April '44 Type 98 by Yoshimune... questions

[Bob in Ohio]

Greetings--- 

 

Every five years or so, I buy a gunto from the wild (never in a collection) and get enthused to learn about the specific sword, but also to expand my understanding.  Bruce helped with the date and Smith, but I wanted to share and also get some opinions on this example I just added.

 

Let me ask my questions, and then post some pics...

• I have a local auction house, and every example they have ever sold (perhaps 25 swords) have had shiny blades.... [Not sure they should be shiny or if some were buffed].  This Yoshume's blade is "covered with patina or possibly a varnish was also added from the vet as a preservative.  ....................................   What should I do/ have done to the blade, if anything? 
• The ray skin.... I assume mine same* is real. When was fake ray skin used?
• The smith, is Yoshimune..... but that is just a name to me.  Were smiths of WW2 non-traditional blades ranked.... or ...............................................................................    Is "Yoshimune" just the smiths name for this era of Mfg, and all are about equal?
• The handle is pencil numbered 1781 by the throat.  One side of the tang I can read 1781 as a ghost under where paint was/remains ................................................................................... Does the red paint, on the other side, also translate to 1781? 

[BANGBANGSAN]

The smith name looks like 義永 Yoshinaga instead of 義宗 Yoshimune.

YOSHINAGA (義永), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Yoshinaga” (義永), real name Nagase Kunikazu (長瀬国一)

[Bruce Pennington]

Hi Bob!  Welcome to NMB!  Like I said, I'm often wrong on those smith names! Ha!

 

Here's the write-up of Yoshinaga from Marcus Sesko's swordsmith list:

 

The same' might be the celuloid type.  It was used throughout the war.  I've never read a real history on the product, but it wasn't a low-grade item.  Many SMR Mantetsu have the celuloid same' (my Dad's 1941 Koa Isshin does).

 

The red paint are numbers.  Under the mei is "1781" but it seems there's another number "? 6".  Is that above the mei?  Could we get a shot of the full nakago with the painted numbers?  We believe they were put there by the fittings shops.  Often the painted numbers match stamped numbers on the tsuba, seppa, and other fittings.  Fittings were customized and shaped to fit each blades since blades varied in size and shape.  The numbered parts could easily be kept together when removed for such things as polishing.

 

Your blade may have been coated with cosmoline.  Do a search on the website for "cosmoline romoval" and you'll see several ideas.  Other guys may chime in to help with that.

[BANGBANGSAN]

3 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Hi Bob!  Welcome to NMB!  Like I said, I'm often wrong on those smith names! Ha!

 

Here's the write-up of Yoshinaga from Marcus Sesko's swordsmith list:

 

 

Bruce

Here we go again,義永 and 吉永 both pronounced Yoshinaga

[Bruce Pennington]

[george trotter]

Bruce..

Just thought I'd mention the stamp in the last pic...looks like 'na' stamp?

[BANGBANGSAN]

54 minutes ago, george trotter said:

Bruce..

Just thought I'd mention the stamp in the last pic...looks like 'na' stamp?

That is a 名 stamp

[robinalexander]

Bob, if its Cosmoline on the blade then a product called Nevr-Dull will remove it.... eventually.  If its not Cosmoline, then N-D will not hurt it or detract from any hamon or hada that may be present/see-able (if thats a word).

Rob

[robinalexander]

However, I should add that from what I can see, it looks a little more like natural oxidization of the blade that has occured over the last 70 odd years rather than WW2 preservative/grease.

 

If that is the case then nothing short of a professional polish will improve the blade and that is often 'cost prohibitive'.

Rob

[Bob in Ohio]

1 hour ago, robinalexander said:

However, I should add that from what I can see, it looks a little more like natural oxidization of the blade that has occured over the last 70 odd years rather than WW2 preservative/grease.

 

If that is the case then nothing short of a professional polish will improve the blade and that is often 'cost prohibitive'.

Rob

Well, oxiidation/cosmo may be in combination.  The purchase also included an unissued Arisaka, w/ metal covered in cosmo + the bayo had a yellowish tinge.  Both cleaned up well with oil and bronze brush to the Arisaka.  Will give the nevr-dull a try....

[robinalexander]

Ok Bob....but please dont try the 'oil and bronze brush' on the 98

[Bruce Pennington]

Interesting tidbit for bragging rights, Bob, at least for the moment - your April '44 date is the latest dated blade we have in the survey with the "Na" stamp.  They were seen predominantly in 1943, but were still being used in '44. 

[Bob in Ohio]

Thx Bruce... and other one I snagged at the same time is also 'Na' marked... both Apr' '44 from what I can see...

• I know Na is for the Nagoya Arsenal, but what is the significance here with swords?  Just a data point? 

[Bruce Pennington]

Bob,

That second one is the small Seki stamp of the Seki Supervisory Unit of the Nagoya Army Arsenal (big name for a small stamp!) Both are simply Army Inspector stamps of the Nagoya Arsenal.  You can read about the history of blades stamping in the first few pages of my Stamps of the Japanese Sword in the downloads section, but the short version of it was the Army stamped blades that met their acceptances standards.  It is likely that blades stamped this way were not made in the traditional way (nihonto), therefore called "showato."  The blades can be quite beautiful, but something about their manufacture - oil quenched rather than water quenched; differing steels used; etc - prevent them from being classified "nihonto."  For the most part, this theory holds true, though a number of blades have met inspection (shinsa) and called nihonto regardless of the fact it was stamped.  They seem to be the exception, though.

 

Hey, can you refresh my memory on the name of the smith for that second blade?

[Stephen]

3 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

 

Hey, can you refresh my memory on the name of the smith for that second blade?

Masayuki

[Bob in Ohio]

On 2/6/2022 at 5:56 AM, robinalexander said:

Bob, if its Cosmoline on the blade then a product called Nevr-Dull will remove it.... eventually.  If its not Cosmoline, then N-D will not hurt it or detract from any hamon or hada that may be present/see-able (if thats a word).

Rob

 Thanks RA for the nevr-dull recommendation.... there was cosmo on the blade.  While the blade is still not in polish, at least it has the color of patinated steel, and not dingy yellow.... I am delight with the improved look!

 

Some before/ after pics

[robinalexander]

Nice work Bob...that's a noticeable improvement that wont adversely effect the blade at all.  I can certainly see the old cosmoline now! 

 

You may be able to squeeze a little more 'glow' out of it if you keep going but that's up to you.

Rob

[Stephen]

What uchiko is good for.... Basically polishing it.