# Kanji



## khashy (Feb 6, 2017)

Need some help again.

One of these days I'll start learning to read japanese.

Thanks in advance.






And


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## XooMG (Feb 6, 2017)

&#22586;&#20809;&#27835;&#20316;

&#38738;&#37628;

Hope that helps.


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## khashy (Feb 6, 2017)

XooMG said:


> &#22586;&#20809;&#27835;&#20316;
> 
> &#38738;&#37628;
> 
> Hope that helps.



Thank you as always. 

Do you recognise this stamp?


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## rami_m (Feb 6, 2017)

Google translate should help you there

Translation 
Blue steel made by Sakai Koji


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## XooMG (Feb 6, 2017)

I do not know what you mean. I can read the stamp, but I do not personally know the maker. There are many Sakai folks.


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## khashy (Feb 6, 2017)

XooMG said:


> I do not know what you mean. I can read the stamp, but I do not personally know the maker. There are many lesser-known Sakai folks.



Yeah, I meant whether you are familiar with the maker.

I was told that this is what the guys in Hide use for the knives that they are unable to mark with the "Hide" stamp. I am told that stamp can only be used through particular retailers.

I was informed that this is the 'Mitsuji' signature. Doesn't read Mutsuji by the looks of it...


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## XooMG (Feb 6, 2017)

Who is informing you?


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## khashy (Feb 6, 2017)

XooMG said:


> Who is "informing" you?



Well, I got in contact with a proxy in Sakai to place a custom order. I then enquired about Hide and this was the answer


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## XooMG (Feb 6, 2017)

Have you asked the relevant parties or their distributors? Seems much better than asking a forum.


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## khashy (Feb 6, 2017)

You're right. Figured it might be just my ignorance


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## TurboScooter (Feb 7, 2017)

&#20809;&#27835; can be read as mitsuji.


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## khashy (Feb 7, 2017)

TurboScooter said:


> &#20809;&#27835; can be read as mitsuji.



Aha! Thank you


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## XooMG (Feb 7, 2017)

Sorry if I sounded belligerent, by the way. Was rereading the posts and thought I was a bit rude.

Let us know if you get a confirmation.


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## khashy (Feb 7, 2017)

XooMG said:


> Sorry if I sounded belligerent, by the way. Was rereading the posts and thought I was a bit rude.
> 
> Let us know if you get a confirmation.



Not at all. I've been reading your posts for long enough on the forum to know better [emoji6]

I'll post back here when I find more info


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## SilverSwarfer (Feb 22, 2019)

Figured I’d jump in on a relevant existing thread for some ID assistance. I can’t translate kanji and I want to know what I’ve got exactly. Assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Purchased in 2008. I can’t find my purchase info and can’t remember the particulars. What I can piece together from memory is Ittosai wa-gyuto aogami. Am I on track?







Any info on this maker available? Have they merged or changed names? I also have a western style stainless Damascus gyuto I picked up in 2004/5 that’s served great. I wish I could ID the steel on it but I’ve never seen another one anywhere.


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## KenHash (Feb 22, 2019)

Yes you are correct. The top photo says Aokou 青鋼 (blue steel) and the bottom photo says
Ittousai Toratetsu Saku 一刀歳　虎徹　作　(made by Ittousai Toratesu).
These knives are marketed by Takahashikusu Co. in Sakai, and there may be information for you on their
English website:
https://takahashikusu.co.jp/en/


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## SilverSwarfer (Feb 22, 2019)

KenHash said:


> Yes you are correct. The top photo says Aokou 青鋼 (blue steel) and the bottom photo says
> Ittousai Toratetsu Saku 一刀歳　虎徹　作　(made by Ittousai Toratesu).
> These knives are marketed by Takahashikusu Co. in Sakai, and there may be information for you on their
> English website:
> https://takahashikusu.co.jp/en/


Very exciting! Thank you so much for jumping in and sharing the information.


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## SilverSwarfer (Feb 24, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> Very exciting! Thank you so much for jumping in and sharing the information.



