Japanese Swords Made In China During World War II

[Kiipu]

(4) Chang Heng Machinery and Tool Company (Shoko Kiki) [昇恒機器工廠], 197 Route Road, 3rd District, Tientsin [天津].  Source: Japanese in Tokyo; Japanese Headquarters, C.E.F.; Japanese Liaison Office, Peiping.

 

This plant containing about 600 machine tools, a foundry for iron and steel and a forge shop manufactured Model 38 rifles, mortar shell, swords and gages.  Steel was made in a one-half ton electric arc furnace.  A small arc furnace was used for making Silicon Carbide.  Production of rifles was reported at 50 rifles per day.  The quality was very poor.  The rifles were issued to puppet troops.  (Figs. No. 7 & 8 to Annex 8).

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Well that has potential for adding to our developing discussions of blades that look like they were meant for Japanese soldiers, but with some stereotypical Chinese characteristics!

[BANGBANGSAN]

46 minutes ago, Kiipu said:

(4) Chang Heng Machinery and Tool Company (Shoko Kiki) [昇恒機器工廠], 197 Route Road, 3rd District, Tientsin [天津].  Source: Japanese in Tokyo; Japanese Headquarters, C.E.F.; Japanese Liaison Office, Peiping.

 

This plant containing about 600 machine tools, a foundry for iron and steel and a forge shop manufactured Model 38 rifles, mortar shell, swords and gages.  Steel was made in a one-half ton electric arc furnace.  A small arc furnace was used for making Silicon Carbide.  Production of rifles was reported at 50 rifles per day.  The quality was very poor.  The rifles were issued to puppet troops.  (Figs. No. 7 & 8 to Annex 8).

 

Maybe those 恒 mark swords were from this factory?

 

 

[Kiipu]

Trystan, what exactly does Chang Heng 昇恒 mean?  Is it a person's name, a place, or some other meaning in Chinese?  If it is a person's name, is it the first or last name?

[BANGBANGSAN]

30 minutes ago, Kiipu said:

Trystan, what exactly does Chang Heng 昇恒 mean?  Is it a person's name, a place, or some other meaning in Chinese?  If it is a person's name, is it the first or last name?

Could be a person's name, If so it should have the family name in front of it, like 李昇恒 or 王昇恒, etc...But this most likely just put two words together and wish the business long-lasting.昇(上昇 Rise)+恒（恒久 Constant）.

But Chinese normally would use 恒昇 instead of 昇恒.

[BANGBANGSAN]

38 minutes ago, Kiipu said:

Trystan, what exactly does Chang Heng 昇恒 mean?  Is it a person's name, a place, or some other meaning in Chinese?  If it is a person's name, is it the first or last name?

 Thomas

I found this book " 抗战时期日本对天津的经济统制与掠夺”

It worte:1940年前后，日商在天津设立了昌和洋行工厂、安原铁工所、西山铁工所、天津钢业工厂、天津制铁工厂、东和工厂、恒升机器工厂、鸿发铁工厂、义昌洋行、小松洋行、得利兴、三井铁工厂、中岛机器行、天津机器工厂等15家工厂。

So,it is 恆昇 instead of 昇恆。

 

[Kiipu]

I found this statement via an Internet search 恒茂鋼鉄版(旧昇恒機器工廠).  It is coming from page 64 of the 1962 Japanese book entitled 中国の鉄鋼業と機械工業の技術水準 by 岡崎文勲.  Japanese wartime documents always referred to the company as 昇恒機器工廠.  I think the company also had more than one factory as well.  After the war in 1945, the Chinese Nationalists 中國國民黨 took over and I am sure the company would have been renamed either by them or the Chinese Communists in 1949.

[BANGBANGSAN]

16 minutes ago, Kiipu said:

 After the war in 1945, the Chinese Nationalists 中國國民黨 took over and I am sure the company would have been renamed either by them or the Chinese Communists in 1949.

It could be .

 

[Shamsy]

8 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

Maybe those 恒 mark swords were from this factory?

 

 

Thinking these are likely candidates. Better quality than field made, worse than Japanese made, unusual markings, two grades and suspected Chinese stamps, not to mention the inscription on the one example. Thoughts?

