mecox

Bruce, maybe, but cant see marks of a suspension ring and still has kurikata. To me gunto tsuba is damaged, plus hole for spring clip and seppa are pop-outs. I think more likely someone pinched the tsuba that matched the fuchi-kashira and replaced with gunto. (Again an opinion!!).

Krzysio, need to see more of the blade and nakago (tang). Looks like saya has been repainted. But looks a nice sword to start. Here is the smith: 兼定 Kanesada (岡田 定男 Okada Sadao) Born: Meiji 38 (1905) Sept 9; Reg Showa 14 (1939) Oct 8. Died September 1, 1966, age 61. 1937: Bugi-gun, Seki-machi, Otsu 1921/2. 1939: Seki-machi, No-machi. Deshi in 1937: 0. History: trained as swordsmith from Showa 10 (1935) April under Okada Kaneyoshi . Summary: during the war was employed by Noshu Nipponto Tanrenjo. Brother of Okada Kaneyoshi. 1938: 3rd shinsakuto exhibition received Nyusen-sho. 1942: Tosho Banzuke 6th level of 7 (Chuge Saku) Example mei: Kanesada 兼定 Noshu Seki ju Okada Kanesada saku 濃州関住岡田兼定

@Slaborde @Bruce Pennington Sara well done with pics. Yes blade has a hamon, its not fully straight (suguha) but is slightly wavy, but hard to see. Looking at all your pics, my guess would be: a WW2 made sword by a good smith, and is a "Showato" (not traditionally made and not with tamahagane special iron) so would be oil tempered, but a well made example. Looks to have been mounted as a "samurai" katana, and may well have had a reasonable tsuba (guard) and someone has swapped it for a wartime gunto tsuba and cheap seppa (washers). It could have been a custom order as a katana, and could have had a leather cover on the saya (scabbard) and used by a civilian working with the military. Probably your dad got it like this, so is worth looking after. (do NOT use abrasives on blade or nakago (tang) over mei (signature). Follow what Bruce says.

@Slaborde @Bruce Pennington Sara and Bruce thanks for kashira pic, as best as I can see it matches the fuchi (but poor pic of tsuka). So it is a complete bound tsuka with fuchi-kashira and menuki. However, I dont think the shingunto tsuba is original. It has an offset hole for spring clip as with shingunto, but seppa are not matched and no hole. Such a koshirae more likely to have plain iron tsuba with bigger hole for leather strap (like example 6-7-8).

@Slaborde Sara, pic of sword (but still does not show kashira) and looks to me like its mounted for civilian working for Army. The detail of your tsuka shows menuki design of helmet/armour/tachi. The fuchi is not gunto. I wonder if gunto tsuba is added later and with spare seppa. The blade (and mounts) are similar to example #6,7, 8 posted above. But does not look would be carried by Army officer. Lets see other opinions.

@tbonesullivan David, looks to be a good sword from a very good smith. From Sesko: “Masatsune” (正恒), real name Amachi Reiichirō (天地鈴市郎, first name also reads Suzuichirō), born. September 23rd 1894, he worked as guntō smith and died May 12th 1949, Fourth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941). He was a Seki smith, born 1894 and who registered early in Seki on Showa 14 (1939) July 1. In NMB Downloads (top of page) my paper on Japanese Naval Swords part 1, has his background and quite a few examples. He was a key swordsmith. With Sho stamp your is early war.

@Slaborde Sara, in the NMB Downloads look for the paper Japanese Swordsmiths Gifu 1937. This has a summary of your Okada Kaneyoshi which explains his background and the period and a pic. (Note that there are a number of "Kaneyoshi" but use different kanji). You will also find more info on NMB if you use the Search function (top right). It would be good to see a full pic of your sword to better understand what it is and timeframe. He looks to have been quite productive and also produced blades that were custom mounted. There is some variation in his work that indicates period of work. Here are some examples for study. (1) "Seki jū Okada Kaneyoshi saku" takanoha filing, bohi, no stamp [Slough p.74]. (2) (3) " Seki jū Okada Kaneyoshi" , sujikai filing, no stamp [Sara]. (4) (5) "Noshu Seki ju Okada Kaneyoshi saku kore" takanoha filing,,,nagasa 69.6 cm, sori 1.6 cm, bohi, choji-gunome-midare hamon no stamp [Meirin Sangyo]. (6) (7) (8) "Seki ju Okada Kaneyoshi saku" SEKI stamp, sujikai filing, nagasa 69.6 cm, sori 1.9 cm, gunome-midare hamon, custom "gunto" koshirae [Meirin Sangyo]. (9) "Okada Kaneyoshi saku" nagasa 64.0 cm, sori 1.6 cm, suguha-miadare hamon, shingunto leather saya cover. (10) (11) "Kaneyoshi" takanoha filing, nagasa 61.2 cm, sori 1.2 cm date: Showa 19 (1944). (12) (13) "Noshu Seki ju Okada Kaneyoshi saku kore" takanoha filing, bohi, no stamp, nagasa 66.2 cm, sori 1.6 cm, suguha? hamon, well made blade [nosyudo.jp]. (14) (15) "Noshu Seki ju Okada Kaneyoshi saku kore" takanoha filing, bohi, no stamp, nagasa 67.0 cm, sori 1.4 cm, choji-gunome-midare hamon [Meirin Sangyo]. (16) (17) "Noshu Seki ju Okada Kaneyoshi saku kore" takanoha filing no stamp, nagasa 66.4 cm, sori 1.3 cm, koshirae is custom Type 98 shingunto, hamon irregular gunome-choji [ Kurogane House}. (18) (19) "Seki ju Okada Kaneyoshi saku" takanoha filing, gunome-choji-midare hamon, no stamp [yahoo auctions.co.jp]

@Slaborde Sara what you had is correct Seki jū Okada Kaneyoshi saku” (関住岡田兼義作). But your pic is : Seki jū Okada Kaneyoshi saku” ...住岡田兼義 Here is an example from Slough book. He is an OK smith producing Showato in Seki during the war. From Sesko book: “Kaneyoshi” (兼義), real name Okada Takeshi (岡田武), born October 20th 1908, younger brother of Okada Kanesada (岡田兼定), he worked as guntō smith and died March 15th 1972. Ranked as jōkō no retsu in 1942 list of around 400 smiths (5/7), and Fourth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Exhibition in 1941. Does your blade have a stamp at the top of the kanji ?

