I just picked up this Sword. It appears to be an early hand forged blade in civilian mounts. Nice wavy Hamon but it is in dire need of polishing.I hope these tang pics are good enough.The tang is signed on both sides and it has three tang holes!
Sorry, the pics are poor but I hope they are good enough.
THE SIGNATURE IS BISHU OSAFUNE SUKESADA. THE DATE I CAN ONLY PARTIALLY READ. IT IS EISHO HACHI NEN---------. THIS MEANS MADE IN THE PROVINCE OF BISHU, VILLAGE OF OSAFUNE, SUKESADA(SWORD MAKER'S NAME) THE DATE ID THE EIGHTH YEAR OF EISHO(1511). MANY MASS PRODUCED SWORDS WERE MADE DURING THE 100 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR IN WHICH THIS SECT BEGAN WORK. THE SUKESADA SECT WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRODUCERS OF SUCH SWORDS WITH AT LEAST 100 VARIANT SIGNATURES OF VAREIOUS SWORDSMITHS. TO ME, THE SIGNATURE ON THE BLADE LACKS THE STRENGTH OF A GENUINE SIGNATURE. WITHOUT FULL STUDY OF THE BLADE, I WOULD HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME JUDGING THE SIGNATURE AS CORRECT.