# Kanji and knife identification help



## Jtchiang9 (Jun 5, 2021)

Hi all,

Hoping to get some help with a couple knives I have!

Here's a petty that I've had for 3 years or so. Haven't been able to figure out who made this one.







I also got a couple knives in a lot that I won in an auction and these 2 were the ones I couldn't figure out. Both came in super rough condition and I probably won't keep them, but it is intriguing to me (bought this lot for the other knives in the auction). 

1: 




And here's number 2, in even rougher shape... Only marking I could find was this on the back of this Deba. 






Thanks in advance! I really appreciate it! Mostly interested in the first knife, but thought I'd try my luck with the other 2 as well!


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## KenHash (Jun 6, 2021)

Your top knife says Honmei 本銘　Zuikou 端光
Honmei can be translated as "True Signature". In the world of Nihontou it actually means something else but I doubt that applies here. The Zuikou is the signature/brand itself.
The kanji on the bolster is the owner's last name 新富 which can be read as Shintomi or Niitomi. Can't really tell unless you know the person.

The engraving on the left side of the blade in the second knife is not Kanji. It "looks" like very stylized hiragana, and the top looks more like a mark symbol. Will add more if I can figure it out.


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## KenHash (Jun 6, 2021)

Blowing up the photo of the Deba blade right side it "looks like" Nishijima 西島
and in Hiragana さかや　on the right side of the blade.
A better photo would be nice. Perhaps if you could fill the engraving with something
black to be clearly legible.


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## Jtchiang9 (Jun 6, 2021)

Thank you so much! I'll get a better photo of the engraving tonight!


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## Jtchiang9 (Jun 6, 2021)

Here's a better picture of the Deba! 






And another knife that I forgot about. This one is missing its tang and I'm thinking of how to repurpose it for something. Any ideas anybody has would be welcome! It's a single bevel and I'm thinking maybe a folding knife to harvest stuff in the garden? 






Thanks again for the help! I appreciate it!


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## KenHash (Jun 6, 2021)

Thanks for the updated photo of the Deba. I have to correct myself, I think it does not say Nishijima 西島 as I first thought,. It looks more like Nishimiya or Nishinomiya 西宮. But that second kanji is seriously hard to make out.
And the name under it is Sagaya さがや。Not Sakaya as I first thought.

The second knife looks like さが政 Sagamasa.


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## Jtchiang9 (Jun 7, 2021)

KenHash said:


> Thanks for the updated photo of the Deba. I have to correct myself, I think it does not say Nishijima 西島 as I first thought,. It looks more like Nishimiya or Nishinomiya 西宮. But that second kanji is seriously hard to make out.
> And the name under it is Sagaya さがや。Not Sakaya as I first thought.
> 
> The second knife looks like さが政 Sagamasa.



Thank you so much! I appreciate it!


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