Help identifying a WWII-era sword

[ELK]

Hello,

 

I came across this forum while looking for information on Japanese swords, having recently been gifted what I understand to be a WWII-era sword. I have very little information about it beyond a few pictures (and I am not actually in posession of it yet), so I was hoping that the members here might be able to offer some help figuring out who made it. There is a signature, which I'm fairly certain says "Seki ju Fujiwara Kane-?? saku", but that one last kanji has me completely stumped. There is also a stamp just below the habaki (Showa?). A picture of the nakago is attached here, along with a couple more images of the blade that that were sent to me.

 

I thank you for any help you can provide.

 

Kind regards,

Etienne

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Improved the pics a bit.  Just got to my computer, and you are right about it being a Showa stamp.  When you get the sword, check the other side for a date, if there is one.  I'd appreciate it.

[Bruce Pennington]

I think it's "Kanenao"

see this:

[ELK]

Thank you for the response, Bruce, very much appreciated. I don't think there is anything written on the other side, but I can already ask to get that confirmed. I will get back to you.

 

Just out of curiosity, would there be any particular reason to sign Fujiwara Kanenao instead of Ishihara Kanenao, or does that matter at all?

[SteveM]

Fujiwara is a name that has historical, aristrocratic connotations, and so people of importance often claim descendency from the Fujiwara clan.

It is very common on swords, but even historical figures, like IeyasuTokugawa, claimed connections to the Fujiwara clan as it gave authority and legitimacy to their administration.  

 

It doesn't add or detract from the sword. In this case, its just way of signing a name. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_clan

[ELK]

Thank you Steve, good to know. I guess I was hoping that might say something, like roughly when the sword was made - especially since I have now confirmed that there is no additional writing on the other side of the nakago.

[ELK]

Hello again,

 

If I could ask your help once more, my brother was also gifted a sword at the same time I was - would you be able to help with this one as well? It has what looks like a Seki stamp on the nakago.

 

Thanks,

Etienne

 

 

 

[ELK]

Would the signature above be "Hiromitsu"?

[Bruce Pennington]

Hopefully a someone will get this for you, but I'm leaning toward

敏光 (Toshimitsu)

 

The mei style is different, but seems to be the same name.  During the war, there were often more than one guy using the same name.

[dwmc]

Perhaps "Noshu ju Toshmitsu Kitau kore."

 

Dave M.

[BANGBANGSAN]

4 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Hopefully a someone will get this for you, but I'm leaning toward

敏光 (Toshimitsu)

 

The mei style is different, but seems to be the same name.  During the war, there were often more than one guy using the same name.

 Bruce

It's 備前國赤崎住俊光作（今泉俊光）not 敏光

[Bruce Pennington]

15 minutes ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

備前國赤崎住俊光作

I thought about that, but the Japanese sword index.com spells it with 敏光 (Toshimitsu) So it didn’t look right.

[BANGBANGSAN]

On 12/28/2020 at 9:11 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

I think it's "Kanenao"

see this:

Bruce

His sword made by 藤原兼直(Fujiwara Kanenao) instead of 石原兼直(Ishihara Kanenao)

[BANGBANGSAN]

9 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I thought about that, but the Japanese sword index.com spells it with 敏光 (Toshimitsu) So it didn’t look right.

Yes, it's a little confusing, Both 俊光and敏光 pronouncing Toshimitsu.

[BANGBANGSAN]

On 1/2/2021 at 8:35 AM, ELK said:

Hello again,

 

If I could ask your help once more, my brother was also gifted a sword at the same time I was - would you be able to help with this one as well? It has what looks like a Seki stamp on the nakago.

 

Thanks,

Etienne

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like 濃州住良光鍛之

[Bruce Pennington]

Ha ha! Do you have now gone through all three choices that I was considering too!

[ELK]

Thank you Bruce, Dave and Trystan. I really appreciate your help. Just to be clear, though, we are still talking about a "Toshimitsu", right?

[Bruce Pennington]

No, that last option isn't "toshi".  Time to bring this over to the "Translation Assistance" forum and get some more eyes on it.

[ELK]

OK, saw that you've done so. Thanks.

[Bruce Pennington]

19 hours ago, ELK said:

OK, saw that you've done so. Thanks.

Only one response, but he agrees with "yoshi"

[ELK]

Alright, sounds good. Thanks again, Bruce.

[ELK]

On 12/28/2020 at 2:04 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Improved the pics a bit.  Just got to my computer, and you are right about it being a Showa stamp.  When you get the sword, check the other side for a date, if there is one.  I'd appreciate it.

 

 

Hello,

 

With apologies for the delay updating this, I now have the Kanenao sword in hand, so I have been able to take some new pictures of it. It now looks to me like there is some very faint writing on the opposite side of the nakago, and possibly also something just below the signature itself:

 

[SteveM]

I don't see anything under the signature. 

The reverse side has painted markings on it - we usually call them assembly numbers, probably used to help match the sword with its intended furnishings. In this sword it looks like it says 白八 (white 8).

[ELK]

OK, good to know, thanks!

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks for the added photos Etienne!  I noticed your dating question from back in Dec of 2020, sorry no one tried to answer yet, but both blades were made during the war.  As they are not dated, it's really not possible to pin them down to a specific year.  The Kanenao, with a Showa stamp COULD be in the 1940 plus/minus range.  Most dated blades with the Showa stamp, in my survey, are 1940/41.  I'll post my chart below.  The problem lies in that out of the 176 Showa-stamped blades I have on file, only 42 of them are dated!  So, when were the non-dated blades made?  No one can say for sure.  You'll find the same issue on old Nihonto.  There are far more undated blades than dated. 

 

The mostly likely year for the Yoshimitsu blade would be 1942.

 

STAMP SURVEY

Stamp	1935	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	No Date
Showa	1	1	1	4	20	13	1			1	130
Seki, large 5mm		1**			3	9	43	3	3		108
Na						3	3	43	5		1
Seki, small, 3mm								8	14	7
Gifu Total								2	15	32	2
Gifu								2	5	17	2
Se & Gi									7	9
Fuller Gifu*									5	6	See note
Saka 阪								1	5		8
Kokura											4 (Kyu)
KO	1						2	2	1
江(E) Kokura										1
熊Kuma Kokura											1
Nan								1
Tan							1				4
TO											4(zoheito) 1
Yama								1
ヘHE											1
Matsu#							6	9
オ									1
タ#								2	3
マ								1			1
ク									2
?										1
イ								1			1
フ							1##				1 +
ア											2
ホ								2
Toyokawa Anchor								1			21
Tenzoshan Anchor				1	1		4	4			5

[ELK]

Wow, thanks, couldn't have asked for a better answer!