An independent catalogue based on real inscriptions, archive photographs and traceable sources. A brand, manufacturer and individual craftsperson are not automatically the same.
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A confirmed brand–company relationship does not authenticate an individual vintage object, its maker or its age. Those findings belong in the object's own record.
The legible inscriptions 奈良 (Nara) and 若草山 (Wakakusayama) accompany a stylised mark provisionally transcribed as 刃匠庵. Its exact transcription and maker remain under investigation. A separate engraving on the opposite side has not yet been fully deciphered.
Murata Hamono — probable attribution of this piece
Region
Sakai / Senshū — probable
Observed variant: 泉州 (?) / 源菊虎 / 本鍛錬
Inscription reading confidence
The main mark reads 源菊虎 — Minamoto no Kikutora. The Kikutora brand is documented for Murata Hamono in Sakai. Attribution of this particular knife bearing the 源菊虎 variant to that firm remains probable. The individual smith and age are unidentified.
MK-0010 · PhotographsMinamoto Mitsukane / Minamoto no Mitsukane登録 / 源光金UnidentifiedProbable+
Minamoto Mitsukane
Mark
源光金
Reading
Minamoto Mitsukane / Minamoto no Mitsukane
Maker / owner
Unidentified
Region
Unidentified
Observed variant: 登録 / 源光金
Inscription reading confidence
The reading 源光金 as Minamoto Mitsukane has high confidence and matches the Honmamon catalogue. A brand is distinct from its maker: the workshop, individual smith and age of this piece are undocumented.
The mark is transcribed as 愁翠. Shūsui matches the dictionary reading of these characters, but the brand pronunciation is not documented directly by its maker. The company, individual smith, manufacturing region and period remain unidentified.
The SAKAI ISHITO inscription and sakura emblem match the 堺石藤 桜印 brand. Japanese catalogues list a 日本鋼 gyuto with a 240 mm blade and 370 mm overall length. Attribution to this series is probable; the individual smith and age are undocumented.
Identification rests solely on the blade stamp: 登録 and tentatively 有光, probably read Arimitsu. Corrosion obscures the lower character, so transcription and attribution remain tentative. The handle inscription is not evidence of the blade’s maker or place of origin.
The blade signature reads 政綱別打, probably Masatsuna Betsu-uchi. The characters are legible, but the company, smith and production period are undocumented. Identification is based on the blade, not the handle.
MK-0015 · PhotographsSakai Muneharu堺宗春Sakai — according to the markProbable+
Sakai Muneharu
Mark
堺宗春
Reading
Sakai Muneharu
Maker / owner
Unidentified
Region
Sakai — according to the mark
Observed variant: 堺宗春
Inscription reading confidence
The blade mark probably corresponds to 堺宗春 (Sakai Muneharu), a brand listed in the Sakai Densan catalogue. Attribution of this knife is probable; the specific manufacturer, smith and production period remain unidentified.
The blade logo and inscription identify Misono, manufactured by Misono Cutlery in Seki. The exact historical model, age and steel grade are undocumented. CONFIRMED applies to the brand.
MK-0017 · PhotographsYasumitsu saku (?)泰充作 — ?UnidentifiedProbable+
Yasumitsu (?)
Mark
泰充作 (?)
Reading
Yasumitsu saku (?)
Maker / owner
Unidentified
Region
Unidentified
Observed variant: 泰充作 — ?
Inscription reading confidence
The blade signature probably reads 泰充作 (Yasumitsu saku). Comparison records support the reading but do not reliably identify a specific manufacturer. Region, smith and production period remain unknown.
The inscription 登録 東三郎 is legible in the macro photograph. No link to a specific maker, workshop or region has been established. The handle is not used to infer a maker or date.
The visible inscription reads 特製 登録 伊之吉. Inokichi is a probable reading of 伊之吉, but no maker has confirmed that pronunciation for this mark. The specific manufacturer, workshop, region and age are undocumented. The probable confidence level refers to the reading, not the identification of a smith.
The inscription reads 登録 / 宏元作 / はがね本割込. A comparable inscription supports Hiromoto saku. The listed region is brand context, not verified provenance of SHOW013. The exact workshop, individual smith, age and steel grade remain unverified.
