Seki Stamp ?

[Loyer]

Just purchased a beat up NCO sword .  Blade shows a seki (?) stamp and makers marks.  Doesn't make sense to me unless :

 

1) it isn't a seki mark

 

2) it is a chinese fake.

 

What am I missing ? 

 

 

 

 

[Ed Harbulak]

Hi Dennis

It is a Seki stamp and it doesn't look like a Chinese fake. What makes you think it's an NCO sword? Have you ever seen an NCO with the maker's signature or a Seki stamp?

[lonely panet]

its not a NCO,

but a very low end shingunto with a seki showato blade

[Loyer]

Glad to find out it isn't a chinese repro but I am still confused why a seki blade would have a maker's marker .  I 

though "seki" meant factory made so there shouldn't be a maker's name or info on the tang.

 

Also, if not an NCO what is it ?  

[Shamsy]

It is a standard Type 98 sword for officers. A ‘budget’ one by the looks of it. Any sword can be unmarked; it has nothing to do with where it's made. The fact it has a Seki stamp simply means it's nontraditional and made in Seki.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Dennis I think you need to do a bit more basic research, I'm not sure where you've gotten your information but it's way off base! Have a look on this site, invaluable reference: http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

 

NCO swords have cast metal handles and low grade unforged blades. 

 

You have this, as Hamfish already told you : http://ohmura-study.net/727.html

[Loyer]

OK , I get it .....not an NCO>

 

But why does it have makers marks ( 3rd photo) and seki marks (1st photo)  ? 

[Bruce Pennington]

Shamsy already said: officer swords that were not made in the “traditional “ manner had to be stamped with an inspector mark. The Seki mark is one of many used.

[Loyer]

Shamsy already said: officer swords that were not made in the “traditional “ manner had to be stamped with an inspector mark. The Seki mark is one of many used.

Understood but if not made in the traditional manner (ie: seki) , why did a "maker" sign the sword (as seen in pic 3) .

 

I thought it was one (seki) or the other (maker signed) but never both (as is my sword blade).

[PNSSHOGUN]

I think at some point early in the war all newly made swords had to be signed, dated and/or stamped to differentiate between the traditionally made swords from the Showato. The Seki stamp is just one of the myriad of stamps used to identify where or how the sword was produced.

 

https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/showato.htm

[Geraint]

Dear Dennis.

 

 

 

I thought it was one (seki) or the other (maker signed) but never both (as is my sword blade).

 

This bit of information is wrong, the commonest combination is in fact signed by the smith and stamped, just as yours is.

 

Enjoy.

 

All the best.

[Brian]

You are confusing  arsenal/factory made with mass produced/stamped.
During the war, even the Showato were made by a smith or a team, and they were still hammered or had some forging done. They weren't just stamped out of mill steel by machines and bolted together. Thus even a basic Seki Showato was made by a smith, just not traditionally. It was still heat treated and polished and oil quenched. And often signed.
Don't confuse Western mass production with Japanese mass production.

[Loyer]

Thank you, now i understand.  I had thought seki always meant stamped/hammered out out in a big factory by unnamed factory employees.  

[Bruce Pennington]

Thank you, now i understand.  I had thought seki always meant stamped/hammered out out in a big factory by unnamed factory employees.

 

In fact, the Type 95 NCO's were the only blades made that way.

[vajo]

Loyer, can we take a look on the blade?

[Kiipu]

Type 98 with a brown tassel and large Seki 関 stamp.

酒向兼茂 Sakō Kaneshige.

As the swordsmith is a bit of an unknown, updating the thread for future reference.