[Kiipu]

(5) Kahoku Kikai [華北機械], 7 Hsiao Wang Chuang, Tientsin [天津].  Source: Japanese in Tokyo; Japanese Headquarters, C.E.F.

 

This plant was a private enterprise, new buildings and equipment.  Construction and installation of machinery was not complete by the end of the war.  The plant has about 100,000 square feet of floor space in machine shops, forge shops, foundry and warehouses.  About 200 machine tools are installed.  Production at the end of the war was rifles, mortar shell, and swords.  (Fig. No 9 an 10 to Annex No. 8.)

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

3 hours ago, Kiipu said:

(5) Kahoku Kikai [華北機械], 7 Hsiao Wang Chuang, Tientsin [天津].  Source: Japanese in Tokyo; Japanese Headquarters, C.E.F.

 

This plant was a private enterprise, new buildings and equipment.  Construction and installation of machinery was not complete by the end of the war.  The plant has about 100,000 square feet of floor space in machine shops, forge shops, foundry and warehouses.  About 200 machine tools are installed.  Production at the end of the war was rifles, mortar shell, and swords.  (Fig. No 9 an 10 to Annex No. 8.)

 

 

在抗日戰爭時期天津成為日本侵華戰爭的後方基地，為提供軍事侵略所需物資，日本因此在天津建設了部分與軍事相關的企業，如日商華北機械股份有限公司、日商中山鋼業所等6家鋼鐵企業。
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/天津近代工业

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

20 minutes ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

 

在抗日戰爭時期天津成為日本侵華戰爭的後方基地，為提供軍事侵略所需物資，日本因此在天津建設了部分與軍事相關的企業，如日商華北機械股份有限公司、日商中山鋼業所等6家鋼鐵企業。
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/天津近代工业

天津動力機廠前身是1935年日本商人甲裴在河西區小劉莊開辦的甲裴鐵工廠。1939年，日本江商洋行收買了這個廠，改名興亞鐵工株式會社，生產紡織機和礦山機械。1941年，遷至河北區小王莊，1944年改組為華北機械工業株式會社，工人增至400多人，專門生產槍、炮等武器。1945年8月日本投降後，國民政府資源委員會接管了這個廠，改名為天津機器廠。1951年10月，該廠試製成4146型80馬力柴油機。1953年9月改名為天津動力機廠。

https://kknews.cc/news/449ql3x.html

[Kiipu]

@BANGBANGSAN Is the proper conversion from Japanese to traditional Chinese and finally simplified Chinese?

華北機械工業株式會社 = 華北機械工業有限公司 = 华北机械工业有限公司.

[BANGBANGSAN]

19 minutes ago, Kiipu said:

@BANGBANGSAN Is the proper conversion from Japanese to traditional Chinese and finally simplified Chinese?

華北機械工業株式會社 = 華北機械工業有限公司 = 华北机械工业有限公司.

 

19 minutes ago, Kiipu said:

@BANGBANGSAN Is the proper conversion from Japanese to traditional Chinese and finally simplified Chinese?

華北機械工業株式會社 = 華北機械工業有限公司 = 华北机械工业有限公司.

甲裴鐵工廠=興亞鐵工株式會社= 華北機械股份有限公司/華北機械工業株式會社=天津機器廠=天津動力機廠

It seems this factory only make small arms when it regroup and was called 華北機械股份有限公司/華北機械工業株式會社 from 1944-1945.

株式會社 and 股份有限公司 are the same thing.

株式會社（日语：株式会社／かぶしきがいしゃ kabushikigaisha），是源自日本法律定義下的一種商業公司（会社）類型，韓國法律也採用此名称，相當於股份有限公司.

[Kiipu]

PAN-CHIAO (31° 55′ N 118° 40′ E)

The Hwa-Chuhg (or Hwa-Chung?) Mining Company plant at Pan-chiao, near Nanking [南京], produced 100,000 rounds of small arms ammunition using used cartridge cases for reloading.  Swords and mortar shell were also produced and had a still unreached goal of 300 swords and 3,000 mortar shells per month.  Ammunition and shell production started early in 1945.  The plant employed 300 workers and had about 90 machine tools installed.

