Looks like names to me. The bottom one says Ishii Tarou (family name followed by first name), but I can't even begin to make a guess at the top one. Maybe someone who is actually fluent will be able to make it out...
or maybe they won't. Often when I ask Japanese people how to pronounce a particular name they can't say for certain. These characters can have multiple readings, and they get particularly dodgy in names.
I got my girlfriend to look at it, the Ishii Tarou translation is right on, the top one is either Masakazu 52 (go-jyu-ni) or Showa 52, the kanji can be interpreted in a number of ways but apparently the showa version is a little off, maybe some wear and tear. I guess it could be a makers mark to indicate it was made in the 52nd year of the Showa period or something like that. Gotta love the background bananas haha.
Go, Go, EXCALIBUR! - Trent Varsity Swim Team 2009, better watch out for me Phelps!
I got my girlfriend to look at it, the Ishii Tarou translation is right on, the top one is either Masakazu 52 (go-jyu-ni) or Showa 52, the kanji can be interpreted in a number of ways but apparently the showa version is a little off, maybe some wear and tear. I guess it could be a makers mark to indicate it was made in the 52nd year of the Showa period or something like that. Gotta love the background bananas haha.
What good is a katana if it can't slice some fruit?
I got my girlfriend to look at it, the Ishii Tarou translation is right on, the top one is either Masakazu 52 (go-jyu-ni) or Showa 52, the kanji can be interpreted in a number of ways but apparently the showa version is a little off, maybe some wear and tear. I guess it could be a makers mark to indicate it was made in the 52nd year of the Showa period or something like that. Gotta love the background bananas haha.
What good is a katana if it can't slice some fruit?
Showa 52 makes a lot of sense. That would make the sword from 1977. I thought I was seeing a lot of extra little strokes there so I didn't recognize the character for two at all!
But yeah, if it is showa, the "wa" character looks pretty darn odd.
I thought I was seeing a lot of extra little strokes there so I didn't recognize the character for two at all!
But yeah, if it is showa, the "wa" character looks pretty darn odd.
The 和 looks fine to me. I'm not completely sold on the 2. It's pretty dark and hard to see, though.
There are more formal versions of the characters for numbers, since it's pretty easy to change the simple ones (see here). I'm guessing his girlfriend saw the last character as 弐.
the only sad part is that there is no signature on the tang. that's alright though. so I do not know if the name Ishii is who it was made for or the person that made it. it does have a Iriyamagata Tang
I got my girlfriend to look at it, the Ishii Tarou translation is right on, the top one is either Masakazu 52 (go-jyu-ni) or Showa 52, the kanji can be interpreted in a number of ways but apparently the showa version is a little off, maybe some wear and tear. I guess it could be a makers mark to indicate it was made in the 52nd year of the Showa period or something like that. Gotta love the background bananas haha.
What good is a katana if it can't slice some fruit?
Please don't actually do this.
Why not? As long as he cleans it afterwards, chop all the bananas, apples, and oranges you want!
I got my girlfriend to look at it, the Ishii Tarou translation is right on, the top one is either Masakazu 52 (go-jyu-ni) or Showa 52, the kanji can be interpreted in a number of ways but apparently the showa version is a little off, maybe some wear and tear. I guess it could be a makers mark to indicate it was made in the 52nd year of the Showa period or something like that. Gotta love the background bananas haha.
What good is a katana if it can't slice some fruit?
Please don't actually do this.
Why not? As long as he cleans it afterwards, chop all the bananas, apples, and oranges you want!
It doesn't really matter because you should never do what the presenter in the video did, with any katana (hit things with the flat of the blade). Even a good katana can break if it is mishandled.
It doesn't really matter because you should never do what the presenter in the video did, with any katana (hit things with the flat of the blade). Even a good katana can break if it is mishandled.
I'd append "or any other weapon, because dicking around with weapons is always a bad idea, as Dicky McStabmyself learned."
An actual layered steel katana should be able to stand up to slicing some fruits...
Neat enough, apparently katanas were usually crafted with pig iron, which is what made the smiths so adamant about proper techniques. It was the only way to make the sword not terribad.
An actual layered steel katana should be able to stand up to slicing some fruits...
Neat enough, apparently katanas were usually crafted with pig iron, which is what made the smiths so adamant about proper techniques. It was the only way to make the sword not terribad.
Only a certain portion of katana blades were traditionally made with pig iron. The core was typically iron with a lower carbon content whereas the rest of the blade was a mixture of very high carbon containing steel mixed with pig iron. Almost all of the iron used in katana crafting was Iron Sand.
A fair number of Showa era swords were made from scrap iron/steel as well, though it was a renaissance period of sword crafting. While there's bound to be junk from that era, there are some very good Showa era swords out in the world.
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or maybe they won't. Often when I ask Japanese people how to pronounce a particular name they can't say for certain. These characters can have multiple readings, and they get particularly dodgy in names.
What good is a katana if it can't slice some fruit?
Please don't actually do this.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
But yeah, if it is showa, the "wa" character looks pretty darn odd.
The 和 looks fine to me. I'm not completely sold on the 2. It's pretty dark and hard to see, though.
There are more formal versions of the characters for numbers, since it's pretty easy to change the simple ones (see here). I'm guessing his girlfriend saw the last character as 弐.
Why not? As long as he cleans it afterwards, chop all the bananas, apples, and oranges you want!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kFgeZtkAb8
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
An actual layered steel katana should be able to stand up to slicing some fruits...
But that's getting a bit off the topic.
Neat enough, apparently katanas were usually crafted with pig iron, which is what made the smiths so adamant about proper techniques. It was the only way to make the sword not terribad.
It depends on the time period! In the Edo period swords were firmly associated with nobles. But early Samurai focused on archery, it's true.
Only a certain portion of katana blades were traditionally made with pig iron. The core was typically iron with a lower carbon content whereas the rest of the blade was a mixture of very high carbon containing steel mixed with pig iron. Almost all of the iron used in katana crafting was Iron Sand.