Another query:
I have a colleague who just bought the knife on the right. He’s dying to know what all this kanji says, on both sides. Help is much appreciated; this will make him very happy! It’s a Keijiro Doi, the blade on the right in both cases. The one on the left is mine. Could someone please translate it separately?


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## KenHash (Feb 24, 2019)

top picture-Sakai Takayuki can't make out last two need better photo. Top is probably betsu.
bottom picture - touroku (registered) Sakai Takayuki

Yours is a Suishin Aonikou (Blue Steel #2)
Bottom says Suishin Hayate 
Both knives have the Doi mark


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## osakajoe (Feb 24, 2019)

The yanagiba on the left has been sharpened too much on the back. Be careful.


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## SilverSwarfer (Feb 24, 2019)

osakajoe said:


> The yanagiba on the left has been sharpened too much on the back. Be careful.


Thank you. Always learning, but I have learned very much since days when I was using this knife a lot. I see things differently now, and understand more. But never stop learning, that’s why I appreciate this comment.


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## SilverSwarfer (Mar 3, 2019)

Still digging for info on this knife. It belongs to a coworker. He’s still concerned it may not be what he thought. It’s supposed to be Keijiro Doi Sakai Takayuki White #2. 

It is curious the Doi marks are different on the front and back. Why would this be? Also he thinks the mark on the front was “laser etched?” It’s super sharp and clean. There are also some scrub marks focused around this engraving. 

Anyone have some thoughts on what this knife is? I can’t decipher any shirogami marks but I don’t read kanji. He was told this was a new old-stock knife. 

Thanks again for any thoughts!


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## SilverSwarfer (Mar 22, 2019)

New request(s) for translation assistance... thanks in advance!


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## Elliot (Mar 23, 2019)

A buddy found this in his late father’s house...

Any ideas? Wouldn’t have been purchased any more recently than 30 years in his estimation.


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## KenHash (Mar 24, 2019)

Elliot said:


> A buddy found this in his late father’s house...
> 
> Any ideas? Wouldn’t have been purchased any more recently than 30 years in his estimation.



Sakai Kazuhiko Saku 堺　和彦　作


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## Elliot (Mar 24, 2019)

KenHash said:


> Sakai Kazuhiko Saku 堺　和彦　作



Thanks so much! Does this give us any insight on blacksmith or who was involved in making it?


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## KenHash (Mar 24, 2019)

Nope. The brand only shows up as vintage offerings on Japanese auction sites.


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## adam92 (Mar 30, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> New request(s) for translation assistance... thanks in advance!View attachment 50585
> View attachment 50586
> View attachment 50587
> View attachment 50588


white one steel mizuhonyaki by 刀匠knife maker:

i don't know english in 富樫憲治 but he is famous in making fuji hamon , mainly doing yanagiba.


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## dreamwalker (Mar 30, 2019)

adam92 said:


> white one steel mizuhonyaki by 刀匠knife maker:
> 
> i don't know english in 富樫憲治 but he is famous in making fuji hamon , mainly doing yanagiba.



Kenji Togashi.
but i dont think hs is famous in makinf fuji hamon.....


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## adam92 (Mar 30, 2019)

dreamwalker said:


> Kenji Togashi.
> but i dont think hs is famous in makinf fuji hamon.....


Neither i.. i was hearing by taiwan knife group said his make beautiful hamon & yanagiba..


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## SilverSwarfer (Mar 31, 2019)

adam92 said:


> Neither i.. i was hearing by taiwan knife group said his make beautiful hamon & yanagiba..


The Togashi is not honyaki anyways. 

Thanks for taking the time to translate!


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## SilverSwarfer (Mar 31, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> The Togashi is not honyaki anyways.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to translate!


It’s Kenichi Shiraki, the honyaki one.


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## tongas (Apr 19, 2019)

Hello 
Could someone id this Kanji please










Thank you and have a nice day.


