Second of two WW2 bring backs

[hi-revr]

I believe this is a standard type 95 but all this is so new I'm not sure yet.   To start with here are close ups of the tang stamps.   What can you all tell me so far?   

 

 

[hi-revr]

[hi-revr]

[hi-revr]

Is this possibly the ""SHO""  character??

[hi-revr]

Painted Charecters

[BANGBANGSAN]

 

1.氏房 Ujifusa
2.以安來（鋼）造 Use Yasugi steel to make it
3.昭和十四年 Showa 14th Year 1939， looks like there should be more kanji about which month there.
4.桜に昭 = Shō within/inside a cherry blossom inspection mark 
5.二十四 24
You need to show the full tang instead of the close-up photo.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Can we also see the mounts?

[mecox]

Eric and others, this looks like Shinoda Hiroshi Ujifusa 篠田 寛 氏房.   He was born 20 May, 1912 (Meiji 45) in Seki, and was trained by Kato Jumyo 加藤 寿命, who was from the Watanabe Kanenaga 兼永 school. Ujifusa was producing swords in the early-1930’s and in particular with the increased demands in 1937 after the Japanese invasion of China. At this time there were many requests for shin Nipponto, more than he could supply.   Yes the date is Showa 14 (1939) which fits with the Sho/Sakura stamp.  But the mei of "Ujifusa" is roughly cut for then, which was more common in late war (1944+).   And yes be good to see the koshirae.

He is explained in Download file, pages 9 and 49-62:

 

[hi-revr]

 

All small parts in front and the release have a 6 or 9 stamped.  

[PNSSHOGUN]

Is it a trick of the light or is there metal sheet poking out from the top of the handle? Overall these two swords your father brought back both have good quality mounts with fine blades, especially with the surrender documentation. Something to keep as family treasures.

 

More information on Yasuki steel:

 

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 2/22/2022 at 1:24 AM, hi-revr said:

standard type 95

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Maybe a typo, but it would be a Type 98 officer gunto.  The Type 95 is the issued NCO gunto with serial numbers on the blade.

 

Your 1939 is at the early years for the Showa stamp.  Out of 46 dated blades with the stamp in my survey, only 6 are in '39.  Most are in '40-'41.

[hi-revr]

Not really a typo, a newbie mistake.  I've spent several hours reading and attempting to learn as much as possible in the past week or so.  All of it essentially a foreign language.   Like so many things in the collector world, there is a lot of misinformation and outright mistakes.  I've been involved in many different hobbies and learned long ago, when starting something new I don't know what I don't know yet.  I greatly appreciate everyone's input.  As an example of something confusing to a rookie.  Yasugi steel ,,,,,, After reading that post last night I spent an hour looking for details and discovered conversations about Yasuki steel.  All I know for certain is Yasugi is a city and may or may not be the trade name of a type of steel made there.   

 

It looks like ALL the small parts and the wood part of the Tsuka (handle) also have a 9 stamp.   Yes you are seeing thin gauge sheet metal between the ray skin and the wood.  I have not found anything specifically stating what the number stamps indicate.   

[Bruce Pennington]

They are assembly numbers. Design to keep the custom fitted parts together with each blade. Look at all the numbers on the ends of these blades where these women are working.  Since each blade is slightly different in size and shape, the fittings are filed and shaped to fit each one. The numbers keep them all together.

[Stephen]

I read/told that photos from women doing wartime polish. Do you have provenance of that Bruce?

[Bruce Pennington]

I’ve seen it around a couple of times, saved it from earlier discussions. Might ask @Dave R or @george trotter

[PNSSHOGUN]

The steel sheet on the handle was a direct result of combat experience in China. It is a mark of a quality manufacturer, this measure was recommended from field reports & experience of not being sufficiently strong enough to withstand the rigors of combat.

[Stephen]

  On 2/22/2022 at 9:40 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

I’ve seen it around a couple of times, saved it from earlier discussions. Might ask @Dave R or @george trotter

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If you have F&G green book i think you'll find it ther. I may be wrong.

[george trotter]

  On 2/22/2022 at 8:54 PM, Stephen said:

I read/told that photos from women doing wartime polish. Do you have provenance of that Bruce?

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Stephen,

I got that pic on-line somewhere (can't remember), but a slightly cropped copy is shown in "Mod. Japanese Swords and S/smiths" by Kapp & Yoshihara p.68....sadly, they cut of some of the numbered tangs.

Be great if a NMB member turned out to have one of these very swords.

