WWII Officers Sword? Need help identifying

[fatruff3]

Hello, I recently picked this up from a gunshow for $150. I don't know a lot about WWII Japanese swords but I was fairly certain this one was real and it would be nice for my collection. I am wondering if you can tell more about it. I can not seem to figure out how to read the tang correctly. If you need more pictures let me know. There is no hilt or handle just the sword/tang and the scabbard.

 

Thank you for your help!

[Bruce Pennington]

金道 (Kinmichi) - Feb 1944

 

Type 98 Japanese officer sword (gunto).  I don't see anything on him in the Nihontoindex, but he's listed on the Japaneseswordindex.com.  A Seki area smith.  Can I get a clear photo of that small mark above the date (the side with the most kanji characters)?  It's likely the small Seki Stamp of the Nagoya Army Arsenal Inspectors.  Also, there is a mark near the end of the nakago (tang).  If it's a number or kanji, I'd love to see a clear shot of that too!

[Bruce Pennington]

Oh, and BTW -- You got a STEAL at that price!  It will cost a little to re-fit the gunto if you want to finish it out, but a Type 98 gunto, intact, is going for over $1,400 USD.  I do have a good tsuba (handle), laying about.  If you want it, give me a PM and we can work out getting it to you for minimal cost.  You'll still need to find the tsuba/seppa set (handguard and spacers).

[PNSSHOGUN]

Listed as a Seki Kaji Tosho: 金道 (Kinmichi) 日比野 一二

 

[fatruff3]

Is this the arsenal mark you are talking about. I am not sure what the other mark is at the end of the tang - I did not see one on there. Also thank you for the information and I would love to get the handle for it. I plan on keeping it for my collection so getting it completed would be nice.

 

Thank you

[Bruce Pennington]

That's perfect Logan, thanks!  It's the "Na" stamp of the Nagoya Army Arsenal.  For bragging rights, you have 1 of the 2 last blades I have recorded with the Na stamp.  The arsenal went to Gifu and small Seki stamps that year and in '45.

STAMP SURVEY

Stamp	1935	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	No Date
Showa	1	1	1	4	20	14	1			1	134
Seki, large 5mm		1**			3	9	45	3	3		112
Na						3	4	43	7		1
Seki, small, 3mm								8	14	7
Gifu Total								2	15	33	2

 

1944, Jan	Kanemune	Sergey2010,Guns.ru
1944, Jan	Kanenori	NGF collection, RS fittings
1944, Jan	Katsumasa	Petercollector, NMB
1944, Jan	Masayuki	Kasper, Warrelics
1944, Jan	Sukenobu, Star, Na	Cox/Toki, F & G
1944, Feb	Kinmichi	Fatruff3, NMB
1944, Feb	Mitsunobu, Star, Na	Hastur, NMB

[ChrisW]

Is this Hibini Kinmichi? Because if so, I have a gunto by him as well.

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 12/10/2021 at 8:04 AM, ChrisW said:

I have a gunto by him as well.

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He's the only one I know of (although I'm not knowledgeable on smiths in the least).  Do I have pics of yours?

[ChrisW]

  On 12/10/2021 at 1:22 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

He's the only one I know of (although I'm not knowledgeable on smiths in the least).  Do I have pics of yours?

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No, I don't believe you do, but there's no numbers on it. Just a Seki stamp. Here's the signature (with a blurry Seki stamp):
 

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 12/10/2021 at 7:38 PM, ChrisW said:

Here's the signature (with a blurry Seki stamp)

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Thanks Chris!  I assume no date on the other side?

[Bruce Pennington]

These two Kinmichi support my theory that the undated blades are often made before 1942/3.  The large Seki stamps were mostly replaced in 1943 with the Na stamp, and the dating of blades increased from 1942 onward.

[ChrisW]

Correct, no date.

[mecox]

Bruce and Chris, this is  Kinmichi  金道     real name Hibino Ichiji   日比野　一二    born Taisho 6 (1917)  May 6, and appears to have died in 1945.      He was from Oyama, Tomida, Kamo-gun, Gifu (5-6 km to east of Seki and registered as a Seki smith Showa 17 (1942) Sept 10.   He does not look to have trained in the traditional way in Seki schools and likely transferred from another job (e.g. blacksmith)to swordsmith.  

 

[ChrisW]

  On 12/11/2021 at 9:32 AM, mecox said:

Bruce and Chris, this is  Kinmichi  金道     real name Hibino Ichiji   日比野　一二    born Taisho 6 (1917)  May 6, and appears to have died in 1945.      He was from Oyama, Tomida, Kamo-gun, Gifu (5-6 km to east of Seki and registered as a Seki smith Showa 17 (1942) Sept 10.   He does not look to have trained in the traditional way in Seki schools and likely transferred from another job (e.g. blacksmith)to swordsmith.  

 

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Thanks for the additional info! I had no real info on him other than knowing he was a showato smith.