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## Tanalasta (Apr 19, 2019)

Can anyone interpret what the Kanji on this says and if it identifies the steel or maker? I assume the box is a JNS box as it's the same as other knives I have from Maxim. However, happy to stand corrected.

https://imgur.com/tnQErd0

https://imgur.com/61dZE2y


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## KenHash (Apr 19, 2019)

tongas said:


> Hello
> Could someone id this Kanji please
> 
> 
> ...



Francois,
Looks like Minamoto Yasuhira .
Ken


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## KenHash (Apr 19, 2019)

Tanalasta said:


> Can anyone interpret what the Kanji on this says and if it identifies the steel or maker? I assume the box is a JNS box as it's the same as other knives I have from Maxim. However, happy to stand corrected.
> 
> https://imgur.com/tnQErd0
> 
> https://imgur.com/61dZE2y



All I can tell is that it's a Blue Steel honyaki gyuto.
The handwriting looks like crap.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 20, 2019)

Hi,

Ok, I am going to ask for the impossible (sorry)! Can anyone tell me anything about this OLD deba I am restoring? Signs are almost invisible, so I am not too hopeful I will get much of an answer. (Better pictures would be nice, yes, but taking pictures of something almost invisible is not easy!).







At any rate, help is much appreciated!

Cheers
Carl


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## Xenif (Apr 20, 2019)

Too faded to be 100% but I think its a Sakai Soichi 堺宗一作


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 20, 2019)

Xenif said:


> Too faded to be 100% but I think its a Sakai Soichi 堺宗一作



An educated guess is great! Thx


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 24, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> An educated guess is great! Thx



I take the last few days’ silence on this matter to be an indication that no one disagrees with the guess (or at least, that no one has a better hypothesis). (I also suppress the assumption that lack of further posts indicates that no one cares!).... thx!


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## SilverSwarfer (Apr 29, 2019)

A new request: hopefully the pic is ok. Thanks in advance!


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## wch0306 (Apr 29, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> View attachment 52450
> 
> A new request: hopefully the pic is ok. Thanks in advance!


堺 别作
堺 = sakai
别作 = special made
can't tell who made this


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## SilverSwarfer (Apr 29, 2019)

Thank you very much!


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## Ryndunk (May 1, 2019)

Anyone know what this one is?


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## wch0306 (May 1, 2019)

Ryndunk said:


> Anyone know what this one is?
> View attachment 52579


藤次郎作
Tojiro


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## Ryndunk (May 1, 2019)

Thanks. Only seen the tojiro kanji on the DP line. Didn't recognize it chiseled.


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## Tanalasta (May 2, 2019)

Quick question re: Kanji. Does it mean anything in terms of provenance etc... if there is no chiselled kanji (e.g. just the stamp of the type of steel) on the actual blade or tang. Does this imply the blade was made by an unsigned craftsman, apprentice? Or do you just take the word of your retailer re: the smith.


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## dwalker (May 2, 2019)

Tanalasta said:


> Quick question re: Kanji. Does it mean anything in terms of provenance etc... if there is no chiselled kanji (e.g. just the stamp of the type of steel) on the actual blade or tang. Does this imply the blade was made by an unsigned craftsman, apprentice? Or do you just take the word of your retailer re: the smith.


It only means there is no kanji. I've had to specify kanji on some blades ordered from a Japanese vendor otherwise they would arrive unengraved.


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## SilverSwarfer (Sep 1, 2019)

Translation help please...

Interested to know about these stamps. What does the kanji say?

Both are Suisin Hayate I. Doi. The older Kengata Yanagiba has the same stamp as the newer Sakimaru Takobiki. The newer stamp is more like a label though, it will disappear in time.

Is this just the “Hayate” mark?


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## dreamwalker (Sep 1, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> Translation help please...
> 
> Interested to know about these stamps. What does the kanji say?
> 
> ...





The stamp 逸 is belong to Itsuo Doi.


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## SilverSwarfer (Sep 1, 2019)

Thanks @dreamwalker very much.

I have to say I was a little disappointed the mark is not engraved as is the older knife. Wonder why the switch?

