I have a superb condition WW2 Naval Office’s Kai-gunto Sword and would like to know more about the maker please?

[Darin Tudor]

I have a superb condition WW2 Naval Office’s Kai-gunto Sword, its one on most precious possessions and would like to know more about the maker please?

‘Calaforniasteve’ on the ‘Japanese Reference Forum’  has been very helpful with the interpretation below and has suggested the Nihonto Message Board, as you are 100% focused on swords. There any no other marks on the sword

 

‘Calaforniasteve’ gave me the feedback below after viewing some photos I have (as attached)...

 

My sword is signed

角屋政光

Kakuya Masamitsu

Masamitsu is the swordsmith's name - the name he used when signing his swords. It is usually different from his given name. It's kind of a professional name.

The family name is Kakuya. Note there are multiple ways to read these kanji (角屋). Normally I would read them as Sumiya, but the noted Western author of Japanese swordsmiths and sword inscriptions, Markus Sesko, claims this name is read as Kakuya. So, I'll defer to him, but if you search around on the web for more information on this smith you will get some hits if you search for Sumiya Masamitsu, or maybe even Kadoya Masamitsu, or possibly even Tsunoya Masamitsu.

There is a known WW2 smith named (confusingly) Kakuya Masamitsu, who uses a different kanji for "Masa" (角屋正光). Obviously the coincidence is too large to be ignored, so I think its likely that your Masamitsu is somehow related to the above Masamitsu. It could be that your Masamitsu was apprenticed to the above Masamitsu. Or it could be a father/son relationship. Or, it could simply be that they are one and the same person, with the smith changing his "professional name" at some point in his career. I think that last explanation is probably the most likely. The "different kanji, but same pronunciation" poses a challenge for western students of Japanese swords, because often they are not even aware of the difference, which gives rise to errors and confusion. Anyway, yours is Kakuya Masamitsu (角屋政光), who I think is probably the same guy as Kakuya Masamitsu (角屋正光), and that for some reason he changed the kanji spelling, but kept the Masamitsu pronunciation. 

 The bag says, on one side:

政光作ニ尺一寸五分  Made by Masamitsu, 2 shaku, 1 sun, 5 bu (using old measurements of length) or about 65.15 cm

 The other side says

鍛錬刀　昭和十九年八月求

Forged sword, ordered in August, 1944. 

Thank you very much

 

Regards

 

Darin

[vajo]

Welcome Darin 

Nice sword but i think we need to see better pictures of your blade. Hamon and activity to say anything.

Hard to say for me anything about your Masamitsu signed swordsmith.

There was some showa era swordsmith who signed with Masamitsu.

 

The jo-saku gendai Masamitsu was Fukuoka Masamitsu and he was a Kaigun swordsmith during WWII.

 

others:

Fukuda Masamitsu (from Saga) 

Fujita Masamitsu (Shimane)

Suruga Masamitsu (Okayama)

 

These are the one i know. But there are some others out there.

 

I think that is your smith

Katana(Gunto): Masamitsu | Japanese Sword Online Museum (aoijapan.net)

 

 

 

Tsuruta san wrotes that the blade is machine made not forged (whatever he means with that) but the pictures shows a showa-to sword (not gendai-to). That Masamitsu is not reported in a book he says.

 

 

But overall as allways. I'm not an expert. Others here in the board know much more about these things. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Definitely a beautiful sword! The fittings are fabulous, with a navy tassel and, what I really enjoy the large seppa with the gold rays.

 

Like Chris said, need some closeups of the hamon (temper line) to make a guess on whether it is traditionally made or not.

 

Oh and you’re so lucky to have that bag with the date and such!  I’m a little intrigued by the wording “forged ….”.  Could this imply it was traditionally made, maybe?

[vajo]

3 days later we hear nothing any more about the blade pictures.

[Darin Tudor]

Good morning Vajo and Bruce, just back from a business trip

 

Thank you for your feedback I have attached some further photos of the blade for your review please?

 

Regards

 

Darin  

[vajo]

Thanks for the pictures Darin.

They are to blury and shiny to say something about the blade how its made.

Try to make pictures with a good light and the macro function of your smartphone or stand back with the sword against the sunlight so you can catch a sharp picture of the hamon to see what kind of activity is happned.

 

An example for the window/ sunlight variant (showa-to Kaneshige)

 

Kanenori showa-to in sunlight

 

 

[Darin Tudor]

Hi Vajo

 

Understood, bear with me on the timeline as the sword is at my son's house at the moment who lives about 2 hours away, I will need to get to him then take the images to post (and get some sunlight, not that common in the UK this time of year).

 

Regards

 

Darin