Kaigunto help

[hobnails]

Hi guys this kaigunto has come up for sale on a local auction,i have no interest in buying it but would like

to know if i have translated the mei correctly i get Kanetatsu  and the date Showa 1943 thanks in advance

for your help.

cheers

Chris H

[Shugyosha]

Hi Chris, 

Looks like Kanetatsu to me: 兼達

 

You have the year correct. 

[Alban L]

2 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Hi Chris, 

Looks like Kanetatsu to me: 兼達

 

You have the year correct. 

 

Good morning,

I'd also have a question regarding the dates on swords, do we consider the years to be precisely equivalent to our calendar ?

I mean, Showa era is supposed to begin on 25 december 1926, at the very end of the year 1926. So 1st year of Showa era could be considered to be december 1926 to december 1927. And incidently, 18th year would be december 1943 to december 1944. That is to say more likely 1944 ?

 

Or do we consider as a strict equivalent of our calendar that 1926 is the first Showa year (for only one week), and begining of january 1927 we are already in 2nd year of Showa era ?

 

Sorry for this naive question, just trying to understand the logic that was followed !

[ROKUJURO]

Alban,

there is no Western logic but Japanese tradition.

First year of SHOWA is 1925, so 1943 is correct.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Alban, 

As regards swords, it’s (normally) not so important to be pinpoint accurate with transposing the date into the western calendar. In this case the Showa era is calculated from 1926, so add on 18 and subtract 1 as the era always begins in the first listed year and it’s 1943. I didn’t look any deeper than that.

 

 

[Nobody]

1 hour ago, Alban L said:

........................................

Or do we consider as a strict equivalent of our calendar that 1926 is the first Showa year (for only one week), and begining of january 1927 we are already in 2nd year of Showa era ?

 

 

That is correct.

[Alban L]

25 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

Alban,

there is no Western logic but Japanese tradition.

First year of SHOWA is 1925, so 1943 is correct.

 

Thank you, would you know what is considered to be the date marking the begining of Showa era in 1925 ?

I thought that was the death of emperor Taisho and begining of emperor Showa reign end of 1926.

[Bruce Pennington]

Chris,

Any chance of getting a link to the original post?  There is a mark near the top of the nakago that I'd like to get a better view of.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Bruce,

I think it’s just the “Seki” stamp. 

[hobnails]

Hi guys thanks everyone for the help nice to know I read it right, I also believe it's a seki stamp.

Cheers

Chris h

[SteveM]

15 hours ago, Alban L said:

would you know what is considered to be the date marking the beginning of Showa era in 1925 ?

 

Shōwa begins on December 25th, 1926, on the day the Taishō Emperor died.

It means Shōwa 1 is only 7 days long.

[Bruce Pennington]

Chris,

Just got back from a trip and had a chance to file this in the Stamp Survey.  It is only the 4th large Seki stamped blade I have in 1943, compared to 48 blades with it in 1942.  The use of the large Seki stamp was rapidly tapering off starting '43.  So, in my world, you've got a fairly rare blade there!  It is also my first Seki-stamped Kanetatsu.  I have one Showa (no date) stamped by him from Slough's book.  So in that regard, it is rare also.