Kiipu

If I am interpreting Ohmura sensei correctly, the large 関 [Seki] stamp was replaced by another stamp to avoid duplication of stamps with the army. In this case, I think the replacement stamp is probably the 岐 [Gi] within a sakura [cherry blossom]. Do any of the smiths above that used the large Seki stamp now start using the Gi stamp in 1944 and 1945? Stepping aside for a moment, lets look at the use of the Seki stamp on the Type 95 Military Sword. The Nagoya two hundred thousand range starts off with the 名 inspection stamp. The low serial number being 名200437. Not long after, the Seki stamp shows up at serial number 関201505 and continues on up to the high serial number of 関216854. Occasionally, an older 名 stamp will show up, such as serial number 名204877; but, this is more of an exception to the rule. Bruce, are you still following my train of thought in regards to this matter?

I somewhat disagree as there are two sizes of 関 [Seki] stamps and they should be studied by the size of the stamp and not all lumped together. It seems the large Seki stamp is a guild or association stamp and hence the lack of date markings on some, but not all, swords. The smaller Seki stamp that came later is a Nagoya Arsenal inspection mark and since inspected by the army will be dated per regulations. I have inserted the kanji characters for the two different organizations mentioned in the quote below.

I like the picture of the Suya stamp. As to the characters, the white piece of paper pictured above shows what they are. In this case, they are 二代 源良近作之. 二代 = second generation. 源 = Minamoto. 良近 = Yoshichika.

Collectors in the United States back in the 1980s and 1990s used a product from Pecard Leather Care Company. There could be other alternatives though as I have not kept up with all the advances since then. https://pecard.com/

george trotter See posts #615 to #629 below. Any thoughts on this other one? Do you know if the other side had a scabbard release button? Arsenal Stamps.

家紋 = kamon = family crest. 駐爪 = scabbard release button. BangBangSan, I have no idea what it is or what it is for but here is a link to another. Smallest mon?

marsel (Samusamu) You can find pictures of the nakago [tang] and mekugi [peg] locations via the two swords linked below. Hope this helps your friend. Shin gunto(?) for review Identification help

That is the 1986 F&G book. In the back of the book, there is a handful of oshigata. Fuller, Richard, and Ron Gregory. Military Swords of Japan, 1868–1945. London, GB: Arms and Armour, 1986.

Stegel is the source for this picture and has posted it on several forums. Senior NCO Sword, Post #25 Was There Any Type Of Production ..., Post #29

Well, what do we have here from the Netherlands? Take a careful look at the mekugi. Also take note of the remnants of the leather scabbard retention system. Shin gunto(?) for review

Those are coming from below. That is one of the better marked examples of the Java-tō. An Appraisal on Some Japanese Swords Please Sword Number 3 marsel (Samusamu) Thank you for sharing pictures of this interesting sword. I am of the personal opinion that these swords were intended for use by Pembela Tanah Air (PETA). The top picture that Shamsy posted above is coming from the Pembela Tanah Air [Defenders of the Homeland] Museum in Indonesia. Possibly you can contact them for more information about those two swords. http://www.disparbud.jabarprov.go.id/wisata/dest-det.php?id=398&lang=id Here is an English link to the same museum. Pembela Tanah Air Museum Keep us posted if you should learn anything more about this sword variation.

I am only aware of two examples of the 治-guntō. One of the two was found in the Netherlands. I think more examples would be needed for study to determine if they are real or reproductions. In regards to the markings, I agree that 治 is not an abbreviation for 明治. The Japanese would use 明 and not 治. It is hard to say at this time exactly what the meaning of the 治 character is. Me thinks Trystan needs to find one and show us many pictures of it!

Amazing! And now they are showing up in the country in which they were made in. The Japanese arsenal was headquartered in Bandung and the commanding officer was Major General Ando Shoichi 安藤･ 正一少将. He was appointed to the position on 1943-09-13.

The closest Japanese word for arsenal or armory (armoury) is 工廠 [kōshō]. The army used this term until 1940 and then changed to 造兵廠 [zōheishō]. Even though zōheishō is translated into English as arsenal, it would be better to think of it as an arsenal complex.

Better known to sword collectors as Suya! 株式會社･壽屋商店 = KK Suya Shōten

Do you by chance remember from which country these fittings were purchased from?

There are several threads on those ジャワ刀 [Java swords] at NMB and WRF. The one with the clearest markings can be seen at the link below. An Appraisal on Some Japanese Swords Please Sword Number 3 As you state, the ジャワ刀 seem to be officer's swords based upon the fittings while the 造刀 [zō swords] being discussed here are most likely NCO swords as this is the tassel that shows up on them, or at least on two of them.

Some of these Type 100s have marking on the nakago mune near the habaki. Does this one have any markings in that location?

I have been able to tentatively identify these swords as made in Indonesia, formally Dutch East Indies, during the 1943 to 1945 time frame by the Japanese army. The Japanese Army established an arsenal at Bandung バンドン, Java, in October 1943. I think this arsenal is probably the source for these swords. If not the actual source, then the arsenal supervised the production of them. The British landed on the island after the war and that is why they are showing up in the United Kingdom on a consistent basis.

Planned sword production in China for the Japanese Army for fiscal year 1945, 1945-04-01 to 1946-03-31, was 10,000 swords. The information is coming from a September 1946 United States Army intelligence report on Japanese ordnance activities in China. The Americans interviewed both Japanese and Chinese ordnance officials and visited many of the factories making ordnance.

Yes, that is the stamp. I should have said tsuka and not saya. The numbers in red look like 943.

I ran across a similar stamp on a scabbard (edit: tsuka) as the one you depict on your tsuba. It is located toward the bottom of the webpage linked below. Kanenori 兼則 1943-10 昭和十八年十月

My thoughts too. They wrote 一 (1 = one) vertically instead of horizontally.

Translation below. 興亞一心 = Kōa Isshin. 満鐵作 = Mantetsu saku = South Manchuria Railway (SMR) made. 昭和甲申春 = Spring 1944. Please post additional pictures over in the Mantetsu thread, in particular the markings on the top of the tang by the habaki. Attention Mantetsu Owners: A Survey

It is not unusual to find naval swords, both old and new, that have two logos on the fittings. In the case of your sword, neither logo is currently identified. Thanks for sharing the interesting pictures.