Bruce Pennington

@hobnails Chris, any stamps?

Sesko lists a bunch of various kanji for "Yoshi" but none with this one. Do you have a reference for it? Could we see if anyone has a different reading for this smith?

First blade I have seen from him: YOSHINORI (嘉則), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Yoshinori” (嘉則), real name Matsuyama Umeharu (松山梅春), ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)

Thanks again, Gilles! It will be in the next Stamps doc, next March.

Thank you, Gilles! I will list it as Yoshikiyo then. I don't have a Masashige kao on file. Would it be possible to get a shot of that one?

Just finished scanning for the kanji with no luck. The only time 白 was in a mei, it was part of a locale. Not surprising. We see the same dilemma in the WWII smith lists. Just can't possibly have everyone that ever did the work on a list. So, as your best guess, are we going with "Hakusei" as the English pronunciation?

Looks like: 義兼 (Yoshikane) 三品 由一 Real Name The 3 dots are just punch marks to tighten the hole on the nakago. The two different numbers tell us that at least one of the seppa aren't original to the rig. Whether a replacement during or after the war - no way to know.

Markus' book isn't really laid out for easy name searches. I didn't find either name in my attempt. I was searching the English, though. Next time I have time, I'll try browsing the kanji in the names to see if I spot one. Thanks guys!

Gorgeous, Ed! Mon, pierced tsuba, nice leather cover, beautiful hamon - quite a rig. Love it.

Hi "Where", It's a hard thing for some to get used to, from other web activity, but at NMB, we really require a first name. We like talking with real people. Welcome, BTW!

Thanks Piers! I should be able to get home today, and I'll check Markus' Tameshigiri book to see if there is a reference to either.

Thanks Piers! I was thinking "kiyo" also, but couldn't place the first kanji. Maybe @Markus might have some insight on the pronunciation?

Can I get the name above the kao on this one. I think it's a cut tester name. Came from the JSSUS site.

Well ... I was told multiple times that "Everything revolves around YOU!!!" (at least by my wife as she's stomping out of the room in a huff!) Ha! Ok, well then. I will suffer in silence....... (where's the tears icon?)

Something has happened lately. Used to, clicking a thread title would open the thread at the first post. Clicking the dot or star would bring you to the new, unread post. But now, clicking the title still brings you to the latest post. A little frustrating. I'm going through some old threads and would like to start at the beginning. But it always takes me to the end and I have to backtrack to page 1. Can this be fixed? Thanks Brian!

Maybe he was Japan's ambassador to the Crusades?

It's not something made by the Japanese. In all the fakes, and all the island swords I've seen, the workmanship on this one is about the worst I've seen. It's most likely a fake, but there is a very small chance it was made in occupied lands. There is a story, I have it on file, of a POW that made swords for the guards. So, not all bad looking swords are fakes. But there is no way to tell the difference most of the time. Price? I wouldn't pay anything for this, but if you want it, that would be up to you. Less than $100. The honest fakes, those who sell them as reproductions, often ask for $150, but they look better than this.

Seems like they are both saying the same thing "This item is patented".

I don't see him in Sesko's book, but his oshigata is available on JSI http://japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/kanehiro.jpg I believe it has the large Seki stamp. Could you get a clear shot of this?

Yes, primarily. I have single examples of the stamp on Haruhisa, Tenshin, and Kanenori blades, but 13-14 examples on Takehisa and Yoshiharu blades and 26 examples on Mantetsu. I do have a few examples on Type 19s and Type 95s as well. The dated blades from the smiths are all 1943 - 1945. The Matetsu range from 1942 - 1944.

Interesting that they mentioned a patent but didn't put the number. Do you know if they had the practiced, like we do today, of marking something simply as "Patented"?

Ah, it's this one with a Showa stamp: Mike, It's still going to boil down to how much money you want to spend. If you go for a full polish, it will cost you more than the sword will ever sell for, it you ever plan to sell it. If you're keeping it, the Showa-stamped blades are usually quite nice and this would likely look quite beautiful after polish. Otherwise, like Sam said, these marks are part of the "Life of the Blade" and could be kept as-is from a historical preservation perspective.

If it has any stamps, I am interested!

Yes! Excellent! They do not fake the W stamp. The blade is legitimate, I see nothing wrong with the fittings as legitimate World War II fittings. There is a mystery with the fuchi and tsuba. Both are World War III items, but they seem mismatched. Whether that was done during the war or after no one can know.

Hey, ya gotta try!