Regards,

[Dave R]

  On 2/22/2022 at 11:00 PM, PNSSHOGUN said:

The steel sheet on the handle was a direct result of combat experience in China. It is a mark of a quality manufacturer, this measure was recommended from field reports & experience of not being sufficiently strong enough to withstand the rigors of combat.

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 It was often done as a "quick and dirty fix" on older Tsuka as well. Here's an stripped example in my collection. (Yep I buy shagged out pieces for the information they give.) From the dimensions of the reinforced core I reckon its for a remounted older blade. 

[SteveM]

  On 2/22/2022 at 4:38 PM, hi-revr said:

As an example of something confusing to a rookie.  Yasugi steel ,,,,,, After reading that post last night I spent an hour looking for details and discovered conversations about Yasuki steel.  All I know for certain is Yasugi is a city and may or may not be the trade name of a type of steel made there.   

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There should be a lot of relevant information on Yasugi/Yasuki steel on this site. I know we've talked about it a number of times; who and how it was developed. Yasugi is the name of the city in Shimane Prefecture, but for some reason the steel is often called Yasuki steel. Japan was experimenting with various kinds of steel production in the early-to-mid 1900s. The best steel for Japanese swords was the tamahagane steel which is smelted in a labor-intensive process from iron-sands usually found around riverbeds in Japan, but this isn't suitabale for large-scale, industrial production of swords, and so alternative steel production methods were sought and researched. Yasugi steel is one of the results of these efforts. I don't have the details of what or how it is made, but I'm sure you can find it on this site. Or, one of the members may have a reference handy. Some quick links

https://historyrazors.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/hitachi-y-s-s-yasuki-speciality-steel/

https://oishya.com/journal/yasugi-steel-makes-great/

 

 

[Stephen]

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/Spwt4FCaP6jVvDb4A

 

still searching till then

[george trotter]

  On 2/24/2022 at 12:06 AM, Stephen said:

 

still searching till then

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Stephen,

I found women polishing again...on Fred Lohman site  titled "WWII Photo Gallery"  (he doesn't source it)....or on his site referenced on-line as "Japanese Sword Restoration Parts - WWII photos" .

 

Regards,

 

[Stephen]

Thank you George I'm pretty sure I've seen it in print also.🙏🙏

[Dave R]

What I find interesting is that one photo shows the women working while sitting seiza (which is why I think it may be a posed shot) and in the other they are standing at a work bench!

Reality versus propaganda? Last pic. is from the Mantetsu workshop.

[Dave R]

PS. I don't think the kneeling ladies are polishing, but doing some other job. No water vessel at the work station!

[george trotter]

  On 2/24/2022 at 12:06 AM, Stephen said:

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/Spwt4FCaP6jVvDb4A

 

still searching till then

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Don't want to be boring, but in case some members are wondering, the banner behind these women says

"Shimane Token Kabushiki Kaisha"  (Shimane Sword Company Pty Ltd.).

Looks like this group were employees of a military connected sword company. Shimane is on north coast above Hiroshima.

Regards,

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 2/24/2022 at 1:23 PM, george trotter said:

(Shimane Sword Company Pty Ltd.).

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I was hoping someone would translate that! Thanks George!

[BANGBANGSAN]

One more photo

[george trotter]

Just saw this Trystan...nice photo. Is this the same polishing shop as the previous photo? Was there any caption describing the location/circumstances etc?

There sure seem to have been a lot of women polishing swords in WWII.

The woman at the back seems to be polishing a blade and the two at the front are 'finishing' the polish.

There is no I.D. info in those writings, just seems to be patriotic statements...I think.

[BANGBANGSAN]

  On 3/1/2022 at 9:08 AM, george trotter said:

Just saw this Trystan...nice photo. Is this the same polishing shop as the previous photo? Was there any caption describing the location/circumstances etc?

There sure seem to have been a lot of women polishing swords in WWII.

The woman at the back seems to be polishing a blade and the two at the front are 'finishing' the polish.

There is no I.D. info in those writings, just seems to be patriotic statements...I think.

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George

Unfortunately, I do not have the detail of that photo. You're right, many of those 女子挺身隊 working in the sword industry. Some of them also working in the arsenal.
This photo shows 女子挺身隊 worked in 小倉陸軍造兵廠（福岡）March 1943.Some of the girls in the photo may have died during the US air raid on June 16, 1944.

• 1944年（昭和19年）6月16日 北九州市がB-29による大空襲を受ける

  この空襲で倉庫が破壊され、約80人が死亡した。死者の半数は女子挺身隊であった。