ID Help

[TKD_Trav]

Hello Everyone,

 

I received this sword as a present many years ago. It’s in very poor condition but it’s still very beautiful. I’ve seen other brass swords like this identified as NCO Swords but I’ve not seen any with such ornate sayas. The sheath says “ten’no” or “Emporer.” The other side says, “Showa 15;” so 1940 if I’m not mistaken. The blade is stamped with “Ten’no” and “serial number 46127” on one side and “Sato Kotaro” and “Showa 15” on the other. Lastly, the tsuba is in the shape of a crane. If anyone is familiar with this particular style of this sword I would greatly appreciate any additional information you can give me.

 

It’s also occurred to me that I could have a fake. This was picked up in Beijing, China.

 

(ps, sorry for the low resolution photos. I lost the original pictures I took and these are the only ones I have on hand. I can, perhaps, take some new pictures if they would help)

[16k]

Hi,

 

Your pics are too small to pass any judgement, but inscriptions like this are usually found on fake swords, so  please post better pictures but be ready for a disappointment.

[vajo]

Etched blade with Kanji - red flag! Sorry it is a chinese replica.

[TKD_Trav]

Added some higher res pics particularly of the kanji.

[16k]

Sorry, man, it’s as fake as they come. Definitely Chinese.

[TKD_Trav]

Ha! I figured! It was a long shot. Thanks for the input

[Brian]

Textbook Chinese fake.

[Bruce Pennington]

This particular faker-maker uses the exact same pattern. Here is another one with the same design and number. The script on the other sides seems to differ though.

 

[TKD_Trav]

Even the same serial number X’D

[Bruce Pennington]

After comparing the 2, the side with, what I thought was different script - they simply flipped 2 lines. One is the date you mentioned Showa 15 (same on both), and the other is something else, but the same "something" on both blades. He's added 2 "flower" stamps to your example too. Must but a highly coveted "upgrade" to the 1941 model! Ha!

 

Even this example, a waki, from Turner's page (http://jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html)

 

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

Chinese fake

[Kanjian]

Sorry for the resurrection of a old post.  I’ve had this blade for about 15 years and just recently decided to look into it.

 

they are definitely fake after my research, but its just funny how the same serial number is on multiple “versions” of this blade

[Bruce Pennington]

5 hours ago, Kanjian said:

same serial number is on multiple “versions” of this blade

Right!  Must be simpler or reduces cost in making the forms or molds they make these with.

[Kiipu]

It's all Chinese to me!

天皇 = Tennō = Emperor.

昭和十五年 = 1940.

佐藤小太郎 = Satō Kotarō.

I am told by an anonymous source named "ecurb" that this is a pseudonym used by @BANGBANGSAN in his misspent youth.

[Brian]

If there was such a thing as fake, very fake and extremely fake, this would be extreme
It's textbook on what you don't want to see on a Japanese sword.

[BANGBANGSAN]

11 hours ago, Kiipu said:

It's all Chinese to me!

天皇 = Tennō = Emperor.

昭和十五年 = 1940.

佐藤小太郎 = Satō Kotarō.

I am told by an anonymous source named "ecurb" that this is a used by @BANGBANGSAN in his misspent youth.

Well,Mr ecurb is wrong, my nom de plume is "棒棒君“

[Bruce Pennington]

33 minutes ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

"棒棒君

You'll have to give us the background story on that some day!

[Kiipu]

My goodness, he speaks French too!  Well in that case, it is all French to me!

Chinese: 棒棒君 = BÀNG BÀNG JŪN = Master Bang Bang.

(君 Japanese suffix for a boy's name & Master as in referring to a young boy in English)

 

For those born after circa 1980, it may come as a surprise that my mother would address letters to me with the prefix Master followed by my name!

 

Edit:  Now that I think about it, all correspondence used a prefix such as master, miss (Ms.), mister (Mr.), misses (Mrs.).  Every household would have a copy of Emily Post's or Amy Venderbilt's books about etiquette and the rest can be found within these books.

Emily Post

Amy Vanderbilt