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The lower two kanji in this photo immediately follow the date of Meiji Ni nen Ka (summer) Roku Gatsu on a tanto I have seen recently.
The first of the two is easily identifiable as Shimo/Shita/Moto/KA/GE, but the second seems not to exist under all the normal groupings associated with radical number 85. I believe it is a combination that refers to the day of the month in which it was made but have never encountered it.
Grateful for any suggestions, thanks
Steve

六月下浣　Roku-gatsu, gekan (kakan)
Period　from the 21st to the 30st Day of the 6th Lunar Month (June)

上浣　the first ten days of the month
中浣　the middle ten days of the month
下浣　the last ten days of the month

浣 and 澣 both mean washing "arai". The origin of the term is due to the fact that in the Tang Dynasty in China, officials were given one day leave every ten days of the month　to take bath at home. They were given a unit of ten days called 浣
or 澣.

With regards,
I.Nagy

Many thanks for this highly illuminating reply I Nagy. In more than forty years of study on Japanese arms and armour I have never encountered this phrase on any object and I am grateful for the information -though, given it's rarity of use, I seriously doubt I will ever be confronted with it again!
In trying all the possibles I did include the 'arai' kanji in my testing of the viability of the two kanji together but found no interpretation of the phrase 'later washing' in any existing text and dismissed it as a possible answer. I am adding it to my own notes as a 'day qualifier' and cannot thank you enough for your help.
Best regards,
LS Smith

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