Faster/cheaper is the first thing that comes to my mind. Regardless, the knife is as excellent as I expected.


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## SilverSwarfer (Dec 5, 2019)

Need another translation please. Sorry for the photo quality. It’s awful. 

I think I see the 3rd character looks like “white?”


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## SilverSwarfer (Dec 6, 2019)

Same request as previous post: here’s another rendition of the second pic. Not much different but hopefully it’s enough to get something... anything?


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## noulou (Dec 6, 2019)

Any chance of someone helping me ID these two knives please? I apologise if I am highjacking the thread.


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## KenHash (Dec 6, 2019)

Sakai Suketomo 堺　助友
Yoshinari 義成


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## noulou (Dec 6, 2019)

You're the best.
Thank you so much!


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## SilverSwarfer (Dec 6, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> Need another translation please. Sorry for the photo quality. It’s awful.
> 
> I think I see the 3rd character looks like “white?”



still trying! I’m so sorry photos are so bad! Hopefully one of these is legible?

thanks for any help, truly!


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## KenHash (Dec 7, 2019)

noulou said:


> You're the best.
> Thank you so much!



You're very welcome.


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## osakajoe (Dec 7, 2019)

Wholesalers

... probably. Never heard of them


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## SilverSwarfer (Dec 13, 2019)

Any help please on this translation?


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## SilverSwarfer (Dec 13, 2019)

This will be my last try on this one. Thanks to all who’ve looked. This is a different knife but kanji is the same. Hopefully this will help.


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## TSF415 (Dec 18, 2019)

Can someone please identify this for me. Thank you in advance.


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## KenHash (Dec 18, 2019)

Sakai Kikumori. 堺　菊守


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## TSF415 (Dec 18, 2019)

KenHash said:


> Sakai Kikumori. 堺　菊守


Thank you!


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## Mathias Z. (Dec 18, 2019)

Jumping in as well - 
Help welcomed identifying a Kanji: Anybody knows what it means? Thanks.


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## Xenif (Dec 18, 2019)

Mathias Z. said:


> Jumping in as well -
> Help welcomed identifying a Kanji: Anybody knows what it means? Thanks.


Suisin


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## KenHash (Dec 19, 2019)

While many folks are already aware, some may not be, so I thought I'd mention this here. The manner in which Japanese was written a long time ago was slightly different from today. As a result, when it was translated to English it took the way it was written then, as opposed to now. 
Examples....Suisin....is read Suishin.
Itimonji....is read Ichimonji.
Kwaiken......is read Kaiken.


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## Mathias Z. (Dec 19, 2019)

Thanks for your help. Do you know if the steel used for a knife it obligatory to be put on the knife with the kanjis? Or does it depend on the knifemaker, wheter or not they put the stamp of the steel used on the knife? what would be the stamp / kanji for Shirogami 1/2/3, Ginsan, etc. ... Does anybody have a Chart for all the Kanjis? Thanks.


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## KenHash (Dec 19, 2019)

It's not obligatory at all, depends on the knifemaker. Many low-end knives in Japan do not have them. 
shirogami 白紙
shirogami 2 　白ニ
aogami　　　青紙
aogami 2　　　青ニ
aogami super　青紙スーパー　　　青紙超
gingami 銀紙
gin3 　　　　　銀三
funmatsukou (powder steel) 粉末鋼
etc etc....


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## Brontes (Dec 20, 2019)

I purchased this unidentified 210 Deba a few years ago on BST. Never used and now I would like to pass on. I _would like to give the next owner some knowledge of maker or purveyor. Any help in translating the Kanj is greatly appreciated




_


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## Xenif (Dec 20, 2019)

Brontes said:


> I purchased this unidentified 210 Deba a few years ago on BST. Never used and now I would like to pass on. I _would like to give the next owner some knowledge of maker or purveyor. Any help in translating the Kanj is greatly appreciated
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So the kanji says 源翠作 that i believe is Minamoto Midori, Im not too sure if that romanization is correct though. Anyhow, they are from Tosa I think


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## KenHash (Dec 20, 2019)

While one would read it Minamoto Midori at first sight, I think in this instance it is read Gen Sui.
Tosa knife yes.


