John C

Bruce: I'm getting interested in trying to identify the "mysterious" souvenir dagger. Do you think they could be mentioned in this book? John C.

I would also advise taking a clean, soft rag and rubbing alcohol and wiping the finger prints off of the blade. John C.

Austin: Traditionally, Nihonto are hand forged from a steel called tamahagane, clay applied (which gives the hamon its shape), then water quenched. During the war, the demand for blades necessitated speeding up the process. So for Showato blades, smiths used "mill" steel, machine presses, and oil quenching (which is more reliable and safer for the blade than water quenching). This oil quenching leaves tell-tale signs. What that means in terms of collecting is a difference in "traditional" versus "modern" production techniques. And, a difference in quality and value, in most cases. Some blades during the war were made in the traditional manner. We call these Gendaito (though that is somewhat of a misnomer since it just means "new sword). Many of these can be identified by not only the water quenched hamon, but also the star stamp. The smiths that made these blades we refer to as RJT smiths. These traditionally made, water quenched blades generally carry a higher value than the modern oil quenched versions. John C.

Ed: My vote would be no. From what I can see, the polish is old but the hamon is still visible and the rust does not seem excessive. A polish would cost 70-100 dollars per INCH! If the small nick is only in the hardened area of the blade (e.g. does not go up into the hamon) it is not a fatal flaw and is just part of the history. But it is your sword so you would make that call, of course. John C.

Austin: Some additional info about the blade. The small stamp looks like a Gifu stamp, which would be correct for an Army WW2 blade. The white painted numbers (3, ?, 6, 1) on the tang are assembly numbers and may or may not match the numbers on the rest of the parts (46 in your case). It is good that all of those parts have the same number. The handle, however, looks like it has been recently re-wrapped. Difficult to say without better pics of it. And not sure, but the hamon looks like a classic oil quench to me. This all adds up to a standard Showato from WW2. Probably a type 94 or 98. It would have been carried by an officer. John C.

Thank you. Just in general, the latch idea makes sense. Keep dust, debris, and water out of the scabbard when the sword is drawn. It was the whole river water thing that threw me. John C.

Does it have a star stamp on the nakago? Yes = could be gendaito; no = then probably not (though could still be if done early enough). Also, look for the tell-tale signs of oil quenching (as opposed to water quenching). A thin dark line at the hamon, dark "bursts" coming from the valleys of the hamon, and a lack of any real nie or nioi. John C.

Ed: Just for further information on the stamp, the following excerpt is from Bruce Pennington's Stamp document (which you can find in downloads) John C. Seki stamps are seen in two sizes, 5mm(large) and 3mm(small). The earliest large Seki seen, so far, is 1940, so there are both Showa and Seki stamped blades found in 1940- 1942. The stamp was a commercial one, like the Showa, used by the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association. In 1943, the large Seki rapidly tapered off. Most dated stamped blades that year bore the “Na” of the Nagoya Army Arsenal. At the same time, the first signs of the small Seki began. The Seki Supervisory Unit of the Nagoya Army Arsenal began using the stamp on accepted blades and used it through the end of the war.

Paul: Not sure if this helps, however the "no" is usually only spoken, not written. So you normally will not find a "no" kanji within the mei. John C.

Seems as if the latch would only be useful in protecting the inside of the scabbard when the sword was drawn. Did they remove the blade from the scabbard while crossing rivers to protect it? (Kind of like a soldier holding his rifle above his head?) John C.

Hey @Bruce Pennington: One more question. Do we have any examples of the sticker mentioned in the article? Should be a Japan Sword Company logo or something like that. John C.

I wasn't specifically either. I just think there are separate "camps" when it comes to collecting Nihonto. I have a decent Nobuyoshi from around 1690, which is papered. Since it was made in a time of relative peace, I view that sword as more of a "collectable", or study piece if you will, than anything of historical value. Conversely, I also have a type 95 that has relatively little intrinsic value. It may even have a bit of battle damage. But if that sword could talk... John C.

Adam: I think there are two separate issues. Your title referenced sending the sword to shinsa; one object of which is to determine a ranking based on the quality of the sword. As an average quality mass-produced sword, the answer would probably be no. I think this is where there may be a perceived dislike toward kizuuchimono. But if you are talking about an historical object, then by all means preserve it and study it for what it is. John C.

Mickie: I'm not one of the translators, who I am sure will be along shortly, however I can tell you that is going to be one heck of a blade if it is in good shape. I am waiting myself to find out what it says! John C.

Hey @Bruce Pennington: Do we have any examples of the 1,200 tanto that were produced? John C.

Jason: Unfortunately, no one here can help you do that. The folks on this site are educated collectors, not an official governing body like the NBTHK or the NTHK. We can give you our opinions based on having researched and discussed swords. But we cannot "testify" to what is true and what is not. None of us saw this sword being built. Unless you find a mark that says "Made in Japan or China" you are kind of stuck if the seller won't work with you. But just so you know, we have all been there...some of us more often that we would like to admit. As I have often said in other threads, do not look at this as having been ripped off. You either pay for a decent Japanese sword, or you pay for an education on what NOT to buy. Now you are better educated and you still may have a decent blade...wherever it was made. John C.

As has been noted in Bruce Pennington's article, we know there were originally 8,000 swords ordered by the PX, of which 2,600 were originally delivered. Production was halted for a time due to red tape until the remaining swords were allowed to be sold again starting in 1949. It even specified the retail price of 10 dollars and wholesale of 6.50. So why might the sword look old? It is still 70 to 80 years old and probably has been handled and played with quite a bit. It is also possible some unscrupulous dealers artificially "age" their swords and call it a kai-gunto to increase profit. John C.

Fantastic! Thank you very much! John C.

The paperwork looks like it could be an old registration certificate. John C.

Very interesting. As a martial artist (American Kenpo 37 years), the movements remind me of many of our knife attacks and defenses. The speed is understandable...what we would call "technique" speed (just going through the movements slowly to show each one clearly). John C.

Is he holding his boys day sword? John C.

Excellent read. Could you please post page 46 or is it just ads? John C.

The symbol to the right looks like the "Ho" stamp of the 1st Arsenal, Kokura army arsenal. John C.

I assume you mean unproven theories? There are many theories in different fields of study that are proven and cited by scholars routinely. That isn't so much group-think as stating what has been accepted to be true. John C.

Steve: I think the kanji on the left in the first picture "up water" means tap water. John C.