Bruce Pennington

Glad it's not yours or that you did the cleaning. And it really isn't critical. I'm just sitting with nothing better to do at the moment. Look at the 2 ware on the edges:

They are the same blade & habaki. Heavily cleaned for this auction. @Mark is this still your sword? Just curious.

It's not "standard" to see writing on the blade, but we see it now and then. There is one over on the Translation forum, now, with the smith's name on the blade. As for this sword, at casual glance it seems legit. Edit: Found it - Translation Requested - Volker Yasukuni

Found on dirks, kaigunto fittings, and naval kyugunto fittings. Richard Fuller lumped it together with the circled anchor calling them both "Toyokawa Navy Arsenal" stamps. My current theory is that it was a Naval inspector stamp for fittings or finished products. Suya made swords for both army and navy, so we might be seeing a naval inspector sampling and approving the items made for them.

Thanks, @Giantmalamute2003 Jerald! I assume you already know, but just in case - Spring 1939, Kao Isshin Mantetsu made; serial RO 429. I'd love some shots of the blade and fittings, as well, if you don't mind.

Nakano Shoten. Thanks!

Sorry, I should have said blades with stamps mentioned in Slough. I only track stamped blades. Thanks though.

Thanks guys! Good additions to the files. Especially that Morinobu. Actual blade to add to the file with the Slough reference.

Con, I didn't note the source (I'm better about that now, but for years, I only saved photos), but here are some more shots:

Hi Kim! I found Nick Komiya's write-up on Suya Shoten where he posted this photo at the beginning - The Untold Story of Suya Shoten; Warrelics. I don't know why he chose this particular stamp, and I wish he had gone into the other variations. I have a few in my files, and after reviewing, I think you are right that they changed their stamping over time. Of course, it could be as you suggest that there were seperate shops for different products, as they made quite a few things. Here is what I have that seems to suggest a time progression: On an old kyugunto On a kyugunto made for the Chinese As seen on most gunto On an RS (Type 3/100/etc) tsuba

You might try these guys, Steve, if they don't know here - Gunboards - Firearms of the Rising Sun

Excellent, thanks Marcin! Even has several variations of the jiri patterns.

I use Dawson's book more, however, his doesn't have dirks. So, I go to Fuller for them.

I'd say 清次 (Kiyotsugu), December 1943. I could be wrong about the smith, often am. You paid a normal price for WWII Type 98 gunto. Looks like you're missing a seppa or two, so that's why it's loose. You can find them online now and then. I had to buy a clump of 6 or 8 to get a couple the right size for mine. The red paint is "37" matching your fittings.

Darin, I don't understand what this picture is of. Is this from the kaigunto?

Jo James, They are looking for a bare blade photo with the following measurements: Also, a couple close shots of the blade body showing hamon (temper pattern) and blade tip are helpful.

Good one. I hate it when the sellers don't post nakago shots. Fortunately, in the description, they say it's anchor stamped and painted "79."

Or the guys that study real paper money so that when a counterfeit shows up, they recognize it. Yours is better than most we see.

I defer to your expertise, John, but what do you think about he nakago shape and two holes? Not a standard WWII nakago .... unless it's something late war? But hamon seems too good for late war.

Nice learning another reason/method for passing these out. I think it was Fuller that described the fact that of the 600,000 swords collected by the Allies, they saved half (I think he stated somewhere around 260,000) to be "distributed." Your example is clearly one of many ways they must have passed them out.

Ha, I needed a thumbs up and an laugh emoji for that! Marcin - there is no such thing as pinging me too much, brother. That's the first Nagamitsu with stamped numbers I've seen in quite a while. I appreciate it greatly. It is an interesting one, because the next earlier one, in fact the earliest Nagamitsu with stamped number on mune, is 阪イ143. In fact, the great majority of numbered Nagamitsu have at least a 阪. There were only (before this) 3 on file without such stamps - 695, 2005, and 3973: ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪イ143 on mune Volker, NMB, RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪イ0313 on mune Ooitame; NMB, RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 695 on mune Spidersrule123,NMB,RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪1431 Cillo, pg 124 ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪1853 on mune Smallsword, ebay RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪1867 on mune Rancho, NMB, RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪1884 mune Austin Auction Gallery RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 2005 on mune Reeder, NMB ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪2201 on mune Zaia86, NMB, RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 阪2205 on mune Roromush, NMB, RS ND Nagamitsu, Ichihara Ichiryushi 阪イ2511 on mune Bangbangsan, NMB, RS ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 1阪3490 on mune Vajo; NMB ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 3973 on mune IJASWORDS, NMB broken heart seppa ND Nagamitsu (RJT) 1阪3991 on mune mauser99; NMB

Interesting. Yes, It's on file, but from a year ago, April 2025. Maybe he didn't get his reserve the first time. Thanks Marcin!

Nice find, John, but I agree with Trystan as I can see the drag at the end of the middle and right saya. The one on the left looks as if it's a 95 with a leather covered saya.

This is quite an interesting Type 95! Suya/Tokyo 1st 153713. The tsuka was wrapped over the aluminum. Ito looks like the stuff we see on late war swords. Wear & tear appear to be wartime aged appropriate. That tassel looks pre-WWII, though I'm not studied on those. Found on this ebay sale.

Thanks, Mal. Thought it was something like that. And you beat me to the punch on the mune stamp practice peaking in 1942. I checked my charts to see if it was used predominantly on star-stamped blades, but they were found on non-star blades and Seki stamped blades just as often.