Seeking Translation Ww2 Officer Sword. Rare Shorthand Written Signature & Province?

[MrsRankin]

I am seeking the translation of the engravings on a WW2 handmade Officer sword with leather scabbard.

Engraving is poorly written, seemingly in shorthand. A specialist tried to translate but it had him baffled.

 

Very eager to find out the story behind this sword if anybody is willing to assist.

[kyushukairu]

The mei reads 'made by Sanjo Kokaji Munechika' (三條小鍛冶宗近)

[MrsRankin]

Thankyou so much! I greatly appreciate your help. I will post more photos of the sword if anyone is interested to see

[MrsRankin]

I would love to hear opinions on this sword if anybody has any. Thankyou in advance for taking the time out to help me unravel the story behind this sword.

I know that every minute in our lives is precious & appreciate anybody using up any of their time helping me solve my mystery.

[ROKUJURO]

Mrs. Rankin,

welcome to the NMB! We have a wealth of information to read about swords here on the forums, so you will find many similar posts with similar answers.

Your sword is probably not a mystery. The mounts are WWII military, but the blade is perhaps older. Detailed photos might reveal that. Try to show the blade to one of our experts in Australia, who will give you good advice about how to care for the blade and preserve the value. 

The signature is probably not by the 'original' MUNECHIKA (https://japaneseswordlegends.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/the-kogitsune-maru/). Looking for information in the internet, you may even find the name being used by a modern kitchen knife maker.

Please sign all posts with your first name plus an initial as is requested here.

[16k]

Hi Mrs Rankin,

 

Please, take pictures of the temper line and forge pattern of the sword. Also, a picture of the entire blade would help date it. But as Jean said, I highly doubt the sig’ature Is genuine. Sanjo Munechika is a big name, a swordsmith of the tenth century and the tang of your sword (but it might be the picture) looks much too recent for that.

I’m not an expert, but I think that he mostly signed Sanjo and rarely Munechika. Besides, the little I can make out of the temper line on your sword doesn’t seem to match either.

[MrsRankin]

Thankyou for your comment and here are some more photos. I will post some soon aswell. Also, the first photos I posted were taken outside under the sun and with a flash aswell because the translator I asked previously could not read it in normal light with how old it looks

[Grey Doffin]

There is nothing about this sword that is even remotely relatable to Sanjo Munechika.  Munechika worked about 1,000 years ago and is known as a great master.  This sword was signed (if not made) during or after WWII, most likely after the war, to make it appeal to members of the Occupation force who wanted to take home a sword as a souvenir.  The blade could have been made earlier but best guess is not much earlier.

Grey

[vajo]

There was a munechika signed smith in the seki kaji tosho

 

宗近 (Munechika) 福地 鋭雄

 

I think your sword is a real Type 98 officers sword from Seki produced during the ww.

[16k]

Hamon is definitely not Munechika. I agree with Chris and Grey: WW2 sword here.

[MrsRankin]

Thankyou everyone for your comments, I appreciate your time. So as it seems, this sword is a type 98 Sword made for an officer in the Ww2 but using an older blade.and somebody seems to have signed it falsely to make a more pleasing gift to the American officials. Do I have this correct so far?

[vajo]

Hmm, i dont think so.

Could you sent pictures from the whole shape without habaki and details from the hamon (the hardening pattern)?

[DanielGJ]

Hello everyone, I have not written here for a while but if I was aware of the forum, this topic interests me because I was following an auction that I found interesting because the sword was in the EU and so there were no tariff problems, but I was inquiring about the MEI and according to an MEI search engine of nihonto the Mei did not exist therefore it was a GIMEI sword, thanks to Forums like this one can be learning, a greeting Daniel.