@jokinham Joe that is a very nice shingunto for Army and a well made genuine sword. As noted by Ray is dated May 1944 and the smiths family name was Matsubara. He also earlier made blades for the Navy. He is described with examples in this paper in NMB Downloads (search it with Matsubara) also an example like yours

@Francis Wick interesting sword maybe late koto, does look to be "Bishu Osafune Kanemitsu". The covers on tsuka and saya give variations of Japanese officer owners name and address: (1) Tokyo-to, Yozobashi-ku, Kashiwagi-cho. (2) 3/386. (3) Takayanagimoto (family name?) Yasuyuki (given name). At bottom on saya the US soldier name "Louis O A----" (?)

@John C here's a few from a quick grab , from left: early war, 1940, mid war, 1943, 1944 (star), 1944 (star), 1945, 1986. Quite a bit of variation in mei and cutting. Wartime yasurime are takanoha but does he change to sujikai post war?

@Bruce Pennington　a good Mantetsu on FB with a number ク1327 date 1942 　

@Babyboomer1 Ken for sword 2, based on pics it could have some interest. Mei appears to be "something MITSU" . I wondered if a rusted stamp above hole (maybe not). Well made and fitted habaki, looks to be well done bohi, and the hamon is of interest. What is the total length of sword, and also the length from tip to "notch" on tang (nakago). That is length in straight line of the cutting edge.

@Babyboomer1 @Bruce Pennington Ken as I note a few days ago this is a naval blade, it is dated 1942 November and inscription (mei) is Tenshozan Tanrenjo kitaeru kore 天照山 鍛練場 鍛之 ("forged at the Tenshozan naval forge") it would be stainless steel and mostly machine made. The date is Showa ju shichi nen ju ichi gatsu 昭和十七年十一月日 ("A day 11th month Showa 17 (November, 1942") above the date is the anchor stamp of the naval forge. the hamon (along the cutting edge) is artificial straight suguha The two round pieces are a tsuba (guard) and seppa (washer) which are both naval. The metal saya as noted by Bruce is army, so not original. You need to show some detail of the blade.

@John C @TomP1 "Malcolm Cox has a little info in his Aichi Prefecture document, page 13 (if it is the same person)." Thanks for reference, but this is a different smith Yagi YOSHIKANE 八木 義金

Yes looks to be Munenaga (宗命), real name Seibu Takeo (西部 武夫) born Meiji 34 (1901) October 1, from Gifu, Bugi-gun, registered as Seki smith Showa 16 (1941) Nov 19. Date on blade not clear but likely 1944 (Showa ju kyu nen) 昭和十九年 also has Seki stamp.

@Bruce Pennington mei can be read as Kuroda Saburo more like a copied real name, and yes date is Showa 13 (1938) October. Cutting is rather strange style.

Maybe poorly stamped Gifu-sakura

@Babyboomer1 Ken, here are the pics correct way up, but they dont show much. One shows part of name "Mitsu" the other part of date "16" which likely is 1941. Unfortunately the cleaning/polishing of tang has ruined the value. You need to show the rest of blade and fittings.

This may help. Tenshozan Tanrenjo naval, date Showa 17 (1942) Nov

@CNS_44 Chansen in NMB Downloads more info on this smith and swords

@Bruce Pennington @robinalexander F&G 1983 have another example of the "square cut" Fukuda Sukemitsu (4 and 6 kanji). Their example below was in kaigunto mounts. Its possible these are smiths signing and the longer (8 kanji) better cut or cursive are by a mei cutter (nakirishimei). These two also have Seki stamp. (does yours on right have Seki stamp?) The Sukemitsu all looks to have sujikai yasurime, whereas the Kanetake has takanoha. Found this blog later: tsukamaki.net - Powered by Doteasy.com blade at right from Thomas Buck

Rob it may be Noshu ju Fukuda Sukemitsu , definitely Fukuda, and there were 3-4 in Seki. Seki stamp. “Sukemitsu” (祐光), real name Fukuda Yoshiji (福田吉二), born October 10th 1909 (Meiji 42). Registered as Seki smith Showa 16 (1941) Sept 12. Living in Seki-machi, Sakai-cho. Another example from Fuller & Gregory, 1983. Nicely cleaned nakago!! But could also be Fukuda Kanetake in a search found this one from Bruce P Take your pick.

George , about Type cut-off dates, Nick Komiya put up great material and I tried to summarise in my Fukuoka paper on NMB Downloads. But basically there was a "few" years (2-3?) of overlap in both design and production, looked like: Type 94 produced from 1934 (official decree). (and was also with Zoheito). Type 98 produced from 1938 (official decree). Rinji Seishiki (never a formal "type", 1938 design started, August 1940 design completed with initial batch produced. But also the swords (koshirae) were being produced in different locations, so no strict end period as far as I can see.

Ray got it Kanehide