tokashikibob

Gentlemen, Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I really enjoy the board and learning aspects of this hobby from seasoned pros. Cleaned and oiled this sword up, it looks to be mokume in places but hard to tell due to all the fingerprints and lack of polish and me being a novice. No arsenal stamp. Black laquered saya, copper maple leaf menki , non-gunto fuchi, kashira, Blade has that older metallic color vice shiny under the habaki as referanced to older Nihonto in some books. I'll have to bring it to a show to have you guys take a look someday. Questions: - Does the chippy style Mei belong only in the Showa era? Would it be found in earlier works also? - What is the proper kizu term for a small, smooth, black spot in the jigane? Is it a bit of carbon? Semper Fi, Bob

Gents, Last weekend I was doing some highbanking for gold in Western Carolina. I took a break from the shovel and hit the antique auction. Wondering if anyone has any ideas on these translations for the tsuba and nakago. Sword has a company grade tassel on it, wavy hamon and is beefy compared to few others I have handled. Thanks for looking. Semper Fi, Bob

Gents, Some pictures of the inside of this snapped tanto showing the two part construction. I'm guessing it was snapped during the occupation in accordance with the weapons disposal order. It looks like it was a very beautiful piece back in the day, maybe the G.I. could not let it go to the smelter even in two pieces. Semper Fi, Bob

I went ahead and traded after my buddy threw in a unusual USMC pre ww2 uniform which could be a prize in itself. I figured out that the tanto was from the shitahara school but could not match the bottom kanji to a individual This clean version is a pretty close match as far as characteristics that I see faintly on this flea market find. http://ryujinswords.com/hiroshige.htm A special thanks to Alex for taking the time to write a personal message. Semper Fi, Bob

Thanks for taking the time to look at this tanto Alex. Habaki is silver over copper but damaged. extreme tip of blade is gone, There are 6 kizu, none in the hamon and the blade edge is undamaged. I would have liked to have seen it in it's glory days thats for sure. I usually look for valid battlefield pick ups to place in historical displays, I just want to make sure this is something that needs rescue from the flea market or not. Thanks again, Alex!

Hello, Thanks in advance for the help and sharing your knowledge. A friend of mine is willing to trade a tanto in need of polish. It has a few kizu, strong Midareba hamon with faint itame hada. He's looking for $300 or some German stuff I have. Thank you, Bob

Hello experts, I was wondering if anyone recognizes any of these partcial characters and hence the meaning on this battlefield pick up? Thanks for looking, Semper Fi Bob http://www.okinawarelics.com

Hello, I was hopeing to get a verification and a little more info on this vet. pickup. Being a novice but learning I take this as a seki stamp Gunto made by Yoshiaki. Any comments on the desireability of this smith would be welcome. Semper Fi, Bob

You guys are going to send me back to the Soba shop for translation service. However, bringing swords into the place makes everyone stop eating from thier rice bowls.

Thanks Chris for the info! On the other side of the nakago was this series of Kanji. Thanks for your help in advance. Semper Fi, Bob

Fellas, Thanks again for shareing your knowledge and helping the uninformed. A Recon Marine Staff Sergeant brought his Grandfathers sword into the training area for some pics, in the hope you can share your expertise on just what his Grandpa picked up. Semper Fi, Bob P.S. I produced the following page with this site's members assistance. Thank you! http://okinawarelics.com/SamuraiSword.aspx

A Japanese girlfriend or wife will work best for kanji, and comes with additional benefits, a good penpal will due in a pinch!

Fellas, Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my inquiry for information. I've read the links provided and should be able to come up with a decent information card for display. This piece will probably be offered to the USMC Museum in Quantico or sent back to Camp Kinser Okinawa when I get the info board finalized and some USMC personal gouge collected. Does anyone have a bit more info on Col Takayama's forge I can include? Was he a martial arts specialist? Are his pieces usually in Naval fittings? Was his special stainless weapons highly sought after? How did the troops get his works open purchase or issued? Again, thanks and Semper Fi - Bob

The guy who sold it said his dad was with the guy on Sugar Loaf and they were two of the few able bodied Marines of thier company to get off unharmed. I'll never be able to tell where this Jarhead picked it up but you can wonder. The sword belonged to a J. Chaison who was on the History Channels "Shootout" show about Okinawa.

Fellas, First, I really am thankful for this site and any assistance rendered. I'm not a expert in this hobby but recently picked up a sharp looking WW2 sword for my collection of Okinawa specific war relics. This relic may have been picked up off Sugar Loaf hill the most famous battle on the Campain. I sent the pics to a friend in Japan and this is what was sent back syasin no kanji ha ①「氏房 高山刀 ？？？作」 氏房 = ujifusa → a person's name 高山刀 = kouzantou (probably) → a hunting knife 作 = saku → e.g. It was made by. ②「細川幽斉古今傳授？造之」 細川幽斉 = hosokawa yuusai → a person's name sengoku jidai(about 1600) no busyou de ari kajin(tanka poet) 古今傳授 = kokindenjyu (now it's 古今伝授) → 古今和歌集(kokinwakasyuu) an old Japanese book of poems 造之 = "kore wo tukuru" to yummi masu The tip of the sword is completely covered in rust, However the rest is still combat razor sharp and still has places in polish where I can see my face. Any information on any historical aspects and rust negation would be most helpful. Semper Fi - Bob http://www.okinawarelics.com