SHOWA STAMPED SWORDS HAND MADE?

[Tom Darling]

I was wondering if anyone ever came across a real hand forged sword with water tempering that has a showa stamp on the tang? Can you get papers for a blade with a showa stamp? Thanks.

[stephan_hiller]

Tom,

 

AFAIK you will not be able to get papers for a showa stamped blade as they are regarded as not traditionally made and are seen as weapons of war by the Japanese government and therefore destroyed when imported into Japan.

 

I think that only star stamped (and some other exotic stamps) are regarded as traditionally made swords with traditional materials (tamahagene) but showa, seki and other arsenal stamped swords are illegal to possess in Japan. For more information about the different stamps during WW2 please go to Rich Steins website.

 

Regards

 

Stephan

[Brian]

This is the question that keeps popping up everywhere, and always without a definitive answer. Popular opinion has always said that arsenal stamps mean the blade can't be traditionally made, but there keep popping up swords that are definitely forged and folded, that show nie and hataraki and a nice hada, and yet have a stamp on them

I think there is one on one of the popular dealer's sites right now, just have to track it down. We also sometimes see swords on Aoi Arts website that have the stamp removed and they are licenced in Japan.

So I guess the obvious answer is that although they are in the minority, Nihonto with arsenal stamps definitely do exist and can be found out there.

 

Brian

[pcfarrar]

I recently saw a 23rd gen Kanefusa katana with showa stamp that had been freshly polished. It had what looked to be shirake utsuri. This was also the opinion of other experienced collectors who inspected it.

[Jacques D.]

hi,

 

Some Clarification here.

[Kajihei]

Blades with "showa" stamps are registered and sold in Japan.

 

Here's one by Kanetomo, a Rikugun Jumei Tosbo:

 

http://samurai-nippon.net/951/

 

 

My understanding of the stamp is that it is a mark of passing certain quality control inspection and not necessarily an indication of how it was made, and the stamp does appear on both gendaito and machine-made showato. So, you need to judge the blade, not the markings. This, apparently, is what the Japanese authorities do also.

 

Kaj

[Tom Darling]

Is the registration through customs granted to all swords with the showa stamp or just the ones that are actually hand made?

[Kajihei]

Is the registration through customs granted to all swords with the showa stamp or just the ones that are actually hand made?

 

In the past, gunto blades with stamps were automatically rejected. But recently they changed their attitude and began to recognize that some of gunto blades are worthy of preservation. So the blades are of course inspected to ensure that they are traditionally made, but now even some questionable ones are allowed to pass if housed in a complete gunto koshirae in good condition. (According to one dealer who imports many gunto from the US)

 

Kaj

[Brian]

Tom,

 

I would expect that the presence of a showa stamp would count as one strike against it when importing. The blade would then have to convince them otherwise, but the stamp is definitely not a plus when trying to get them into Japan. As mentioned here, they can get in, but it can't be an obvious mass produced Showato, or it will be denied.

This link by Guido Schiller is still the best write up on the subject: http://www.nihontokanjipages.com/japane ... _laws.html

 

Brian