Kiipu

John, you never cease to amaze me. 九八式軍刀拵　山本軍刀店製作

Nagamitsu? Note the 2 instead of a 1. See this GBF thread. WTS Nagamitsu sword Edit: Must be signed in as it is in the "Japanese Trader Board." The seller had this to say and will also attach the nakago mune picture for those that do not have access. X

It is not a serial number but a utility model registration number. Looks like the 用 was stamped upside down? 實用新案 = jitsuyō shin'an = utility models.

Handguns Honeycutt, Fred L., Jr. Military Pistols of Japan. 3rd ed. Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.: Julin Books, 1991. Used, dust jacket, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, 168 pages, B&W illustrations. Weight 2 lb 2 oz, printed in USA. US$130. This book is one of two that is recommended for collectors of officer's swords. This book will provide an overall view of Japanese ordnance, from arsenals to inspection marks to subassembly methods. Book is out of print and the author has no plans to revise. Brunner, John W. The Colt Pocket Hammerless Automatic Pistols. Williamstown, N.J.: Phillips Publications, 1996. Used, dust jacket, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, 224 pages, B&W illustrations. Weight 2 lb 15 oz, printed in USA. US$350.

Small Arms Sugawa Shigeo. The Japanese Matchlock: A Story of the Tanegashima. 1991. A translation of Nihon no hinawajū 日本の火縄銃. English language. Used, dust jacket, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, 62 pages, color illustrations. Dated and autographed by author. Weight 1 lb 10 oz, printed in Japan. US$175. Sugawa wrote two Japanese-language books about Tanegashima. This book is a translation of the first one. It covers both pistols and rifles.

Most book dust jackets are in Brodart protective covers. If a book has a flaw, it is noted. If not, then it is in very good or better condition. Size: the green background mat has half inch (0.5") squares. Payment can be made by personal check, money order, or PayPal. Shipping within United States: USPS media mail or 1st Class is used, depending upon the book. If another shipping option is preferred, contact me. I normally ship books in a large envelope or cardboard box. It costs about $8 to $12 to ship a book when everything is factored in. International Shipping: Most books can be mailed internationally via USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope. If it fits within the envelope, it can be mailed. This will normally raise the cost of a book about US$40 to US$50 depending upon the country. Contact me by “private message” if additional information or pictures is needed.

Trystan, some questions about serial number 487 with the 篠 inspection mark. 1. Does the crossguard have an arsenal logo? 2. Is there a hole for a rivet & finger loop in the crossguard? Is the hole filled? 3. What is the serial number of the scabbard?

Just a quick note, there is one other and it is in Bruce's Stamps of the Japanese Sword document. Will post links later. Edit: Below is the link to the other one. It is coming from a 2015 eBay listing. Arsenal Stamps.

John, I think the numbers got transposed as Dawson does not have 9090 recorded. My information is coming from the same source he used. For this reason, I am not sure on which end the mistake was made. His letter to me is as I stated above.

Mal, I assumed it was Nishimura Jin'ichi 西村仁一. The characters 金重 can be pronounced as either Kaneshige or Kinjū. Historically, both pronunciations were used in Mino Province. I opted to go with the pronunciation as used by Sesko.

☆ 濃州住金重 = ☆ Nōshū-jū Kaneshige. 名 = Nagoya Army Arsenal final inspection mark above the date. 昭和十九年二月日 = 1944 February.

John, I rechecked my correspondence and this is what I have for you. The correspondent had seen eight Meiji 25s over a period of 15 years. He noted the scabbard numbers when possible. Letter dated 1999-0215 1) 5578 (scabbard # 3954). 2) 9090 (scabbard # 8170). 3) 16065 (scabbard # 6609). 4) 10781 (scabbard # 13454). 5) 14408 (blade & scabbard no's match). 6) 575 (no scabbard # reported). 7) 9777 (no scabbard # reported). Letter dated 1999-0307 Blade serial number 325 that still had the leather finger loop on the D. guard. [This was the only one that he had seen with a finger loop still existing.] In summary, only one sword still had matching numbers and another sword still had an intact finger loop. No blade inspection marks were reported nor did I ask for them.

