-Interesting Find

[luisboni]

Hi, I received this response by Mr. Moriyama regarding the translation of the inscription on my nakago:

 

 

"應船岡氏需兼廣勤作 – responding the order from Mr. Funaoka, Kanehiro respectfully made.

 

紀元二千六百一年 – The 2601^st year of Imperial reign (=1941)"

 

 

Additionally, Mr. Jean C. added:

 

"it appears that this might be a special sword. Unlike others with a SHOWA arsenal stamp, it could indeed be handmade, and is very probably one of a kind. KANEHIRO was probably a smith in MINO province.
 

You have to get into contact with the specialists of this kind of late military swords. Please show your pictures in the NMB military section, and I am sure they will give you their educated comments".  

 

 

 

This is very interesting. Is this kind of dedication in a nakago common? Is this a one of a kind Item traditionally forged  or the first of a batch ordered by Mr. Funaoka?  I would love to have any input you guys might have on this sword. Here I attach some pictures for your analysis and comments…

 

-Luis

[Stephen]

My take is its showato. Not just because of stamp but hamon as well.

[16k]

Hard to see and be certain from the pictures, but I concur with Stephen. The Hamon looks like your typical Seki Showato. But better people than me will certainly chime in!

[PNSSHOGUN]

At best it would be semi traditionally made.

[Bruce Pennington]

I agree with John, looks to be “handmade”, but there was something done that makes it non-traditional, like maybe a different steel was used or it was oil quenched. The Showa stamp is 99% indication that it was not made in the fully traditional way. Still a very nice blade in upgraded fittings.

 

About dedications- they are not the norm, but there are plenty to be found on the market.

 

All in all a very nice gunto!

[luisboni]

Thanks for the Input Bruce. I do wonder : who was authorized in the military to place sword orders in the different forges (e.g. only officers)?  Was Mr.Funaoka an officer?  Interesting ...   

[PNSSHOGUN]

Yes, it would've been the officer who requested the sword, probably to match his requirements related to his sword school.

[Dave R]

 Anyone who could pay for a sword could order one, certainly up to the time when production could no longer keep pace with Military demand. This is why you get Showato in Civilian Koshirae. 

 We tend to be prejudiced in favour of traditional blades here, but I do wonder if the attitude was different when buying a blade your life would depend on. Amahide was a traditionally trained swordsmith, but concentrated on his factory produced blades. There was also another smith who worked mainly in "modern" steel, and if I remember right he made them as "spring-to", and the bulk of his swords were bought by Officers in the Imperial Guard. The swords were renowned as good cutters, and that was what was important.

 

 Worth having a good peruse of this site for more on the subject... Military Swords of Imperial Japan (Guntō)

[vajo]

All the type 98 showa-to are handmade. I think your sword is traditional forged maybe not with tamahagene. Maybe it is oil hardned. The showa stamp is not a sign of bad quality overall. Its a sign that the sword was not made full traditional.

The hamon looks mino to me, not like the seki saw.

 

 

A good and honest piece.

[IJASWORDS]

Dave , are you saying that during war time civilians were buying new swords for personal non-military use? I have a showa-to in civilian mounts of the period WITH a leather saya "combat" cover, I always thought that they were an an option for officers. 

I am not questioning your hypothesis , but have not heard it before . 

[PNSSHOGUN]

There are certainly enough Showa-To in period civilian mounts to give it plausibility. Whether they were for personal use or military contracted civilians who knows? Considering since the introduction of the Type 94 there were constant shortages of suitable swords you would imagine they would all be for the war effort.

[Dave R]

 Apparently there was a bit of a revival (or survival) of sword arts in the early Showa era, and where there is a demand there is a supplier. All part of the Nationalist zeitgeist and reverence for the Samurai era. If a Nihonto was too expensive, (or too battered) then you got a nice blade that looked OK and did the job, and that's  where you get these Buke-zukuri showato from.... Then when the war erupts and you get your movement orders on goes the field cover and off you go.

 

 Well that's my interpretation of some of these oddities that turn up with nice but non traditional blades imitation Edo mounts, and dates before the Wars really got going. I have pics of some very varied swords with hybrid mounts, and pretty but non traditional Hada, eg Amahide mixed metal specials and etc.   Some discussed with a fair bit of heat on this very site.

 

 As for military contracted civilians, "Gunzoku",  Mr Komina is very certain that they were as tightly regulated as IJA personnel, though I will say myself that surviving swords indicate a lot more leeway than he is happy to accept. Then again, he says himself that he is not a "sword man"!

[David Flynn]

I was led to believe that, the civilian mounted Showa to,  were for Public servents serving in occupied areas.

[TangYi]

So do I understand that gendaito in Guntō mount would still be traditionally made but Showa to not?

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Tang, yes Gendaito, as we call them, are traditionally made. Showa-To designate non-traditional swords. Showa-To range from 98% traditionally made swords with one or a few non-traditional aspects of forging (oil quenching, non tamahagane steel etc) to sword shaped mill steel that is through hardened. The two terms roughly mean "new sword" and "Showa era made sword".

[TangYi]

Thanks a lot

[luisboni]

Is it common for a 98 Gunto saya to be also be covered in leather even if the sword already has a chuso mechanism ? 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Yes quite common on the earlier swords, alot of them have since rotted off from the tropical climate and age like we see on your sword.

[luisboni]

Thanks.

[Rich S]

My Ishido Teruhide (traditionally made) was found in original civilian mounts. I agree it was part of the zeitgeist of the war era.

Rich

[luisboni]

Is this the family seal? (Pic 1); Also I noticed that the mekugi is in brass (Pic 2), is this common ?

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Luis,

 

I have never seen either of those before. My suspicion is that the brass mekugi is post-war made, though, it does seem to have some age to it. There is really no way to know, only speculation. The cherry blossom isn't a family mon. I was going to say I'd never seen that done before, too, but on the "Mons" thread here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29606-help-identity-our-mons/page-3, is one just like yours WITH a mon.

 

 

Anyone else able to enlighten us on this practice? Neil?

[luisboni]

Thanks for the info Bruce 

[PNSSHOGUN]

It's the standard blossom cast into virtually all Gunto kabutogane, the definition seems to differ between makers and whether early or later production. Type 94 or early Type 98 should have very crisp and defined blossoms, also use flattens and wears them down. Was interesting looking at my swords to see how all the blossoms are slightly different, something you never really pay much attention to. Pictured are three early swords, you can see on the third one how it's been worn down from heavy use.

[Bruce Pennington]

Well, how do you like that! It's a detail I've never noticed before! Ohmura's has it there, as does my Mantetsu and my chromed gunto.

 

[luisboni]

Pretty cool find! It's amazing how more info and history continues to become available 

[Alan Morton]

I read a comment some years ago by Chris Bowen that civilian mounted showa to and civilian mounted gendaito were for Iato practise at this time, maybe someone could question him about this as he knows far more about this era than he says.