Bruce Pennington Posted May 3, 2022 Author Report Posted May 3, 2022 It could even be NU ヌ452, or 421. I have a ヌ433 on file, but no photos. When I first started recording numbers, I kept them in a spiral notebook, no photos. So it's even possible this is one I saw online and thought it was 433. It's a 1940 number, but we'd sure appreciate pics of the mei and date too. Standing by for any updated photos of that number. Thanks @Stephen! Quote
Stephen Posted May 3, 2022 Report Posted May 3, 2022 Passed request along with link to this thread. 1 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted June 10, 2022 Report Posted June 10, 2022 One from Japan with the second style of mei: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/j1054195842 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted June 10, 2022 Author Report Posted June 10, 2022 Thanks John, didn't have that one! Interesting there is no "NAN" stamp. Although, these can be struck lightly and hard to see. Can someone quote the comment by the "W" stamp? Just curious what they were saying here: Quote
Kiipu Posted June 10, 2022 Report Posted June 10, 2022 The 南 did not start making a nakago appearance until the following 32nd フ series. 「W」の刻印. Ignore the の when translating into English. It simply states "engraved W." 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Posted June 11, 2022 15 hours ago, Kiipu said: 南 did not start making a nakago appearance until the following 32nd フ series. Good observation Thomas! I had one listed in the chart, MA 538, as NAN-stamped, but after checking the files, I don't see it. There is an odd stamp below the serial number that I must have mistaken for a NAN: This one also has a very tiny star above the mei, which is quite peculiar: Quote
BANGBANGSAN Posted June 12, 2022 Report Posted June 12, 2022 On 6/11/2022 at 8:30 PM, Bruce Pennington said: Good observation Thomas! I had one listed in the chart, MA 538, as NAN-stamped, but after checking the files, I don't see it. There is an odd stamp below the serial number that I must have mistaken for a NAN: This one also has a very tiny star above the mei, which is quite peculiar: Bruce I know it's probably not, but the mark under the numbers is kind of like a 菅 inspection mark on some of Kokura Arsenal-made Type 30 bayonets. Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted June 13, 2022 Author Report Posted June 13, 2022 15 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said: like a 菅 inspection mark Yes, similar, but different. Maybe some experimentation at the Nanman arsenal with inspector stamps. Quote
matthewbrice Posted June 21, 2022 Report Posted June 21, 2022 Hi Bruce. I have listed a rare Late War mounts Mantetsu. Posting the link here so you can use it for reference. https://stcroixblades.com/shop/products/rarest-late-war-mounts-mantetsu-Japanese-army-officer-shin-gunto-sword-th/ --Matt www.StCroixBlades.com 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted June 21, 2022 Author Report Posted June 21, 2022 1 hour ago, matthewbrice said: I have listed a rare Late War mounts Mantetsu. Thanks Matt! Looks like I have that one on file from a previous owner, but I appreciate the heads-up. For anyone looking for something unique, I have over 300 Mantetsu on file, now, and only 6 of them are in this SMR Rinji-styled fittings. I'd call that 'rare.' 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted July 5, 2022 Author Report Posted July 5, 2022 Sorry for the double posts, but it should be noted on both these threads. I have updated the Mantetsu -- South Manchurian Railway article to include a better description and photos of the unique MRS fittings. It's a small change, but the original section was woefully understated. 1 Quote
DTM72 Posted July 5, 2022 Report Posted July 5, 2022 On 6/10/2022 at 9:01 AM, Bruce Pennington said: Thanks John, didn't have that one! Interesting there is no "NAN" stamp. Although, these can be struck lightly and hard to see. Can someone quote the comment by the "W" stamp? Just curious what they were saying here: @Bruce Pennington Not sure if anyone answered your question on this. There is a tiny "W" in the polishers stripes, near the mune in the shinogi-ji. Can't say I've seen the W in that location before. 1 Quote
BANGBANGSAN Posted September 16, 2022 Report Posted September 16, 2022 On 9/12/2019 at 8:46 PM, Bruce Pennington said: Bruce Found this 興南彩券(Konan Lottery Ticket)issued by Japanese Occupation Malaya(馬來軍政部 Malai Military Administration Department), sold between 1942-1945. 興南should be contraction of 振興南洋 Revitalize Nanyang region(Southeast Asia, including Malaya, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, etc). It seems it's a part of the 興南一誠 movement. 1 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted September 16, 2022 Author Report Posted September 16, 2022 12 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said: Found this 興南彩券(Konan Lottery Ticket) Very cool! Definitely supports the broader use of the slogan. Quote
ZedKopp Posted October 25, 2022 Report Posted October 25, 2022 Hi, all! Here is my contribution to this most informative thread. This is the only Mantetsu that I currently have in my collection. Signed Mantetsu Kitae Tsukuru Kore. Dated Spring 1944. Nanman Arsenal mark on nakago. Matching numbers (40) on all four seppa as well as the tsuba and nakago. W mark on nakago. Gilt copper fittings including both menuki. Unknown mark on kashira. Suguha hamon. Any further information would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the low quality of the photographs. My phone camera isn't very good unfortunately! Cheers! 2 Quote