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## Brontes (Dec 21, 2019)

Thank you Xeniff. Thank you Ken, and all other Kanji translators. We(me) at KKF very fortunate that you are willing to translate.


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## minibatataman (Dec 22, 2019)

I don't want to start another thread so I'll just ask for help to translate here. We really are lucky we have people willing to put up with our constant questions. 
I bid for this yanagiba on a whim and got it for very cheap, so I'm curious about what it actually is, any ideas?


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## da_mich* (Dec 22, 2019)

Hello, I´m not 100% sure but the first two kanji symbols are 東京 (Tokyo). I don´t know the rest sorry. I sure another forum member can translate it for you


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## KenHash (Dec 22, 2019)

Do you have a photo of the whole knife? Does it appear to be over 75 years old?
I ask because the Tokyo at top, 東京 is written in an unusual right-to-left offset sequence.
Right to left writing ended in 1945. Or it may just be for looks.
Under that it just says Yanagi 柳　(as in Yanagiba) followed by hiragana characters which
I "think" are ざし. zashi.
Absolutely no idea who or what though.


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## minibatataman (Dec 23, 2019)

For some reason I can't download the images, apologies for the low resolution screenshots.
The description does say its an "old Tokyo yanagi" but not much more about it. There's no additional kanji.


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## adam92 (Dec 23, 2019)

堺和泉

Anyone know this brand?


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## KenHash (Dec 23, 2019)

minibatataman said:


> For some reason I can't download the images, apologies for the low resolution screenshots.
> The description does say its an "old Tokyo yanagi" but not much more about it. There's no additional kanji.



Sorry but no additional info found. Not very old, definitely post WWII, The use of the right to left writing was just for looks it seems. Found one other Tokyo Yanagi Zashi knife, a Deba in much worse condition than your Yanagiba sold as vintage on Japanese auction site. But that's it.


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## wind88 (Dec 25, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> This will be my last try on this one. Thanks to all who’ve looked. This is a different knife but kanji is the same. Hopefully this will help.


This is the kanji for the knives coming from Iida Tools.


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## SilverSwarfer (Dec 25, 2019)

wind88 said:


> This is the kanji for the knives coming from Iida Tools.



I tried so hard for this information —> this is like a Christmas gift!

Please accept my warmest and most sincere gratitude for putting this to rest for me.


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## wind88 (Dec 25, 2019)

SilverSwarfer said:


> I tried so hard for this information —> this is like a Christmas gift!
> 
> Please accept my warmest and most sincere gratitude for putting this to rest for me.


You’re most welcome. Merry Christmas to all!


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## osakajoe (Dec 25, 2019)

minibatataman said:


> I don't want to start another thread so I'll just ask for help to translate here. We really are lucky we have people willing to put up with our constant questions.
> I bid for this yanagiba on a whim and got it for very cheap, so I'm curious about what it actually is, any ideas?
> 
> View attachment 67294



The top two kanji seem to have been added later. Completely different styles. Almost like a name engraving


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## stringer (Feb 25, 2020)

I got one. On a razor. I think it says something about Hitachi steel, but it doesn't quite match up with what I see elsewhere.

Front side





Japanese part on other side






Thanks!


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## ojisan (Feb 25, 2020)

It says 日立ヤスキ鋼 (Hitachi Yasuki Steel).

ヤスキ is katakana of 安来 (kanji).


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## stringer (Feb 25, 2020)

ojisan said:


> It says 日立ヤスキ鋼 (Hitachi Yasuki Steel).
> 
> ヤスキ is katakana of 安来 (kanji).



Thank you. Yeah it was those middle ones that were throwing me off.


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## SilverSwarfer (Feb 27, 2020)

Stringer’s thread reminded me of a razor I have been curious about. I was told it is Towa but steel is unknown. Any help is much appreciated!
Thank you


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