Bruce Pennington

What do you think, guys? Thanks! Maybe Kanemichi?

Mei and arsenal trademark stamp ..... what is an arsenal trademark stamp? Inspector stamp? Looking at the Osaka files, I do have one Sadakatsu with "1 阪" on the mune. I don't have a Masakiyo with the saka stamp, but have several other smiths. Wonder if this is what he was talking about? Does this put the "KO" and "HO" stamps on the mune in the same category? I have several smiths with these on the mune. As for Tokyo 1st, other than zoheito, I only have 2 with the "TO" - Yoshiharu and Takehisa.

Thanks to @Rawa for bringing this one to us. Found at this Jauce Auction

I plan to visit again next week. I'll get shots of the other 3 cases then. He said the two corroded ones at the top were excavated from some old site and believed to be a few thousand years old.

Found another one of these drags without the patent information while going through Leo Monson’s collection this week.

Oops! Yeah that's what I was looking for. Trying to rock the 2mo. old granddaughter and keep her from wailing, and search NMB at the same time! I'll get back over to his house some day, not to far in the future, and update.

Don’t know the proper place to post this, so I just piggybacked on this thread. One shot of Arrowhead’s from Lee Monson‘s collection. I wish I had taken pictures of the other three cases. This one was interesting because it has wooden whislers. Had not seen these before.

Here is one for you, John. Comes from Leo Monson’s collection.

So, what are you saying this is?

Oh, I do remember reading that, but did not realize that that was what he was trying to say.

Not to mention that I do not read Japanese ha!

Spent three hours with Leo Monson looking at his 200 swords. He wanted me to see this Gassan. I don’t know the term for this hada, but it is stunning, and ran the full length of the blade holding the same pattern. Didn’t take any more pictures.

Nikki, The stamp at the top, "Seki", was used between 1940 and 1944, with most dated blades showing up in 1942, just to narrow down the date range for you. It was a quality inspection stamp used by the civil industry to weed out poor blades. The Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association stamped approved blades, like this one. Such blades were usually really good quality, though not fully traditionally made - called showato.

I did not know that, either! Thomas, you always amaze! Thanks brother.

I have seen buttons like that. Not the "norm" but not uncommon. The patina/finish on the fittings looks to be legit. You will see variations in such things. Various shops that made them sometimes did their own thing, plus custom work often diverted from the norms/standard.

Hi Craig! As you suspected, it is a Chinese fake. Signs: The Chinese fakes like to use serial numbers on the habaki (brass collar on blade), writing on the blade, and Damascus steel. Also, they make the folds of the handle wrap all turn in the same direction, while Japanese alternate directions in their wrap folds.

Beautiful hamon! Oil quenched. My opinion, but I find the early showa-stamped blades to have been really well made with great hamon.

Here's one for the record books! A 3-5-3 on the tsuba. Yoshiaki, showa stamped blade in civil re-fitted rig. Found on this Shigure-militaria sale site.

This is the only Sukesada I have on file, but I did a quick scan of a few others from other smith’s and have found some on the same side as this one. I do not know the predominant practice as I did not go through all of the files, but I found at least two others on the same side.

Excellent work Nazar. It is a good feeling, isn’t it, when you are able to restore an old war blade back to a condition that is more like it’s original. It looks like you are a natural craftsman!

That was a great write up Michael! Looks like you have a bit of the researcher blood in you! Considering the condition of the blade surface, I doubt anyone will be able to really tell whether it was traditional or not from the pictures. But that’s not my forte anyway. @mecox @BANGBANGSAN @Kiipu Something unusual about this one is the construction of the blade where the blade meets the nakago. There is a distinct edge that run between the machi. I will have to go back and look at my other zoheito, but from memory, I don’t recall ever seeing this before. Very unusual.

I would lean towards this being a late war sword. The fittings have been blackened, and we see that often. It has unfinished shark skin same’ and the all brown Gunzoku tassel which is something I have never seen on fakes. The ito is also wrapped properly.

Thank you, I appreciate all the help I can get!

Thank you, Steve! That hot stamp has been seen only on two of his blades now and on a blade by Tadahiro. Thought to be a sanko-tsuka-ken or sanko-zuka-ken, a sword to chase away the Devil.

Posted by @Kantaro HERE. it could have been done post war, and seems too small to be functional for a locking latch to move horizontally as you push the button. I feel like we have seen tsuba with both holes, but don’t recall where. If anyone has examples, please post.