First Time I Have Seen This Mark On Kabo

[The_ozzy_samurai]

Hey guy's

I purchased a couple tsuka's that have markings i have not seen or in positions not seen before? well by me anyways?,i have a few gunto's with arsenal markings on kabo,but normally with a star and circle with spikes on one side and tokoyo stamp on other, i had 3 of them from memory all the same,well these 2 handles i purchased seem a bit odd to me? one only has the 1 star stamp in the middle? and the other handle has what looks to me like E or some kind of symbol? as i said i had a couple of these i know these stamps are not that common but these 2 tsuka's are just strange to what i have had or seen,i only purchased them purely for the markings,can anyone help or explain what that back to front E symbol is?thanks guys'

 

Julian

[Stephen]

http://ohmura-study.net/794.html

[The_ozzy_samurai]

http://ohmura-study.net/794.html

 

Thanks for the link i had alrady checked that site,and the books i have on my PC and i cant find that random marking anywhere same goes for the spiked circle on the others

[Stephen]

[Bruce Pennington]

I'm on the road and don't have my F&G or Dawson with me. The star is Tokyo First Arsenal and I know I've seen examples of that in one of the books. The other will take some of our Japanese kanji experts! I've seen one transtlated in the past that meant "Of the house of (name)". Someone will jump in and help!

[george trotter]

Hi Julian,

The mark is that of Nakano Shoten, a sword shop in Tokyo. They probably supplied the fittings and mounted the blade. They advertised that they supplied army and navy swords and did fittings work.

This advert (which I have cropped) is from P.204 of the 1942 edition of Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan.

Hope this helps.

[george trotter]

Sorry, had some trouble (old and stupid)...

The mark is that of Nakano Shoten, a sword shop of Tokyo. Here is a (cropped) advert from 1942, from p.204 of Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan 1942.

The shop was in Kanda Ku, Higashi Fukuta cho and they had branches elsewhere.

Hope this helps.

[The_ozzy_samurai]

Sorry, had some trouble (old and stupid)...

The mark is that of Nakano Shoten, a sword shop of Tokyo. Here is a (cropped) advert from 1942, from p.204 of Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan 1942.

The shop was in Kanda Ku, Higashi Fukuta cho and they had branches elsewhere.

Hope this helps.

 

Hello George,

 

Thanks heaps for the great information, i knew someone out there would be able to help its the first time i have ever that symbol stamped on these type of fittings or anywhere really so i was a little curious of its origin or meaning, i got told by another collector that most of those stamped Kabu's where only for high ranked officers like an officers club type of thing? i seem to only find them on high grade mounts which i can assume is very early war, i have only ever seen a handful of swords with these stamps each one i saw i purchased so i know its kind of rare or should i say not so common maybe? 

 

Thanks,

 

Julian

[Bruce Pennington]

Julian,

 

Fuller & Gregory, pg 61 has a pic of a Kabuto-gane with the exact combo of Tokyo First arsenal and "unidentified" spiky circle! He called it "uncommon."

 

George, any info that you know of on that?

 

Also, Julian, about the officer's club - all officers were required to buy thier own gunto and the primary source was the officer's clubs. There were 2 chains, one headed by Tojo and the other by Yamamoto! NCOs were issued their gunto.

 

Guys, if you don't mind, I'd like to copy and paste these stamps on the pinned "Arsenal Stamps" thread. I don't think they have the Nakano Shoten or the spiky circle stamps?

[george trotter]

Hi Bruce,

I have only seen the star and other marks on a kabuto twice. The blade of one I can remember and it was by Endo Mitsuoki, a very good maker. I can't remember what the second stamp was though, sorry.

Although my contact with these stamps is quite limited, I remember the ones I saw were only on army fittings of better quality blades.

 

I hope that helps.

PS, the four smaller kanji above the symbol say "kabu shiki kai sha" or  Company Limited.

[Brian]

Guys, if you don't mind, I'd like to copy and paste these stamps on the pinned "Arsenal Stamps" thread. I don't think they have the Nakano Shoten or the spiky circle stamps?

 

Please do