John, below is the proper name for this sword. There is no Type in the name. Oddly enough, within a year or two, type was introduced, as in Type 26 Revolver! 明治二五年騎兵刀 = Meiji 25th Year Cavalry Sword = 1892 Cavalry Sword.

Conway, when time permits, can you answer the following questions about 9536. 1. Does it have an arsenal logo on the crossguard? 2. What is the scabbard's serial number? 3. Does it have a leather finger loop?

I have three that I do not see on your list. Below is all the information I have which is coming via text (no pictures). Blade # 2522, no arsenal logo, scabbard # 2522, yahoo.co.jp. Blade # 9090, scabbard # 8170, private collection. Blade # 9777, no other information, private collection. Hope this helps.

Everything is still OK, I just looked at the wrong ferrule picture. Serial number 137101 was made by Iijima under Kokura Army Arsenal supervision. Shortly after, the supervising arsenal changed to Tōkyō 1st. The Tōkyō 1st logo can be seen in the picture in the 2nd post by John C. I would recommend reading up on these swords first and then buying. Ask Sam how easy that is!

Tyler, I edited my post above as I looked at some of the wrong pictures. The 137,000 range would date from late in fiscal year 1942 (April 1942 to March 1943). For an advanced education about Type 95s, carefully read the WRF thread via the link below. Short Development History of Type 95 Gunto Senility is a terrible thing to waste!

It was in the 137,000 range that Iijima began switching arsenal logos from Kokura to Tōkyō 1st. So both logos appear in this serial number range and slightly beyond. I agree with Conway that the scabbard might have been repainted. One can clearly see the paintbrush strokes running lengthwise. If this was done, then it is likely that the sword has been cleaned up in general. And finally, agree with "lonely panet" that it is real. Tyler, many thanks for posting the pictures.

Better pictures would help with the reading. The text in red below would need better pictures to confirm the translation. 源昭兼 = Minamoto Akikane 昭和二十年一月 = 1945 January Blade started out as a Type 100. Note the second hole toward the bottom. I would carefully check it for a "star" stamp and/or inspection marks on the nakago mune.

The 94s with arsenal 造兵廠 blades had more curve to the hilt compared to other 94s. Not sure why this was. An example can be seen via the link below. Not sure what is going on with the one above though. Help with sword

Below is the citation for the recent Plimpton book. This is a sword only book and thus no coverage of Japanese dirks. I would recommend acquiring a copy of the 1997 F&G book first before the Plimpton book. Plimpton, John E. Swords of the Emperor: A Guide to the Identification of Imperial Japanese Swords, 1873–1945. Nashville, TN: Headstamp Publishing, 2022. Swords of the Emperor (Standard Edition)

What better way is there to start the new year than with some gendaitō reading material. Mal & Co., Ltd have thoroughly revised the two part treatise on Japanese naval swords. This was a major, full-time, undertaking by Mal & Sueko that took months to accomplish and the results speak for itself. Do give Mal a big thanks for all that he has done via the download pages linked to below. Lets support those that help us be better informed collectors. Cox, Malcolm E. Japanese Naval Swords, WW 2: Swordsmiths & Workshops. Part 1. Updated. 2024. A4 size, color illustrations, 132 pages. Japanese Naval Swords Part 1 Cox, Malcolm E. Japanese Naval Swords: Swordsmiths & Workshops. Part 2. Upgraded. 2024. A4 size, color illustrations, 166 pages. Japanese Naval Swords Part 2

The plot thickens! Seems there are character variations within this Kanesada lineage. Akira Komiya over at WRF has pointed out that the 2nd generation Kanesada used 兼㝎 instead of 兼定. So maybe that is what is seen above? Strange sword Akira referenced the following Japanese Wikipedia article. 和泉守兼定

Malcolm Cox has released another monograph for gendaitō collectors and it is worthy of taking a close look at. It can be downloaded for free via the link below. Cox, Malcolm E. Yoshioka Yoshichika 吉岡 吉近, Shimada Yoshisuke 島田 義助, and the WARRIOR Stamp. 2024. A4 size, 47 pages. Yoshika Yoshichika, Shimada Yoshisuke and the Warrior stamp

Are we sure this is Kanesada 兼㝎 and not Kanesada 兼定? Strange sword