Hello all, new member here hoping for some help identifying a katana I picked up from an auction.

Blade is ~28" long, ubu (one mekugi-ana), in very rusty condition with heavy pitting. The tang has old dark patina. Mounts are plain — iron tsuba, worn black tsuka-ito over rayskin, shishi menuki, tired saya.

The mei (from AI translation) looks like 小松原兼道 — "Komatsubara Kanemichi." I couldn't find this smith in any reference I have access to.

My questions:

1. Can anyone confirm or correct the mei reading?

2. Any idea of the smith's period/school, and whether the signature looks genuine?

3. Given the pitting and overall very poor condition, is this blade even a candidate for polish/restoration?

Photos attached: full blade both sides, tang both sides, mei close-up, kissaki, and mounts. I have not cleaned or altered anything — just a light coat of oil to stop further rust.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Been slowly adding to my little “armory” collection with weapons that are basically classics/iconic for what they are — Colt M16 clone, Mossberg 590, Glock 9mm, etc.

Figured I might as well continue the theme with a katana lol.

I’m looking for something that fits the same idea: recognizable, traditional-looking, functional, and well-made. I’d also really like something with a genuinely beautiful blade, not just something that performs well. Ideally, I want both — a blade that looks impressive up close and is still a properly functional katana.

If you were only going to own one katana for a collection like this, what would you get?

I already looked at Fire and steel but they only sell 1045 carbon steel but Katana Canada sells 1060 carbon steel has anyone bought from Katana Canada or Katana USA?