Appreciate your help with a translation

[blademan]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and to collecting Japanses swords. I recently purchased this one from the son of a WWII Marine. I would appreciate any help I can get with the translation.

 

Thank you in advance,

[SwordGuyJoe]

Hopefully someone checks this for you, but I am pretty sure...

 

Mei: Nobumitsu (Perhaps Koyama, but can't be positive)

 

Date: Showa Jyu Ku Nen San Gatsu (Showa 19th year, 3rd month): March, 1945

 

[SwordGuyJoe]

Any other pictures of the blade would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Stephen]

showa ju ku=1944

when you fig the date take one off 1926 so itd be 1925 + 19

 

ya got the smith right

[blademan]

Thanks to everyone who has helped so far.

 

I have attached a picture of the blade per Joe's request. This may not be the place to ask but would this be a handmade or machine made blade.

 

Thanks again

[mdiddy]

A close up picture of a section of the blade would be helpful, but judging from the extra pic it looks like it was probably handmade, but probably not tamahagane and oil-quenched. Essentially, showato not gendaito. Hope that helps (or at least doesnt hurt)!

[blademan]

Mdiddy,

Thanks for your help. I have included a few more blade shots. Pardon my inexperience but could you please explain tamahagane, and showato not gendaito?

[mdiddy]

Tamahagane is the traditional Japanese steel used in Samurai sword construction. It is derived from a different smelting process than modern mass production steel. It is more desirable to have in sword construction.

 

In collector terms, Gendaito refers to modern blades (1876-1945) forged with tamahagane and quenched in water. Showato refers to modern blades either forged without tamahagane (using mill still instead) and/or quenched in oil or another substance. Thats the high level difference.

 

The above was almost literally copied from this site: http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/showato.htm. It can provide further info to help you understand your sword.

 

Hope that helps!

[Mark Green]

Isn't that a stamp of some kind I see in the Nakago pic.? A close-up of that small stamp may help. At that late date, would we be thinking 'handmade' and 'tamahagane'??

Found it. Kinda looks like a showa/seki stamp to me?

Mark G

[Mark Green]

Blademan,

Your sword looks to be in great shape! Well cared for all these years.

I would work at getting those fat fingerprints off asap. Pick up a good quality sword care kit asap.

You have a good WW2 artifact, in good shape.

My guess would be showato

Enjoy!

Mark G

[blademan]

Matt and Mark Thank you very much for your help.

 

I must admit I missed the tang stamp. I'll try and get a closeup picture of it when I have access to the sword.

 

I examined the blade this morning and noticed the blade does have a grain to it, which I was happy to see, and do believe it is hand made.

 

I am pleased to own this sword and look forward to learnng more about these swords and picking up more of them.

 

Can anyone tell me if these fingerprints on my blade can be removed?

 

Lastly, could anyone give me some idea what a sword like this would be worth? I have no idea.

 

Thanks again,