Thread: 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.

Originally Posted by singlewedge

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.

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.

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

Any help is appreciated.

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.

Is there any way to find out information about "Big West"?

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.

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.

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