Bruce Pennington

No worries, John! I do have that one already, and really appreciate that your checked with me to make sure.

Steve, Type 3? No stamps?

DC, Would you mind removing the tsuba/seppa set and getting a shot of this area, for me? Might be a Seki stamp.

Yes. We've been using "Kao" as the generic term for a smith's personal "trademark." There are two kinds, the inscribed kind, like this one, called kakihan; and the hot-stamped kind called kokuin.

Keep on keepin' on, brother!

Well, we use "knock off" in a negative way. When this sword was made (assuming we are right about it being made for collaboration forces), it was an honest attempt by a non-Japanese sword smith to make a real weapon for a real collaboration officer that was inline with the Japanese Army. So, yes, it was a a best-effort at making a sword in the image of the Japanese army gunto.

One of the better replicas, Polish?, posted on this Gunboards thread. Attempting to be a Gifu stamped Nagoya blade. Unusual to see one in the 70000 20000 (read that number wrong, originally) number range. These are usually seen in 30000-50000.

I'd go with Kirill and Trystan on this. Among many things, the tsuba is all wrong. It should be shaped like this: Not Japanese made. However if the guy is certain on the history, it was likely made, like Trystan said.

Thanks, Steve. When trying to ID a blade, and weed out fakes, there are a few things we can look at. 1. Do the machi line up? Chinese fakes often have offset machi, like NCO Type 95s, that don't line up. Yours line up. However, some fakes get that right, so it clears the offset machi test, but still not sure. 2. The bohi - Fakes often get the bohi wrong, starting too far down the blade and ending poorly. Yours starts prior to the blade and ends with a clear shape. That's good. 3. Kissaki (blade tip) - Chinese like an anglular tip, Japanese nicely rounded. Yours is rounded, however like the machi line we have seen rounded tips on fakes. So, good, but not definitive 4. Hamon (temper line) - Though hard to see, yours seems to have one. Others might disagree, don't know for sure. 5. Nakago - Shape, yasurime (file marks), shinogi line (ridge that runs along both sides, full length of the blade and through the nakago), mei - Japanese nakago have distinct features. Fakes usually get all of these wrong. Yours has no yasurime and the shinogi is weak. The mei looks poorly struck. Overall - My first thought was that this was a zoheito (a particular style of factory blade made of one piece steel). But they usually are not signed (except by one smith), and the end of the bohi usually has a different shape. However I do have a zoheito on file with a non-standard bohi ending. What I think we have is a late-war blade, possibly a late war zoheito. Sesko lists one wartime Norimitsu and we are aware that there were many unregistered smiths operating during the war. I don't think this was the Nobumitsu listed in Sesko, as he was an RJT qualified smith, but it could have been one of the smiths we see that popped up at the end of the war. All that being said, it could be something made in occupied lands, and it could be a fake. But with the fittings and the points I see, I think the odds are in line with late-war work. Just an opinion.

Steve, Are you able to post photos of the bare nakago showing the machi (notches where the nakago meets the blade) and a couple shots of the blade/tip?

Plenty of guys have used leather to make seppa.

Made in 1840. Commonly called a "Kiku Ichi". A few smiths used the style, but apparently Sukenaga used it on all his blades (Ok, I have 10 on file, but all have it).

I tried the kanji drawing tool, and the closest I saw was 保, but it doesn't have that vertical stroke at the top. Any chance an older version of the kanji might have it?

That will do until you can find replacement seppa. Looks like it could use one of those fat brass ones, 4 seppa per side.

As a Field grade officer, the owner would have been in service for the whole war. The tassel may appear new because he had recently been promoted. Also, at ranks of Major through Colonel, an officer would have been spending much of his time in offices and/or HQ. Adding to John's comment, family mon originally were tied to specific families/clans, but long before WWII, all families were allowed to have one, and you'll find that multiple families used the same mon.

I got an unused field grade tassel from John, still in the box. Upgraded my dad's Mantetsu!

There have been a few requests for this topic, so let's have a go at it, shall we? Maybe @PNSSHOGUN, John, could create a Primer with the basics? I know this is out of the blue, so no worries if it's not possible at the moment. I will browse previous threads for useful info and link them here, in the meantime. I'll start with this chart created by Ernie @Stegel. Lots of detail, so might need to zoom in for specifics. Tassel Examples - Ohmura Website GENERAL GRADE TASSELS Generals Rank Tassel - Paul G Generals Tassels - David Flynn NAVY Legendary Zig-Zag Stich Kaigunto Tassel - PNSSHOGUN Unique Metal Tassel End; Navy Tassel - PNSSHOGUN "LATE WAR" ALL BROWN TASSELS All Brown Tassel for Gunzoku - Nick Komiya, Warrelics Breaking News on the All Brown Tassel - Bruce Pennington, NMB NORTH CHINA RAILWAY POLICE TASSEL - BROWN/TAN Help With Blade, Tassel, and Fittings - Michaelr NCO LEATHER TASSELS Another Leather Tassel Question [has some manufacturing info] - John C MISCELLANEOUS Cut Tassel Discussion - DWMC KYUGUNTO SWORD KNOTS These pages are from Dawson's book. {Posting for now. Will update as we go. Please feel free to post links or items that would add to the educational value of the thread}

Posting this as I think there are guys who will appreciate the info. From the Sacramento Newsletter: "Hello members and friends, Happy New Year all, we hope your 2026 has started off well!! Stay healthy and safe this year!!! Leon Kapp has completed the latest chapter update on the Albert Yamanaka Nihonto Newsletter Series Volume 4 Newsletter 06. Here is the link to this update: Link to Article attached below Leon says this issue has a lot about important Shinto smiths and a year of the Tokugawa Jikki with lots of swords being exchanged. Please enjoy the read!! YAMANAKA V4 NL06.docx.pdf

I found this one, Thomas, but it only has the registration/kabuse stamp. I don't see the Shingane iri stamp. So far, I've found 8 Kaneshige with the registration stamp and no Shigane iri stamp. I'm still in the search, but so far I've only found the Shigane iri stamp on Masafusa (4) and that one Kunimichi.

Mark, my apologies for running all over the place on your thread! But thanks for this opportunity! @Kiipu After saying that I also thought this stamp was possibly destroyed, I found one almost as bad. So maybe it's a case of using too much force?

@Kiipu Check out this "Kuni(?)yoshi" on this Wehrmacht-awards thread. It's in grass script and no one was totally sure it is "Kuni". But it's got both stamps, so I'd appreciate your opinion on the mei. Update: SteveM also thought it was "Kunimichi":

Mark, Another Kaneyoshi, same mei, posted here (also has the registration stamp, faintly seen at bottom) Kaigunto mounts.

Well that solves one of my questions!

Yes, that Masafusa has the "Shingane Iri" or Genuine Core Steel stamp on the other side. A bit unusual to see them on opposite side, but I think I've seen it done that way before. I'm starting a file for these to get the variations and smiths using them. I think you are right about someone destroying that stamp.

Man, they made a mess of that stamp, but it's this one, the top one. Not a kokuin at all, but a registration number and statement about using the kobuse method: I haven't made an effort to track how many smiths used the stamp, but there are more than a couple with it. Can't tell you if the Kaneyoshi is who you are speaking of. Though, after checking the 4 of his I have on file, there seem to be a variety of mei - 3 and 5 kanji.