Toryu2020

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Here is my Type 19 Kyu-gunto miniature - 22.5 inches long with a 16.5 inch blade that appears to have been plated in the past. The handle is translucent tortoise shell or maybe bakelite? wrapped with silver (colored) wire. The guard is pierced exactly as the full-sized model. The backstop is plain and the cap appears separate, making me believe I could probably unscrew it like the larger model. There are traces of gold-paint on the guard. The saya has two hangers and is painted black - I believe this is the original color it does not appear that it was ever chromed. -t

Looking at other threads on Children's swords and Boy's day swords I noted there was mention of military miniatures button real thread of their own. Fuller and Dawson both mention them, and there are photos out there of young Japanese in uniform. So this is a place for those photos and for anyone to introduce their military miniatures should they have them. I will add my own humble example and look forward to see more. -t

Typical tourist "paper knife" lots of these made from the tips of old swords - any others stainless copies... -t

https://obonsociety.org/eng/

Honestly I don't think it is a mon - sometimes a flower is just a flower... -t

Thank you Moriyama san - http://nihonto.us/HATA MITSUYO KATANA.htm http://sanmei.com/contents/en-us/p2084_刀　銘　肥後守秦光代.html This sword has been here before - https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/28200-interesting-nakago-on-mitsuyo-katana/ I see enough differences in the signature that I would look for a Nidai example to compare with... -t

肥後守秦光代　以古鋼鉄作之　享保三年八月日　信高摩上之 Higo (no) kami Hata Mitsuyo Ko-kotetsu (wo) motte saku kore Kyoho san nen hachi gatsu hi Nobutaka Suriage kore The signature you got. The next bit I am just guessing at - "using old iron, made this" - I expect that better readers than me will correct this. The date records when the blade was cut up by Nobutaka. This is most likely Owari Nobutaka there are two candidates. If this is the shodai Mitsuyo it's pretty special - even if the nidai and the blade is in good shape it's something special. Now off to look for comparison signatures... -t

The "flaw" has been removed but what is left is more of a curiosity and will appeal to only a small number of collectors, -t

Also no dimensions listed - I believe there were museum miniatures sold years ago - this could be no more than a toy... -t

Darius - It's almost as if your teasing us. Tough call from these photos but from the high, wide shinogi and lack of overall taper I move my bid to Showa-to... -t

The Nihonto Meikan also lists references for further study - may we know the name of the smith? -tch

Exceptional!

Shinto or Shinshin-to macho-okuri probably done for the wartime mounts with severe corrosion of the nakago. Pics and dimensions of the blade will help but nothing here screams masterpiece. I would not expect much more than that. -t

I would stick with this being a name, although unusual, Ishitoku Shigeyuki makes sense - "adjusted this" does not. mho -t

Can you provide a close up of the first three or four kanji in the first line? -t

I have to agree, this doesn't look anything like a mamori-gatana. Perhaps two family legends got entwined?

Where are the love letters?

I would think Seki but it boggles the mind that we cannot find any listing for this Kanenaga... -t

Oldest to newest (Left to right) NFS

There is a Kongo-eki in Higo... -t

Someone did a hack job on that nakago - the blade looks tired. Save your money, buy polished and papered blades... -t

Thanks Brian - nice not to lose all that "history" -t

I love sword maker tsuba BUT it needs to be more than just a signature it has to be a good tsuba first... -t

try 筒