Kai-Gunto, unfamiliar/ unexpected upon disassembly.please help with identification

[Forte]

[Bruce Pennington]

Hi Richard!

The painted kanji are numbers "96" which often matched stamped numbers on the metal fittings.  They were used to keep all the custom fitted parts together during polish and assembly.

 

Someone will help with the smith's name.  I've righted the photo to make it easier to read.

 

My guess is 俊治 (Toshiharu)

http://japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/toshharu.jpg

[Forte]

  On 1/8/2022 at 5:25 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Hi Richard!

The painted kanji are numbers "96" which often matched stamped numbers on the metal fittings.  They were used to keep all the custom fitted parts together during polish and assembly.

 

Someone will help with the smith's name.  I've righted the photo to make it easier to read.

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[SteveM]

Yes, Bruce is right.

森俊治作

Mori Toshiharu-saku

 

 

[Forte]

Thank you. 

I was expecting the Toyokawa arsenal / anchor stamp / Tenshozan Forge.

A fun, interesting surprise.

 

[Forte]

[drb 1643]

  On 1/8/2022 at 5:25 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

My guess is 俊治 (Toshiharu)

http://japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/toshharu.jpg

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Bruce you are getting really good at translating!

Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 1/8/2022 at 5:56 AM, Forte said:

Thank you. 

I was expecting the Toyokawa arsenal / anchor stamp / Tenshozan Forge.

A fun, interesting surprise.

 

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Yes, the kaigunto seem to have a slight majority of their blades with Toyokawa, but there are quite a few with blades from everywhere else.  We recently discovered one with a Mantetsu blade in it! 

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 1/8/2022 at 11:49 AM, drb 1643 said:

Bruce you are getting really good at translating!

Tom

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Well, I wouldn't say "really good"!  After 7 years of seeing these on the forum, I'm starting to recognize some of them, at least enough to find them on Japaneseswordindex!

[Forte]

Thank you again, much knowledge.

i see his name on the compilations of Smith’s. Possibly from Seki? 

I have taken over 100 photos as each part is interesting. 

Wondering now on why the latch on this one? Four indents also. Corresponding photos 

[Forte]

[Bruce Pennington]

Some kaigunto were fitted with latches, but most do not use them.  We recently learned there were 1,000-1,200 active sword shops - both sword shops and antique stores - so as you can imagine, there was a bit of variation in fittings and styles.

 

The indentions are an unknown as well.  I've never seen them done this way.  Normally they will be a chisled line or hash mark.  It could be anything from a smith tracking his quota, to a fitting shop mark, to a polisher's mark.  Completely unknown though.  Sometimes the fittings have numbers that match the hash marks, but like yours, with a painted number, the reason doesn't seem to have a fitting shop purpose.