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Bruce Pennington

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Everything posted by Bruce Pennington

  1. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks Sam. An odd one. I have several of his blades with numbers, but they are 3 and 4 digit and follow sequentially. As Gilda Radner said - It's always somethin'!
  2. Bruce Pennington
    Here's one of FB. "Kill the enemy, Serve the nation", with Buddhist symbols of peach and pearl:
  3. Bruce Pennington
    Con, where is the "80?"
  4. Bruce Pennington
    Interesting theory, Marcin. It would normally be considered a fittings assembly number, but supporting your idea is the fact that the number is not on the other pieces (only one side of the seppa are shown. It would help to see the other side, too). I have two blades on file with an "8" on the nakagojiri. A Kanemichi and a Hidetoshi: Filed under "Unknown". I've been assuming they are a shop logo, but your idea is just as plausible.
  5. Bruce Pennington
    Kaigunto with white samegane and army colored ito. At this O'Gallerie Auction. Blade is a Seki stamped Yoshinaga.
  6. Bruce Pennington
    Ah yes. I've heard of the nanban blades. And I should have said "imported" because I don't know that it was Western steel they used.
  7. Bruce Pennington
    Ha, and even that is messy! We know that some makers, way back, used Western steel. Yet, today, no one would be able to tell which blades had it. So, they would be labeled as nihonto by collectors. It's messy. I will often just say "traditionally made" or "non-traditionally made".
  8. Bruce Pennington
    I've never heard the history of how the collecting world started using "gendaito" to mean Showa-era nihonto, but it's probably a short-hand way of saying that.
  9. Bruce Pennington
    Mike, Welcome to NMB! You can read up on your Navy sword (kaigunto) on Ohmura's site: Naval Officer Swords Care and cleaning tips: Japanese Sword Care - Japaneseswordindex.com
  10. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks Marcin. I have some NCO 95s with black spots. I'll try this method and let you know how it comes out.
  11. Bruce Pennington
    I hate it when auctions don't show the nakago. Looks like someone recently did a refurb/rebuild.
  12. Bruce Pennington
    Marcin, I'm with Nathaniel in that I'd like to know your process. I can hold baking soda and choji abura in my hands .... but what do I do with them?
  13. Bruce Pennington
    I probably should wait for the full translation, but this should be your guy, if I've gotten the right name: "HIDETOSHI (秀俊), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Hidetoshi” (秀俊), real name Ido Shunzō (井戸俊三), born June 14th 1915, he worked as a guntō smith and died Semtepber 18th 1985, ryōkō no jōi (Akihide)"
  14. Bruce Pennington
    Sam, maybe split this off to either Translation or Military forum? Hi Dustin, the real translators will fill us in better, but I believe your blade was made by Hidetoshi. The stamp is the Showa stamp of the civil Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association. An industry group tasked to make quality control inspections on all blades made in the area. Got to go for now, but we'll get you more info on him later today.
  15. Bruce Pennington
    Here's a significant find - A sword surrendered by Capt Endo in Borneo with a purple cord wrapped through the haikan. Note the photo. The cord was there when he surrendered it! Hard to see in my photo of a photo, but it can be clearly seen wrapped just the way it is, in hand. Owned by @Ian B3HR2UH Ian Brooks. The photo is taken from a video of the surrender which shows the cord in place must better. In the future, I won't be dismissing such cords so easily when they show up on gunto.
  16. Bruce Pennington
    Good eye there, Con! There might have been a little more experimentation in the first couple of years. Photos for later when the link goes dead:
  17. Bruce Pennington
    Ha! Yes, there are two photos on that page, both army pilots, and both wearing the goggles upside down.
  18. Bruce Pennington
    Interestingly, I had just re-read Ohmura's discussion. He states the daggers being issued in his photo were to Kaiten, human bomb, pilots and to his knowledge there are no photos or documentation that the daggers had been issued to any other kamikaze groups.
  19. Bruce Pennington
    I have 11 of his blades on file, all are Showa stamped. I suspect yours it too, but the photo isn't very clear at the top of the nakago. Might have some corrosion or marring obscuring the stamp.
  20. Bruce Pennington
    This blade has the name of a Buddhist god "Daimyōjin". On a blade owned by @PNSSHOGUN John:
  21. Bruce Pennington
    Found this full sized kaigunto in the Australian War Museum. It was recovered from a sunken midget sub that had attacked Sydney harbor at the beginning of WWII.
  22. Bruce Pennington
    Yes, stamps on other weapons are multitudinous. If they came with the shop's name, that would be a great reference for our unknown stamps on blades.
  23. Bruce Pennington
  24. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks, John. I like it. August 1823. I have one dated 1822, and both are after he switched his mei to Amahide after giving his Masahide art name to his son (they explain that, actually, in the sale description).
  25. Bruce Pennington
    Yes, Autumn 1942, Ku 347 Koa Isshin stamped "143." Thanks!
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