ZedKopp Posted October 25, 2022 Report Posted October 25, 2022 Thanks for the further info, Bruce! Yes, the same does appear to be celluloid. A further question; the saya on this example is a light purple/lavender color. Is this uncommon? I have only been able to find one other similar example. Cheers! Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted October 25, 2022 Author Report Posted October 25, 2022 Welcome Zac! Excellent presentation, thank you! Your serila number - MO/モ 409 is the second series out of 5 for year 1944. If the series were spread evenly over the year, and we don't know that they were, this would put your date in July through mid-September of '44. I only have 4 '44s in the MO series, now: 104 Nan 228 Nan 409 Nan 799 Ren Concerning the "W/M" stamp, yours is the latest so far, all 4 of the Nan-stamped '44s have the mark. All the previous ones are in 1942/43. From the photo, it looks like the same' is celluloid? Mine is too, and it seems it was used fairly often on Mantetsu fittings. On a "stamped numbers" note, yours is the first 1944 Mantetsu with the stamped numbers on the face of the nakago with matching numbers on fittings. I believe these to be done by the fittings shop. 1 Quote
BANGBANGSAN Posted October 25, 2022 Report Posted October 25, 2022 5 hours ago, ZedKopp said: Hi, all! Here is my contribution to this most informative thread. This is the only Mantetsu that I currently have in my collection. Signed Mantetsu Kitae Tsukuru Kore. Dated Spring 1944. Nanman Arsenal mark on nakago. Matching numbers (40) on all four seppa as well as the tsuba and nakago. W mark on nakago. Gilt copper fittings including both menuki. Unknown mark on kashira. Suguha hamon. Any further information would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the low quality of the photographs. My phone camera isn't very good unfortunately! Cheers! Hey Zac Can you show the other side of Kabutogane? There should be some shop mark on it. The side you are showing has 東 Tokyo First arsenal's mark. Thanks! 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted October 25, 2022 Author Report Posted October 25, 2022 8 hours ago, ZedKopp said: A further question; the saya on this example is a light purple/lavender color. Is this uncommon? I have only been able to find one other similar example. We'd need to see a photo, Zac. Quote
ZedKopp Posted October 25, 2022 Report Posted October 25, 2022 32 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said: We'd need to see a photo, Zac. The saya can be seen in the first picture I uploaded. Let me know if there is an issue with the photograph and I will upload it again. Quote
Kiipu Posted October 25, 2022 Report Posted October 25, 2022 Zac, this particular variant, the interim Type 100/98, was only made in two series, the 44th ヒ and 45th モ series. It consists of a Type 100 blade fitted out as a Type 98. It is an army contract blade that was made in Dairen, Kwantung Leased Territory, that was then sent to Tōkyō, Japan, to be finished. Your sword is the last one known to have used the 南 inspection mark and also the last one to be finished in Japan. After this, they switched to the 連 inspection mark and were finished in Manchuria. Thanks for sharing your sword and may many more come your way. 2 1 Quote
Itomagoi Posted October 31, 2022 Report Posted October 31, 2022 I hope it fits the topic. This Tanto is from 1936 made by Hisakatsu. Takeshima Hisakatsu was from 1938 on of the smiths who directed the production of koa isshin blades. The nakago mune of this Tanto is round and has a diagonal stroke like the koa isshin mantetsu swords. I find this very interesting. 1 1 Quote
ZedKopp Posted October 31, 2022 Report Posted October 31, 2022 On 10/26/2022 at 1:48 AM, BANGBANGSAN said: Hey Zac Can you show the other side of Kabutogane? There should be some shop mark on it. The side you are showing has 東 Tokyo First arsenal's mark. Thanks! There are no markings on the other side as far as I can see. Quote
ZedKopp Posted October 31, 2022 Report Posted October 31, 2022 On 10/26/2022 at 10:25 AM, Kiipu said: Zac, this particular variant, the interim Type 100/98, was only made in two series, the 44th ヒ and 45th モ series. It consists of a Type 100 blade fitted out as a Type 98. It is an army contract blade that was made in Dairen, Kwantung Leased Territory, that was then sent to Tōkyō, Japan, to be finished. Your sword is the last one known to have used the 南 inspection mark and also the last one to be finished in Japan. After this, they switched to the 連 inspection mark and were finished in Manchuria. Thanks for sharing your sword and may many more come your way. Thanks very much for the further info, mate! Much appreciated. Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted October 31, 2022 Author Report Posted October 31, 2022 2 hours ago, Itomagoi said: The nakago mune of this Tanto is round and has a diagonal stroke like the koa isshin mantetsu swords. I find this very interesting. Yes Peter, quite interesting! I'll bet he should be given credit for adding that feature to Mantetsu blades, now that we see this. I could add this tanto to the Mantetsu Article, under the small section about him, with the proposed idea. What does everyone think? But it would be noted as unsubstantiated theory. I checked the files for when the curved mune showed up on Mantetsu. Initially, it was flat, and remained flat on all blades with English letter serial numbers (also these blades just have the SMR logo). When the Koa Isshin logo appars in '39, the mune look mostly flat, but the edges are being rounded. Then in 1940, it looks like the fully rounded mune become standard. Quote
Itomagoi Posted October 31, 2022 Report Posted October 31, 2022 This is just an idea. But maybe the round mune with diagonal stroke is a trademark of Hisakatsu and when Wakabayashi Shigetsugu left the production, Hisakatsu could make better his influence on the Koa Isshin sword. 1 Quote
John C Posted November 7, 2022 Report Posted November 7, 2022 Bruce: If you are still collecting Mantetsu serial numbers, I have 3 more for you: 1. RA 766, Spring 1944 2. YA 710, Autumn 1942 3. Unk 125? (see pic), Winter 1939 John C Quote
Kiipu Posted November 7, 2022 Report Posted November 7, 2022 ホ一二五 = HO-125. Can you post a picture of the RA 766 as they should be dated 1942. Quote
John C Posted November 7, 2022 Report Posted November 7, 2022 I don't have a picture of the actual blade. I was researching auction sites for serial numbers. I do have a pic of the information sheet listed with the auction. John C. 1 Quote
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