2 shin gunto

[Mike Stevens]

Good day.  I have 2 shin gunto.  One has inscriptions on both sides.  The other just on one side.  I would appreciate any input regarding translation.  Thank you very much.

[xiayang]

関住福田祐光 = Seki-jū Fukuda Sukemitsu

 

國廣 = Kunihiro

 

昭和十八年十月 = October of Shōwa 18 (1943 CE)

 

 

[Van]

Numbers in red on the second sword resemble GHQ marks I've seen before, but I'm not a specialist in that field. Maybe somebody can say something more certain about these?

[Bruce Pennington]

Painted numbers, were fairly sure, were assembly numbers that usually match stamped numbers on all the fittings.  Keeps the custom fitted pieces together during the whole process.

 

@Mike Stevens - any small stamps near on either side, or along the back side edge?

[Mike Stevens]

Thank you everyone who have responded so far.  The darker handled one has a small mark.  It also has some signs of white paint on the side without an inscription.  The lighter colored handle one does not have any small marking on it.  I have added a few more pictures.  Thank you.

[Mike Stevens]

Thank you @xiayang for your translation. 

Thank you @Vanfor your input.

Thank you @Bruce Penningtonfor your information and inquiry.

 

[John C]

6 hours ago, Mike Stevens said:

The darker handled one has a small mark.

Mike: I believe that is the Seki stamp, which would be correct for a war period blade.

John C.

 

 

[Mike Stevens]

Thank you @John C, I concur.  The other blade that @xiayang translated to read Kunihiro, does not have an arsenal marking.  However, it does say October of showa 18 so that would date it also to the wwii era I would presume.  

20 hours ago, Mike Stevens said:

Good day.  I have 2 shin gunto.  One has inscriptions on both sides.  The other just on one side.  I would appreciate any input regarding translation.  Thank you very much.

 

[Mike Stevens]

[Bruce Pennington]

8 hours ago, John C said:

Mike: I believe that is the Seki stamp, which would be correct for a war period blade.

John C.

 

 

Yes.  The large Seki, used between 1940-1945, with the massive majority of dated blades made in 1942.

 

The Kunihiro with NA stamp fits the norm for Nagoya stamped blades, made in 1943.

[Mike Stevens]

Thank you @Bruce Pennington.  Will you be adding my nihonto to your stamp survey?

[Bruce Pennington]

1 minute ago, Mike Stevens said:

Will you be adding my nihonto to your stamp survey?

Already done, dude!  Thanks for your contribution to the database!

[Mike Stevens]

Great.  Thank you!

[Kiipu]

Red Paint

ロ = katakana character RO.

二 = 2.

一 = 1.

九 = 9.

[Mike Stevens]

Thank you very much for that information @Kiipu.  Fyi,  @Bruce Pennington that number does not match the tosogu.  

[Mike Stevens]

All of the tosogu are marked 454.

[Bruce Pennington]

Yes, I see that from time to time. Don’t know why. My assumption is that it had gotten a refit sometime along during the war.

[Mike Stevens]

Here is an image of the white paint on my Seki stamped showato.  Maybe someone can make out the numbers.  

[Mike Stevens]

All of the tosogu are maked 80.

[Bruce Pennington]

Mike,

The white paint is quite faded but it's something like "61972" or "1972".  The modified Roman numberal on the inside of the fuchi is "5111" or "8", and since the rest are marked "80", I'd say it's an 8.  There is a discernable half-circle below the hash marks.  Could that represent the zero of 80?  Interesting!

 

Yet another example of the painted numbers not matching the stamped numbers.

[Mike Stevens]

The modified Roman numerals in the picture above are on the koiguchi.

[John C]

22 hours ago, Mike Stevens said:

The modified Roman numerals in the picture above are on the koiguchi.

Mike:

That's interesting. I have the exact same set-up on a 1944 Kanehide gendaito. All tosogu marked with the number 80 except the koiguchi marked with the roman numeral viii. Painted assembly numbers differ, however. 

John C.

[Mike Stevens]

That is very interesting.  Thank you for sharing that information @John C