north china railway winged wheel stamp

[loiner1965]

never noticed this on my katana by fukomoto kanemune before as it was so minute to see but its here at the bottom of the tang.........seen the previous thread about the so called rarity but anyone know why they are rare

[loiner1965]

just for arguments sake if it wasnt the railway stamp then what could it be...the showa stamp is a hit and miss attempt and this stamp is in the right position and is a stamp....appears to be part of 2 circles and straight lines. looked around at other stamps and they is nothing it can be and this smith as in the other thread did do the railway stamp....not into parting with it but just curious as i love to see it polished....your views please or explanations

[Stephen]

think every one is being nice, its not nihonto so its been given a pass, one (or i) can't tell from the pix and i think your ncrwws is just a hope and a prayer, need better shot to tell what you have.

[loiner1965]

yes stephen.....i agree they have been most lenient and helful with this sword.....it is a stamp of some sort and does appear to be 2 circles but of what i do not know

[Stephen]

going back and looking at the other post on this, in my minds eye it looks like the mune of the nakago was shaved at one time, the mei looks so very close to it, some of the stamp looks to be lost. to save board time if you can get me a crisp shot of the stamp ill see with i can come up with.

[loiner1965]

found it...its his attempt at a Kokuin or artist stamp......how do i remove this thread so i can save bandspace as this post serves no person to anyone else but myself

[Stephen]

Steve im not so sure thats the answer, this may be moved to a new section in the near future.

id still would like to see it sans chalk.

[loiner1965]

will do stephen and i will post the pic i found on another forum as well....at work at the moment

[loiner1965]

after hours of internet seaching i found on another forum which i had to join to view the post the answer.....its kanemune artists signature or kokuin....i think another recent smith called kanezane does the same thing....

http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/kanezane.htm

so i have a katana of good size and balance....possibly mill steel and i think water quenched.

he also took the time to do file marks on the tang and a little kokuin next to his mei.

obviously not the usual machine made blade which was churned out in the 1000s for the war effort. these swords prove that they is grey areas in showa made swords....

here is the stamp from another kanemune sword which mine should look like if the tang had not been shaved off in its past history.....many thanks to stephen for pointing this out...

[Stephen]

most kokuin i have seen are like Kanezane hot stamp, yours and the one posted does not have the same feel to me, more of a kao...this looks like a flaming ball?? any other takes....forgot the rest of the mei ...it has a seki stamp yes? if so i dont think its going to be the exception gindaito that your hoping for. F&G last book has a page with kao,,,sorry i sold mine or id post it.

[loiner1965]

most kokuin i have seen are like Kanezane hot stamp, yours and the one posted does not have the same feel to me, more of a kao...this looks like a flaming ball?? any other takes....forgot the rest of the mei ...it has a seki stamp yes? if so i dont think its going to be the exception gindaito that your hoping for. F&G last book has a page with kao,,,sorry i sold mine or id post it.

no mine is by fukumoto kanemune....son of fukumoto amihide the famous world war 2 smith...it has the showa stamp only....lol now i have to research kao now

[Stephen]

went thru JS book, this is the closest i could find to what it may be, i keep thinking ive seen a flaming ball somewhere on a kao like stamp, oh well here it is.

youll notice you kao/ball does not have same amout of lines coming out as the one you posted.

[loiner1965]

went thru JS book, this is the closest i could find to what it may be, i keep thinking ive seen a flaming ball somewhere on a kao like stamp, oh well here it is.[attachment=1]KanenobuKao.jpg[/attachment]

youll notice you kao/ball does not have same amout of lines coming out as the one you posted.

yes but part of my kao is missing........

[Toryu2020]

Definitely a Hoju or flaming jewel (http://tinyurl.com/y8m8xvq)

Looks like a hot stamp to me and not a kao - does anybody have Fuller & Gregory at hand, I willing to bet we may find it there...

-tom

[loiner1965]

Definitely a Hoju or flaming jewel (http://tinyurl.com/y8m8xvq)

Looks like a hot stamp to me and not a kao - does anybody have Fuller & Gregory at hand, I willing to bet we may find it there...

-tom

if you think this kao / hotstamp / kokuin is elusive then see my other post about the one on my kanetoshi katana