Bruce Pennington

I think you're right on both points, Thomas! Can't imagine why Yamamoto would take another shop's tsuba and over stamp it, but it looks like that is what we see here. Supporting the idea is that when I went through all the Yamamoto on file, they all had the same style 'scoop' marks at the top and bottom, yet this one has a different style more like the scoops on Suya tsuba. Yamamoto tsuba are all like the left one Suya are the style on the right

The translation guys will have to help you with that writing. It's usually assembly instructions, or sometimes the name of the wood worker.

I'd like to get some more eyes on this, and maybe figure out what I've got. A shop stamp that roughly looks like the Yamamoto Co. logo. I'm not sure it's the exact same "writing" of the logo. Posted by learje at this Gunboards Thread. Lear's (both sides) The normal Yamamoto logo looks like this: Going through the other 7 I have on file, I did find one that seems the same as Lear's. So, I don't know if we have two different shops, or if we are seeing two variations of the Yamamoto stamp.

Plan vs Actual - yes, always different Just looking at Jinsen + Nagoya, the plan was for 15,000 vs you actual of 17,500 -- so, believable! Also, I don't know how many of your numbers were strictly '45. Could they have been spread over '44 & '45? If so, you actual for just '45 would be less. As for Tokyo, I think their plan for 9,000 swords got interfered with by the Allies.

Thanks for posting, Dale, most excellent!

An update from Edokko at Gunboards: "When I did a quick check through era arsenal documents on the fiscal year production plan for 1945, the monthly Type 95 sword planned numbers from April to August (beyond September is meaningless so I did not tally it up) were as follows and significantly lower than the numbers from your reference source, moreover these are production plan numbers which were obviously impacted by the bombing campaign with actual production numbers being much lower than the planned numbers. Suya / Apr : 50, May : 200, Jun : 200, Jul : 300, Aug : 350 Kobe / Apr : 400, May : 400, Jun : 500, Jul : 600, Aug : 600 Iijma / Apr : 0, May : 0, Jun : 50, Jul : 100, Aug : 250 Jinsen / Apr : 100, May : 400, Jun : 1,000, Jul : 1,500, Aug : 1,500 Nagoya contract / Apr : 1,500, May : 2,000, Jun : 2,000, Jul : 2,500, Aug : 2,500 Total production plan / Apr : 2,050, May : 3,000, Jun : 3,750, Jul : 5,000, Aug : 5,200 "

That's ok, Bob, thanks. It's the Showa stamp, the approval stamp of the civilian Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association. They used this stamp between 1935 and 1942, with most dated blades bearing the stamp made in 1940-41; just to give you an idea of the date possibilities. You didn't show the fittings, whether army or navy, but you can read about them on Ohmura's site: Military Swords of Imperial Japan. He's got tons of great, pristine pictures of all the variations and fittings styles. Care for your sword: Japanese Sword Care

Would you do me a favor and post a shot of that small stamp above the signature?

Yes, I thought it must have been estimates, simply by seeing the numbers so cleanly rounded to 100's. I would say your estimate is much closer. It does, though, support your estimate, in that both numbers are below 200,000.

Sam, I wish I noted the source of this chart. I came across it this morning in my files, while looking for production numbers. Puts your estimate right in the same ballpark:

Scott, A couple of points, just to help you see what John is seeing: - You can see the wavy pattern in the blade steel that is known as Damascus steel. It is very common in Chinese blades imitating Japanese. Don't know why they do it, because the Japanese NEVER used Damascus pattern steel. - Notice the offset spacing of the two notches where the blade meets the nakago (tang). Again, a standard Chinese practice. Japanese made the notches even with each other. (side note: the Japanese NCO swords had offset notches, but this is not and NCO sword) - The etched-on characters on the blade: Not a Japanese practice.

Richard, Welcome! You can read about these on Ohmura's site: WWII Japanese Officer Shingunto - Type 98 Care and cleaning: Japanese sword Care There are two Yukimune in Markus Sesko's swordsmith list: "YUKIMUNE (行宗), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Fukuoka – “Moritsugu Yukimune” (守次行宗), real name Moritsugu Tsunesaburō (守次恒三郎, his first name can also read Kōzaburō), born August 11th 1910, he studied under Sakurai Masatsugu (桜井正次), Masayuki (正幸) and Takahashi Sadatsugu (高橋貞次), during World War II he worked as rikugun-jumei-tōshō, he came from the lineage of Moritsugu Koretoshi (守次是利), kihin no retsu (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941) (see picture right) YUKIMUNE (行宗), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Yukimune” (行宗), real name Nakane Yohei (中根与平)" With your two-character mei, yours could be the second one. I'd check higher above the smith's name for any stamps, possibly a star stamp.

Congrats, John! It's a beauty! You're now an official member of the side-latch community. I got lucky and have one from the 130's and one from the 200's. Love them!

Modified Roman numerals “19“. Do the fittings have stamped numbers that might correlate?

No kidding! Too bad it didn't come with the rest of the fittings. Would have loved to see what they did to the habaki on that one.

Ha! I feel your pain, brother! My efforts to change the community's use of "Type 3, Type 44, Type 100, Marine Landing sword" to Contingency model (Rinji seishiki) feel like standing in hurricane force winds and saying "Hey wind, blow in the other direction!". The community is too large, compared to our 'footprint' here at NMB, and the terms have decades of use reinforced by all the important reference books. So, I have adjusted to casually mentioning the correct terms while discussing them using the old labels.

Jean Collin, I have seen this debate in the past, and it revolves around dirks/daggers from another era and/or other countries. The WWII (acually they originated in the 1800s) Navy and rare Army dirks are called "dirks" by the entire militaria collecting world: Omura - Military Swords of Imprerial Japan: Navy Dirks

The emblem indicates a Police Patrolman & Sergeant sword. Like the other guys said, if the blade were a converted waki, you would see a bamboo peg, a mekugi, through the side of the handle, holding the blade in place. The police swords were usually shorter, like this one. It is very uncommon to find a full-length gunto sized police sword, though they can be seen in reference books.

Thanks for the added shots, Tony! @SteveM might correct me, but I believe that is Koriki Kanemasa. I have one other similar rig, with one of his blades in it. Similar enough to think they were both done by the same shop. Here's the other one:

Becca, Sam probably explained this while with you in person, but just in case - The handle (tsuka) and other fittings are that of a Type 98 Army officer. Many older, family blades were fitted out for WWII, both army and navy. The scabbard (saya) would originally have had a leather cover. They often go missing over the decades. You can see examples of the in pristine condition on Ohmura's site: Military Swords of Imperial Japan - Informality Fittings See this page for care and cleaning: NBTHK Sword Care Guide

Thanks David! I see it is just a dark spot, that in the original photo looked like it might be a stamp.

Thanks Tony! Any chance of a link to the rest of the sword?

I record all blades with any stamp. All of them, except the star stamped blades, are showato in my opinion. Are you asking if I record non-stamped showato? If so, no I don't. David, I was asking about the stamp on your blade, please.

Nazar, The two sides seem identical to me. What are you seeing that is "similar" but not identical? Congrats on your Type 95. Glad to see you really appreciate it! I know what you mean.

I have 52 Katsuamasa blades on file with the full range of stamps - Showa, Seki, Na, and Gifu. Can I get a clear shot of the stamp at the top of your mei?