BANGBANGSAN

越後住貞清 Ser#タ1518 in Shirasaya, the star stamp is not very clear, but it seems located on the upper left of MekugiAna. 昭和十八年十月吉日( said on the register paper). I don't have any photos of the dating side of the tang.

義定 Civilian name 石原錠一 is in the 軍刀(昭和刀）の関鍛治刀匠名簿232名 Gunto(Showato) Seki smith(232) name list http://www.touken-kasugado.com/faq_2.html first raw #73 He became RJT smith in 1939.10.25.

Yes Sir

Bruce 若林重房 Wakabayashi Shigefusa is RJT smith .Read the Thomas's post from Nick's article "In 1941, the family returned to Japan and settled again in Aizu, where he was later accredited as Rikugun Jumei Tosho (army licensed sword smith). Shigetsugu had also signed his earlier commercial work as Shigefusa, but registered as Wakabayashi Shigetsugu in the RJT program. Even so, he made a good number of swords for the black market to be sold as antiques, in which he used the generations old mei of Shigefusa." His name also list http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/gendai2.htm Under Rikugun Jumei Tosho Swordsmiths Known From Literature Sources 3rd Roll He is also list here https://www.tsuruginoya.com/infomation/data/iretsu-seidai

Star stamped Type 98, no Ser#。 重房作 Shigefusa 壬午十一月 1942.November Not sure if he is the same 重房（ 6th Generation 重房 -若林重次 Wakabayashi Shigetsugu） who worked for Mantetsu from 1937-1941。

Hey David ,can you remove the handle and show us the both sides tang? It maybe an older blade .

Hey David ,can you remove the handle and show us both sides full tang? It maybe an older blade .

Steve Thank you very much!

I agree with you, we might never know when the scabbard was paired with the current blade. My point is, if the railway sword handle has the logo, it is a railway sword, even if the scabbard drag was gone. But if another way around, it can only be identified as the scabbard of the railway sword instead of the whole rig.

Thanks,Steve!Any idea what's the last "Kanji".Any info about this 土州國正？I'll see if I can get more photos,think maybe it's a 柴刀。

These railway swords it's all about fittings. This one only has the Railway logo on the drag,IMO it's not considered an official MNR sword. Maybe the scabbard is not original to the blade.

Does anyone recognize the first two kanji? (古?)(藤？）國正之作

The drag is for It's railway company ,but not in the book. The mark on the scabbard drag is the logo of 滿洲國國有鐵道（Manchukuo National Railway）. Like 華北交通（North China Railway)， the MNR officer carries swords。 But the complete sword should have the logo on the Kabutogane as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchukuo_National_Railway

板桥（Banqiao)is a Subdistricts of 雨花台区 （YuHuaTai District )of 南京 （ Nanjing）, the capital of 江苏（JiangSu province）。 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuhuatai_District

甲裴鐵工廠=興亞鐵工株式會社= 華北機械股份有限公司/華北機械工業株式會社=天津機器廠=天津動力機廠 It seems this factory only make small arms when it regroup and was called 華北機械股份有限公司/華北機械工業株式會社 from 1944-1945. 株式會社 and 股份有限公司 are the same thing. 株式會社（日语：株式会社／かぶしきがいしゃ kabushikigaisha），是源自日本法律定義下的一種商業公司（会社）類型，韓國法律也採用此名称，相當於股份有限公司.

天津動力機廠前身是1935年日本商人甲裴在河西區小劉莊開辦的甲裴鐵工廠。1939年，日本江商洋行收買了這個廠，改名興亞鐵工株式會社，生產紡織機和礦山機械。1941年，遷至河北區小王莊，1944年改組為華北機械工業株式會社，工人增至400多人，專門生產槍、炮等武器。1945年8月日本投降後，國民政府資源委員會接管了這個廠，改名為天津機器廠。1951年10月，該廠試製成4146型80馬力柴油機。1953年9月改名為天津動力機廠。 https://kknews.cc/news/449ql3x.html

在抗日戰爭時期天津成為日本侵華戰爭的後方基地，為提供軍事侵略所需物資，日本因此在天津建設了部分與軍事相關的企業，如日商華北機械股份有限公司、日商中山鋼業所等6家鋼鐵企業。 https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/天津近代工业

It's possible a 造兵刀, but I'm not very sure about this one. The Kissaki looks more like 中切先 （Chu Kissaki ） instead of 猪首切先（Ikubi Kissaki）to me.

I think the blade without the date like these, mei was done by 切銘師, and the other one with the star stamp's mei was done by 兼音 himself. ,

It could be .

Thomas I found this book " 抗战时期日本对天津的经济统制与掠夺” It worte:1940年前后，日商在天津设立了昌和洋行工厂、安原铁工所、西山铁工所、天津钢业工厂、天津制铁工厂、东和工厂、恒升机器工厂、鸿发铁工厂、义昌洋行、小松洋行、得利兴、三井铁工厂、中岛机器行、天津机器工厂等15家工厂。 So,it is 恆昇 instead of 昇恆。

Could be a person's name, If so it should have the family name in front of it, like 李昇恒 or 王昇恒, etc...But this most likely just put two words together and wish the business long-lasting.昇(上昇 Rise)+恒（恒久 Constant）. But Chinese normally would use 恒昇 instead of 昇恒.

Maybe those 恒 mark swords were from this factory?

Bruce One more 義治 Yoshiharu with M&東 for you.

Agree