Translation of the Nakago

[Michael 67]

Hello members, can someone please help me with the translation.  
October 1944?  

 

Thanks

 

Michael

 

 

[SteveM]

Top picture

昭和十九年十月日　Showa 19, October

 

Bottom picture

東神正晴作　Tōshin Masaharu saku (swordsmith's name)

[Tom Darling]

Michael,  you have a very nice sword,  in aluminum scabbard late war? Which is perfect.  Peace.

 

 

Tom D.

[Michael 67]

Thank you Steve,

it's great that you are always helping.

 

Tom, the scabbard is wood.

 

Michael 

[Bruce Pennington]

Michael,

 

Double release buttons - 1 on tsuka and 1 on saya?

 

Also, does your nakago have stamped numbers at the end?  If so, do they match any numbers on the other metal fittings?  How about small stamps on the back edge of the nakago?

 

Thanks!

[Michael 67]

Bruce, thank you, without your question, I would not have seen the tiny number on the Nakago mune.  Here are more pictures. I am grateful for more information.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Michael, the fittings are exactly what we would expect for a star-stamped RJT blade.  The painted-canvas same' is often seen in the late-war Rinji.  I don't know if it is due to lack of rayskin or if it was considered more hardy for combat befitting the purpose of the whole Rinji seishiki model design.

 

Many, but not all, of the RJT blades had stamped numbers.  Again, another mystery, as some match numbers on the metal fittings, where others don't.  Your open heart stamp on the seppa is only the second one I've seen!  It must be a koshirae shop logo, but as of yet, an Unknown.  Thanks for the pictures!

[vajo]

That burlap same was dipped in wachs and is typical for nagamitsu gendaito. I think it was made for a better grip to fix the ito and higher water resistance.

 

Very nice sword Michael.

[Bruce Pennington]

I couldn't find a "Masaharu" anywhere, including on the RJT smith list, but interestingly, I found a reference that said Nobufusa, who was on the RJT list, sometimes signed as "Masaharu".

 

 

 

But the kanji are different that the ones Steve shows.  Could these be the same guy?

[SteveM]

I think this smith is Ittōsai Masakiyo (一刀斎正清) whose real name was Kobayashi Kiyoharu (小林清晴).

 

In Shōwa 17 he entered the Nihontō Tōshin Seiren-jo (日本刀東神精錬所).

My guess is that he used the name Masaharu during this time, but later changed to Masakiyo. 

 

 

https://tokka.biz/sword/masakiyo.html

 

[Bruce Pennington]

I think you solved it Steve!  There is a Kobayashi Masakiyo listed in the RJT page.

 

Thanks!

[tbonesullivan]

On 9/25/2020 at 11:43 AM, vajo said:

That burlap same was dipped in wachs and is typical for nagamitsu gendaito. I think it was made for a better grip to fix the ito and higher water resistance.

 

Very nice sword Michael.

 

I have seen these RJT fitted Swords referred to as Nagamitsu swords before. Is that just the style of the mountings? I currently have two, one with Stingray Sa-me and one with the waxed burlap.