Kiyotsugu Reference / Info

[Ryubiken]

I have this showa-stamped gunto. I think the signature is "Showa niju nen roku gatsu" (1944) - "Kiyotsugu".

 

The sword is in type 3 gunto mounts and beaten up beyond salvage. Someone made new tsukamaki for it and "polished" it with steel wool.

 

I don't have any books regarding modern day smiths so I'm asking any info on this particular Smith. Only reference I could find was christie's auction with 5 bundled guntos.

 

Regards

Kimmo S

[Bruce Pennington]

Kimmo, I'm new at this, but isn't the date Showa 2 10 year 6 month - meaning June 1945?

 

I'm not a smith guy, but I'm sure the experts here can tell you!

[David Flynn]

1945. It's not a showa stamp.   I think it's Osaka arsenal.  Check out the stamps thread.

[Jussi Ekholm]

清次 Kiyotsugu, real name Sakai Magoichi 坂井孫一 born 1897 died 1971. Worked at Seki during wartime http://www.jp-sword.com/files/seki/gendaito.html

 

Unfortunately that is all the info I have on him.

[george trotter]

The stamp is a "gi" stamp for Gifu. These appear only on "Type 3" general issue swords (or Type O or Contingency / Temporary Standard)...whatever we now classify them as. The stamp is often confused for a Sho stamp as it is also inside a sakura blossom.

Gifu is up behind Nagoya.

Kiyotsugu started as a gunto swordsmith on Showa 18.11.02 (2nd Nov 1943). Nothing more known.

Your sword looks typical of the oil-tempered showato blades stamped with Seki or Gifu stamps. Gifu is about 20 km south-west of Seki. I'm not 100% clear on this stamp's true meaning though. As Seki is in Gifu Prefecture (as is Gifu town), the Gi stamp may mean made in Seki town Gifu Pref. or it could mean made in Gifu town in Gifu Pref....maybe someone will know whether the seki and gi stamped blades were made in two locations or were just stamped with different stamps because they were "separate" production facilites, but both made in Seki?

Hope this helps,

Regards, 

[David Flynn]

Thanks George.