Sword Identification

[DanL1991]

Hello,

 

I'm looking to identify what type of sword this is. It was given to my grandfather a few years after he served in WWII from a collector friend in NY.

 

My uncle unfortunately spray painted the scabbard and they destroyed the grip (not sure if it was original to begin with).

 

I tried my best with photos. I'd love to have this restored so I can properly display it. Any information is greatly appreciated! 

[SteveM]

Date of 昭和十九年十月　（1944, October)

 

Mei of 兼？　Kane- (something...can't make it out). 

 

If no one else can pick it out, it might help to get a close up of that second kanji. 

[mecox]

Hi Dan, and Steve, the sword is a very late war item in a type 3 gunto koshirae.  The nakago is rather rusty and the mei are extremely roughly cut.  Date is Showa ju kyu ju gatsu  昭和十九年十月   1944 October, getting late in the war and all low quality.  Smiths mei is Kane X saku,   can't read the second part of name.   There is a stamp up near habaki , looks like Gifu Gi in sakura.  

[Kiipu]

Maybe Kanetsugu 兼継?

[SteveM]

Yes, I think that's it!

 

Similar one here

https://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2009/0910_1115syousai.htm

[John C]

7 hours ago, DanL1991 said:

I'm looking to identify what type of sword this is

Dan:

Bottom line is that the sword is in a bit of rough shape and not particularly valuable. But it is a valid piece of WW2 history and you should preserve it. Have some fun looking up the smith and finding out about the sword on NMB!

John C.

[mecox]

Could be Kanetsugu, but not fully sure which one.  Not fully sure, but does Dan's sword have a Gifu stamp?  There are three in Sesko:

(1) KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Maekawa Gen´ichi (前川源一), born January 15th 1904, he worked as guntō smith and died March 9th 1951.

(2) KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Maekawa Yoshiki (前川喜儀), born March 5th 1913, he worked as guntō smith and died September 9 th 1964.

(3) KANETSUGU (兼継), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gunma – “Ryūminsai Kanetsugu saku” (龍眠斎兼継作), “Kanetsugu” (兼継), real name Imai Kenzaburō (今井憲三郎), he studied first under Kiribuchi Kanetomo (桐渕兼友) and later under Kasama Shigetsugu (笠間繁継), gō Ryūminsai (龍眠斎), he died on February 6th 1971 at the age of 77, ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Third Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941).  This one is also P. 71 in Slough.

Dan, need a better pic of mei.

[SteveM]

The one on the "e-sword" shop that I linked to, which to me looks like a match for the sword in this thread, says that sword is from Imai Kenzaburō (the #3 Kanetsugu in Mal's list). Here is another, different sword by the same Kanetsugu. http://sinogi.dee.cc/katarogu/1510/kanetugu-k250971/kanetugu-k250971.html

 

The other two Kanetsugu smiths (#1 and #2 in Mal's list) seem to use the usual hasty, chippy mei that one finds on a lot of WW2 swords. 

 

Side note: that sword on the e-sword site is yet another example of a WW2 sword with a registration card. Seeing a lot of these nowadays. 

[Bruce Pennington]

I, too, would appreciate some close, clear shots of any small stamps near the top.  Easier to find and see them with all the fittings removed from the blade.  There may even be some on the back edge of the nakago (tang).

[dwmc]

I owned a (# 3 Kanetsugu on Mal's list) for several years. The sword was also dated 1944 in Type 3 mountings and had a Gifu stamp. Could never locate much on this particular Kanetsugu, so really appreciate the information above!

 

Dave M.