Stamp ID

[Laurak]

Hi this is a sword my father got in WW2 in Japan. He is 93 and anxious to learn about it before he is gone (depressing sorry). I've scoured the internet and learn a little, then get stuck. I think it's authentic ????‍♀️.

Can anyone lend me a hand? And how do I upload a picture????

[Bugyotsuji]

Click bottom right on more reply options, then on next page hit choose file and attach file bottom left. Good luck. 

[Bruce Pennington]

You can click the “Edit” in the bottom right of you post, the click “more reply option”. Scroll down and you’ll see picture upload.

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah, yes, the edit route, what the man says! 

[Laurak]

Great it's too big. Any advice on editing an edit?

 

ADDENDUM.....I FIGURED IT OUT!

[Ganko]

Signature is "Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kunisada". Pretty well thought of swordsmith, high probability of false signature.

[Laurak]

What are the ways I can tell if it is false? Information on the web is quite confusing and not well organized, at least for my mind.

[Bugyotsuji]

The signature is upside down! There were others, so make sure you get the right kanji for Kunisada. 國貞/国貞

[Laurak]

I'm being told it's upside down but I literally know nothing of these items. It's a learn on the fly thing. Gunto's for dummies.

So any and all basic information is needed and appreciated.

[Geraint]

Dear Laura.

 

If this sword is in Shingunto mounts then it is an older blade remounted for use in WWII.  This was done for a number of reasons but it makes the sword interesting because this is a traditionally crafted blade rather than a so called mass produced blade.  We would love some more picture and dimensions, particularly the length from the tip to the notch in the back of the blade which will confirm whether it is a katana or a wakizashi.  

 

If you Google the signature you will find many examples by this smith but as Tom suggested, with such a well known name the chances of it being gimei, a fake signature, are quite high.  This does not mean that the sword is a fake.

 

More photos please.  And on a personal note, much more than the sword see if your grandfather will tell you about how he got the sword and any other memories you can get him to share.  

 

All the best.

[Ian B3HR2UH]

Laurak these signatures are a bit like yours . If you sign your name twenty times and I try to copy it the chances are that my copy of your signature will stand out amongst the twenty one examples as being the one that is faked . Applying this to Japanese swords you need to find authentic examples of Kunisada's signature in books and compare them to that on your dads sword . Like Tom I doubt that this is a genuine Kunisada . Ie there are plenty of Kunisada's with fake signatures around. Yours is no doubt a genuine old sword that has had a fake signature put on it years ago to increase its value. Just like putting a famous artists name on a painting to increase its value.

Ian Brooks

[Bruce Pennington]

Wow, there's a whole web-page on this smith's mei: http://www.nihontocraft.com/Izumi_no_Kami_Kunisada_mei.html

 

You could go there and compare the various examples with yours to see what you think.

 

Like the other guys pointed out, even if it is gimei, it is still a very old Japanese sword. There is a story of a Shogun who was given a sword as a gift, and it had a gimei signature, but everyone knew it, and he accepted the gift for the value of the sword.

 

Here is a couple of mei from that site, with yours to compare:

 

To my VERY untrained eye, I see some strokes missing on at least 3 of the kanji on your blade.

 

We would still very much like to see pictures of the whole blade with close-ups of the blade tip and a selection of mid-blade (for details in the metal).

[Laurak]

Ok everyone, I've taken more picture of this mystery sword!

[Laurak]

My father did tell me he purchased the sword in 1945 from a street vendor in Zama, Japan. He was there with the army at the time.

[Bruce Pennington]

Ok, this is getting interestinger and interestinger!

 

Navy fittings (missing 1 belt hanger 'ashi') on an army metal saya (scabbard), with civil tsuba (handguard), non-navy colored ito (handle wrap), and army menugi (3 blossom device on either side of the handle under the wrap).

 

I can't recite the timeline on sword confiscation at war's end, and then when they allowed people to keep them again, but this has that "demiliterized" look that the Army PX souvenir sword had (not the same rig at all, just similar mix of army/navy parts). All the parts on yours look like legitimate war sword parts, but they have been mixed - army/navy/civil - most likely to get around the prohibition of selling war weapons.

 

I like the blade!

[Laurak]

Great I have frankensword. What's your idea of age?

 

Can you tell me where I can find more information on the parts you speak of?

[Bruce Pennington]

Laura,

 

The other guys will have to help you with the age, but it looks pretty old to me.

 

You can get a great understanding of the parts at Ohmura's website: http://ohmura-study.net/905.html

That page breaks down the parts and gives exquisite pictures of them all.

 

At the index page, you can see all the areas his covers, each with fabulous pictures: http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

 

Frankensword - ha! yes, but quite unique, as your story means it was put together at the end of the war, in Japan. The occupation time at the end of the war is a very important time in history. I consider even the souvenir swords of that phase, important pieces that help record the story of Japan.