Bruce Pennington

Yikes! Thanks Mal. Doesn't happen as often anymore, but I still get 5's and 6's mixed up sometimes. I'll correct the chart and file!

I'll give you a couple links, but the article we wrote, that Thomas link above, extensively includes all known sources. You will find interesting stuff on the following, but they won't have near as much as our all-encompassing article. The Whole Aspect of the Koa Isshin Sword -Ohmura Koa Isshin Mantetsu - Japaneseswordindex.com Mantetsu - South Manchurian Railway Sword - Our Article

A June 1942 Hiromasa, sent to me via email from Robinalexander. Nakago only photos. Has the Yama Ho stamps. @mecox Just a reminder. We had been discussing a June '42 Masatsugu on another thread and it was said that it might have been too early for the RJT star to be present. After logging this Hiromasa, I was reminded of 3 earlier blades: STAR Blades 1941, Jun Gifu Kanetoshi, Murayama T98 Bangbangsan, NMB 1942, Feb Saga Masatsugu Ganko, NMB 1942, Mar Gunma Kanetsugu RS Ganko, NMB 1942, Spring Gifu Kanenobu RS Ganko, NMB 1942, Jun May Ehime Hiromasa Robinalexander, email 1942, June Saga Masatsugu Na Ho on mune Shuriken, NMB 1942, Aug Akita Chikamitsu 406 Peter(C),NMB 1942, Aug Saga Masatsugu Kapp/Monson,pg82 1942, Aug Fukushima Shigefusa Ho on mune MeCox, NMB 1942, Aug Tokyo Sukehiro 1525 Slough, pg 162 1942, Aug Saga Yoshitada ebay 1942, Sep Saga Kanemoto Na Ho on mune Zentsuji2, NMB 1942, Sep Kumamoto Morinobu 94; Ho Ho mune 1942, Autumn Niwa Kanenobu Slough So June '42 wasn't too early.

Yes! Pristine fittings! Thanks for the added photos. Turns out we already have that blade on file. Trystan - @BANGBANGSAN - brought some photos to us back in May. Don't know where he saw it. He didn't have fittings photos, though, so glad you posted! Serial is "HO 171" which puts it in the 5th series of blades Mantetsu made. Assuming they used the fiscal year on their dating, we're talking Feb - Apr 1940 with your blade.

Paul, Is there a smaller stamp above the signature line, possibly underneath the metal fittings?

Hi J! If you pull the bamboo peg and slide the rest of the hardware off the blade, we can see the full signature. Also, it would be nice to get a shot of the full sword in fittings, and bare blade, full length. You might have an older, family blade there that has been re-fitted for WWII. The tsuba (handguard) is civilian while the other hardware shown is military. It is common to see a mixture of civil/military parts on the civil blades refitted for the war.

Is that something WE can do as we "chat" with it? Or is that something that is set in stone before the bot is released into the wild?

It is under the handle on the back edge of the tang.

Ron, you're killin' me, man! Ha! It's a zodiacal date (probably year of the tiger) which comes out to Winter 1939. Well next time your have the time to root it out, I sure would appreciate that serial number. It is how we track these. It will look something like these:

more

Here's what I have:

Wow! Hope that rabbit can swim!

Great sword, Didier, with plenty of personality! I agree the patina on that sarute matches the kabutogane. Could have been something the owner put on himself. @mecox I do have a June 1942 Masatsugu with star (and Na Ho), posted by @Shuriken. Photos available if needed. I also have another Feb 1942 Masatsugu, with similar painted numbers (A19) and Na Ho. Must have both been fitted from the same shop. That one has an aluminum saya, and no leather.

I can PM my address to you, if you get an early start on your Christmas shopping and giving!

Love to see photos of the whole sword, too. Both sides of the nakago, serial number on back edge (as Thomas requested) and fittings. The side you show says "Asia is One Heart" or "Asia is United" - Koa Isshin - and was the slogan of the push to unite the 7 "tribes" of East and S.E. asia under one roof of Japan. The lower portion saya "Mantetsu made this". The other side will show the date. Quite popular swords, if you are looking to buy it.

Scott, Do me a favor and post a full shot of the tang (nakago) of the other side too. Might check near the top, and on the back edge for small stamps. Thanks!

A star seems the most likely. I only have 4 other HIromasa with various stamps on file and 3 of them are star stamped. The other does not. The only other stamp that would be a primary suspect on that spot, in 1945, is the Gifu stamp, but with Hiromasa being from Ehime, that seems pretty unlikely. So, I've filed it as a likely star stamp blade.

Matt kindly sent us this photo of that serial number, for the record. The katakana is partially struck, but it should be SE 2431 of 1944 Spring.

I'm going to list this one as a souvenir as it has the date scratched on the blade "24 Dec 50", blade only, being sold on this ebay sale. I'm calling the painted number "37" unless someone has a better read on it.

@mdiddy @Kiipu @BANGBANGSAN Matt, just saw this 1944 Mantetsu in MRS fittings, with the "REN I" stamp. Sale ends in 5 hours! Any chance of getting a photo of the serial number, PLEASE! *RARE MANTETSU* WWII Japanese Samurai Sword SHIN GUNTO WW2 KATANA TYPE 3 RAILWAY

Found a second Masanao, Takayama Forge, souvenir #86. For sale on this ebay page. Photos don't show the top of the nakago very well, but it doesn't appear to have an anchor stamp.

Good research on those tsuba, Didier! Don't know how you found those (but I've never been a good Search'er) What a creative way to store that leather tsuka cover!

Hello Frida! Your sword does not appear to be Japanese made. The guys that translate may correct me, but the writing doesn't seem to be Japanese either. Do to the obvious age, it may have been made during WWII for local forces fighting with the Japanese.

For those who may never read the Translation Forum - There was one answer, confirming this looks to be a legit police sword; and another noting the number on the nakago is "46".

I'd say that's a good guess - "Armstrong, Vickers, Tokyo "1907 Founded by Hokkaido Colliery Steamship Company and the British firms Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd. and Vickers Sons and Maxim, Ltd. The headquarters and factory are located in Muroran, Hokkaido. 1915 The headquarters is moved to Tokyo."