[BANGBANGSAN]

On 10/30/2022 at 9:26 AM, Kiipu said:

PAN-CHIAO (31° 55′ N 118° 40′ E)

The Hwa-Chuhg (or Hwa-Chung?) Mining Company plant at Pan-chiao, near Nanking [南京], produced 100,000 rounds of small arms ammunition using used cartridge cases for reloading.  Swords and mortar shell were also produced and had a still unreached goal of 300 swords and 3,000 mortar shells per month.  Ammunition and shell production started early in 1945.  The plant employed 300 workers and had about 90 machine tools installed.

板桥（Banqiao)is a Subdistricts of 雨花台区 （YuHuaTai District )of 南京 （ Nanjing）, the capital of 江苏（JiangSu province）。

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuhuatai_District

 

[AlphaRaider]

Pointed to this topic, I may have one of the best close up images of this stamp. If no one has seen my post here is an image to inspect.

 

My sword is one of the possible candidates for one of these factories perhaps?

 

Now I'm not sure if this is upside down or not, ( this is the left side of the blade tang ) (sharp edge facing left at top) however I've noticed mine has a bit of a light strike on the top right I believe it lines up with the top like a 7 shape in a sense, or if flipped over a L shape.

 

 

 

 

J. Hoff

[BANGBANGSAN]

17 hours ago, AlphaRaider said:

Pointed to this topic, I may have one of the best close up images of this stamp. If no one has seen my post here is an image to inspect.

 

My sword is one of the possible candidates for one of these factories perhaps?

 

Now I'm not sure if this is upside down or not, ( this is the left side of the blade tang ) (sharp edge facing left at top) however I've noticed mine has a bit of a light strike on the top right I believe it lines up with the top like a 7 shape in a sense, or if flipped over a L shape.

 

 

 

 

 

J. Hoff

flip over

[lonely panet]

A Japanese SWORD MADE IN CHINA

 

thats a paradox in its self,  

[BANGBANGSAN]

5 hours ago, lonely panet said:

A Japanese SWORD MADE IN CHINA

 

thats a paradox in its self,  

Not really.We know Mantetsu are made in China.

[Kiipu]

Trystan, it is an English language thing.  The problem is how can a "Japanese sword" be made in China and still be called a Japanese sword.  The English language can be a bugbear at times as I imagine you are well aware of by now!

[Dave R]

On 11/17/2022 at 9:01 AM, lonely panet said:

A Japanese SWORD MADE IN CHINA

 

thats a paradox in its self,  

 

 Made for the Japanese military, so Shin Gunto would be an appropriate term I suppose, or the more general Katana.

[Brian]

So Belgian waffles made and sold in the USA can't be called Belgian waffles?
French fries...ok, maybe bad example
 

[BANGBANGSAN]

59 minutes ago, Brian said:

So Belgian waffles made and sold in the USA can't be called Belgian waffles?
French fries...ok, maybe bad example
 

True,Chinese food made outside of China still called Chinese food

[Kiipu]

7 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

True, Chinese food made outside of China is still called Chinese food.

 

Well then, I will start calling it Chinese-American food and I really like my Belgian-American waffles too.  Bon appétit everyone!

[lonely panet]

10 hours ago, Brian said:

So Belgian waffles made and sold in the USA can't be called Belgian waffles?
French fries...ok, maybe bad example
 

Belgian "like "waffles and Japanese "like " swords.

 

it was more a poke at the english languge as childish fun

[Bruce Pennington]

4 hours ago, lonely panet said:

Belgian "like "waffles and Japanese "like " swords.

Ha! Love it!  You could get a job at certain auction houses!

[Brian]

9 hours ago, lonely panet said:

Belgian "like "waffles and Japanese "like " swords.

 

it was more a poke at the english languge as childish fun

Oh, I know. My reply was just as light hearted and in fun.
I look forward to moving to the USA oneday and confusing everyone by becoming a white African American

[Kiipu]

20 hours ago, lonely panet said:

it was more a poke at the English language as childish fun

 

And one of these days you need to clue me in on what a panet is, as in "lonely panet."

[DTM72]

Here in the Southern USA, we have "Waffle House". You can get waffles in the North and they are decent. You can get waffles on the West coast but they ruin them with fruit and other crap. All still waffles though. Don't get me started on the taters...scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, topped, peppered, capped, and the newest is countried.