the clear.


    Name:  kanji2.jpg
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Size:  12.1 KB

  9. #9
    Senior Member singlewedge's Avatar
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    I heard back from the Japanese Studies Prof here at PSU. According to the faculty the first character could be TEN, translated as celebration, ceremony, or law code.

    I am taking the meaning to be celebration or ceremony because of the Maneki Neko, lucky cat, stamped on the blade. That would make the next two either 30?? or March 0 ? ?.

    There are no Japanese holidays that start in March that would warrant the making of a razor, except for Dolls Day and White Day.

    So here is the puzzle. The Japanese used the Chinese lunar calendar for a time so the date could be 30xx or it could me March 0xx.

    Edit:
    Upon further reflection. I believe that this is a month and year with the 0 being a place holder. So March xx. I just gotta puzzle out the XX
    Last edited by singlewedge; 04-17-2009 at 11:52 PM.

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