Kiipu

Fourth Column From Left (Revised) 昭和十七年壱月参日 = 1942-01-03. Second Column From Left The first two characters look like Tōkyō to me. But I am at a loss as to the last two. 東京 = Tōkyō.

Third Column From Left 第二八三■ = No. 283■ The last character looks like a solid colored square. However, there is a small chance that it could be the character 號 as well. Fourth Column From Left 昭和十七年二月参日 = 1942-02-03. My best guess is that the month is February 二月.

First Column From Left This looks like a company name. So far, I can make out ?田軍刀店??.

BangBangSan, Is the serial number of the sword or scabbard 4405? 四四〇五𠮷 𠮷 = 吉.

My name does appear in all my posts underneath my location. I seem to recall the moderator changing that with the new forum software. Found the link and it is below. Missing names?

Thank you BangBangSan for another interesting find. Does anyone have any ideas what the item in the middle of the trademark is?

Below is the breakdown for you. 小倉陸軍造兵廠 = 小倉 Kokura 陸軍 Rikugun 造兵廠 Zōheishō = Kokura Army Arsenal.

That works even better! Pretty hard to argue with that.

The link you provided above in post 11 more or less summed it up. I included that link in my post above and after the fact noticed that you had already referenced it so edited it out of my post. Great minds think alike! As an aside, the early swords from Suya were marked in English as "SUYA". I find that pretty hard to argue with! Below are three of the Type 95 companies and my translation for them. The 神戸 in 合名会社･神戸商店 can be translated as either Kanbe or Kōbe and my current opinion is Kōbe is the better of the two. This also happens to be the characters for the City of Kōbe and this caused much confusion amongst guntō collectors as it was thought the company was located in Kōbe City. It has only been in the last year that the company location was determined via an advertisement which gave Tōkyō as the location. It would probably be best to render the name as Kōbe? with a question mark immediately after. 飯島刀劍製作所 = Iijima Tōken Seisaku-jo = Iijima Sword Workshop. 関刀剣株式會社 = Seki Tōken KK = Seki Sword Co., Ltd. 株式會社･壽屋商店 = KK Suya Shōten = Suya Shop Co., Ltd.

I would recommend reading through these two threads about Type 95's. Short Development History of Type 95 Gunto and IJA Type 95 NCO Sword Info

BangBangSan I thought you might enjoy loooking at these pictures linked below. "Looking for someone can read Japanese" https://www.gunboards.com/threads/looking-for-someone-can-read-Japanese.1173364/post-10518574

Thank you for the correction. Same characters 関町, but different prefecture 三重県! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seki,_Mie

Possibly the Ministry of the Interior 内務省 police reports can pin down his exact location? "Family or short blades as Gunto" https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/family-short-blades-gunto-688110-post1879455/#post1879455

The table of contents for 関市史, published 1967, can be seen at the link below. The 関刀剣株式會社 is listed in the section starting at page 591. This is the very same book that started the 昭 within a sakura and 関 inspection marks debacle. https://www.library.pref.gifu.lg.jp/gifuken-mokuji/seki/seki.htm The 甲 that appears in the address is correct. Other sword companies in Seki also have this character as part of the address. A 1938 drawing of Seki-chō that appears in 関町郷土誌 can be seen below. Edit: Deleted the drawing.

The Seki Tōken KK trademark as seen in the OP, which is between the light fixture and 社會式株剣刀関 on the front of the building, can be more clearly seen at the link below. "Arsenal Stamps." https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5999-arsenal-stamps/?do=findComment&comment=76461

The 関刀剣株式會社 is the only sword company listed on the page. This page merely lists the civilian factories making items for Nagoya Army Arsenal. The reason Seki Tōken KK is listed is because they made Type 95 Military Swords 九五式軍刀 for Nagoya. Hope this helps in your studies. bangbangsan-page.pdf

Can not help with the first part but the second part is not so hard. As of August 1945, Japanese army records give the address as 岐阜縣武儀郡関町甲一三〇. Thank you for your help with Mizuno. Much appreciated.

Excellent research SteveM!

We are not talking about the same thing, 1942 versus 1943. I have no information on the subject of 1943 kabutogane markings. Maybe Bruce knows more about it but I do not recall him gathering that type of information.

Yours has the army contract markings of Mantetsu Tanzo Kore and not the commercial marking of 興亜一心. Only the army contract swords dated 1942 have the combination of 興亜一心, M, and 東. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/?do=findComment&comment=321678

The combination only shows up on some 1942 Mantetsu blades. I have posted in the past about this. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/?do=findComment&comment=311598

Nothing wrong with the lack of markings on the nakago. The blade is coming from a Seki made Type 95 Military Sword, serial number 関213182. The handle should be made of wood and the handle fittings of iron as Bruce indicated in post #20. If possible, can you post a picture of the scabbard mouth opening (鯉口 koiguchi)? There could be some markings in that location.

Army contract blade even though civilian marked. This is indicated by the M on the lower obverse side of the the nakago. Check the kabutogane for a possible 東 inspection mark. ク = KU = 28th series.

Neil, AKA IJASwords, there is something wrong with your private mail. Edit: FYI, it is up and running fine now.

The address is the same for both the advertisement and the Iida patent. So they are related. The company name in the advertisement is Iida Shop Unlimited Partnership 合名会社･飯田商店. The translation of the latch can be found at the thread below. "Iida Kunitaro Gunto Koshirae - Help" https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18110-iida-kunitaro-gunto-koshirae-help/ I am sure SteveM and BangBangSan will be along shortly to fill in some more gaps.