Kiipu

For gendaitō 現代刀 collectors, I recommend the following two books for the reference library. They are definitely worth having. Sesko, Markus. Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords. Lulu Enterprises, Inc., 2014. 552 pages. This is a dictionary explaining all the Japanese sword terms. Sesko, Markus. Swordsmiths of Japan. Lulu, Inc., 2015. 1450 pages. A listing of over 20,000 Japanese swordsmiths. And finally, might as well download the free compendium from Sesko as well. Small Compendium

一、昭和一二年六月三〇日　同右講習辛業、土佐流手法焼刀土の塗り方を探究、うるおいを醸しだす刃紋の創作技術を開拓 Above is what I see, but could be wrong. For technical terms, I would recommend the following book by Markus Sesko. Sesko, Markus. Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords. Lulu Enterprises, Inc., 2014.

一、昭和二八年四月一日　岐阜県金属試験場のＸ託として、岐阜県下金属工業技術生の鍛造技術実習を指導 I am missing one of the characters so .... Yes, that is the same laboratory that is mentioned in the first post. The document only has an historical outline and does not list former staff. It appears Kanehide was an instructor there.

See below for more information about the encircled 造 stamp. Identification help

Made in Indonesia for the Japanese and/or local forces. Not a fake or a reproduction. Nice catch if you are a militaria collector.

A little missive of mine from early 2023. Kanehide Gendaito Rinji questions

Last year I posted a recommended library for Japanese militaria collectors and below is the link. I would reverse the list now and recommend the newer books while they are still available. Books?

Memories from my misspent youth. Found some extra copies in the storage unit so will offer a temporary discount. Babich, Gregory A., and T. Keep. Imperial Japanese Grenade Rifles and Launchers. Dutch Harlow Publishing Company, 2004. Imperial Japanese Grenade Rifles and Launchers covers the gamut of this topic including army and navy arsenal procedures, inspection marks, ordnance nomenclature, Japanese dating systems, and relevant rifles and bayonets. More than twelve types of grenade rifles and launchers and numerous variants, many of them previously undocumented, are described in this book. In addition, cup wrenches, carrying pouches, cleaning equipment, and launching cartridges are discussed. Throughout this book, grenade rifles and launchers are placed in historical context, and background information is given regarding their development, manufacture, and use. Considerable text, photographs, and drawings are devoted to the numerous shells, hand grenades, and rifle grenades that were used with Imperial Japanese grenade rifles and launchers. Many previously undocumented fuzes and grenades are covered including improvised, rocket propelled, and naval variations. With ten chapters of detailed information, more than 300 photographs and drawings, translated wartime documents, and an extensive reference section, Imperial Japanese Grenade Rifles and Launchers is the definitive work on the topic. This book is a must for museums, military historians, and collectors of Imperial Japanese rifles, rifle cartridges, and ordnance. Dust jacket, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, 248 pages, color illustrations. Weight 3 lb 6 oz, printed in USA. Cost per book is US$85 including shipping to United States, overseas shipping add about US$45.

I think the characters are a bit stylized and the last one is hard to see. I do think that what you have is correct though. 第３２００２０号 = No. 320020. Maybe a second opinion is in order. @SteveM

Actually, kōgyō 工業 translates as industry. However, the Seki guild blue labels with English text have it as manufacturers'. The question then boils down to what translation do you want to use, the Seki blue label or the kanji dictionary translation. Whatever translation you decide to use is fine by me. 関刃物工業組合 Seki Hamono Kōgyō Kumiai See also Seki Inspection Tag On Combat Saya.

Maybe a registered utility model number?

The initial Type 100s, those made traditionally, were not sold by the arsenals directly but merely inspected. See the quote below by the late Nick Komiya. Deflating another Myth

Not common on either army or navy steel crossguards but have seen one or two? Below is a link to a possible marker's mark on a Type 97. Kai Gunto Naval Sword A little more common are guild or arsenal inspection marks. Below is an example of a guild marking on a Type 100 crossguard. Type 44 Katana + Information request The most common markings on steel crossguards are subassembly numbers.

This is the lowest so far with a マ prefix, prior to that they just used Arabic numerals.

Do not recall seeing this before either. Possibly a Japanese katakana NA with an Arabic 8? ナ８ = Katakana NA 8.