Hi, I'm new here so bear with me if I'm doing this wrong.
I have a knife that's been in the family for a really long time. It's a Chinese knife and it's...old. Either Shang Dynasty or Zhou. Unless it's a replica.
Anyway, here are the pictures of the knife.
InscriptionFrontBackI'm given to understand that subtle differences in the characters make a big difference, things my untrained eye wouldn't be able to detect in that trace I made. If it's not clear enough, I can try to get a better picture of the inscription itself. Someone suggested a charcoal rub or something, but I don't have the tools for that.
If anyone knows what it said, I would be so grateful. Thank you for your time and help!