Kai Gunto Translation

[AnAmNeSiS]

Hello all.  I am a new member on this message board.  I was hoping to ask the other members if they can translate this signature.  Also I was wondering about the red (paint) writing at the bottom of the tang?  Is it the date the sword was made maybe?  The black writing is the actual serial number because it is on the other parts of the kai gunto.  If you need more pictures I can post more this weekend.  This sword also came with a capture tag that I will need to post on here as well.  Any info or links you think that will help out a new enthusiast will be greatly appreciated.  

 

Thanks

Dave 

[SwordGuyJoe]

It is 河村 忠X (Kawamura TadaX). There is a Kawamura Tadayuki (河村忠行) listed here: http://www.jp-sword.com/files/seki/gendaito.html, but I'm not sure that last kanji really looks like "行" to me.

[John A Stuart]

Tadayuki as in 恕 John

[k morita]

Hi,

 

The mei is Kawamura Tadatsuna 河村忠綱

[AnAmNeSiS]

Thanks Joe, John and K Morita, I appreciated your insight.  Is there a way to find more info out on these smiths somewhere?  Also, can someone help me with the red writing on the bottom portion of the tang?  Any info will be greatly appreciated.  I would like to show my gratitude to this forum, so I will be putting in a donation for all the help.  Anyways, thanks again.  

Dave 

[SteveM]

I don't think there is anything of importance in those marks. It kind of looks like 

イ

一

三

 

Which is just a random syllable and the numbers 1 and 3. Maybe had some significance at the time and place where it was assembled, but the details of this would be long since lost.  

If you haven't already checked out Ohmura's gunto site, it is well worth a look. Also, there is an enormous amount of information at NMB, so if you get creative with the search function on this site it will lead you to a lot of interesting discoveries. I've had a very quick look on the web, and I couldn't find any smith with that specific name. 

http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

[AnAmNeSiS]

Hello Steve, Thanks for your reply and help.  I really appreciate everyone's feedback.  The symbol イ does not seem to relate to anything and is also used with the 4 (note the black writing) which is found on the other parts of the gunto.  I was wondering if the 1 and 3 could be related to Showa 13 = 1938? Just a thought. Also, It looks like the the red lettering is painted on a raised part of the tang which I have not seen before on other guntos. Usually the paint is just that, painted on the tang.

 

 I am a little surprised that no one can find any info on Kawamura (sir name) for the sword smith on this sword.  Is it possible that this is older than ww2 era?  Anyways, I appreciate everyone's time and feedback on this.  This has a capture tag on it and I think I will included more pictures of this over the weekend and post them in the gunto section.  Have a good day.  

 

Dave

[SwordGuyJoe]

It's a war era sword, but it may just be a smith that is undocumented.

[Kiipu]

Cross-reference to another Kawamura Tadatsuna 河村忠綱.

Japanese Officer sword - Nakago help (2 of 2)