Translation help on Shin-Gunto in Kai-Gunto Scabbard.

[tbonesullivan]

I haven't been stumped this much in a long time, so I hope it's just me not reading Kanji well, and not that the tang was marked post war with incorrect characters.

 

The closest I could come with in Kanji is 仜 村 作 - KO/DA MURA SAKU.  Now the first character is super rare, and I only found it by looking up the 工 radical. It also doesn't look quite right. The second looks close but I can barely find anything on that character being used to sign tangs. Any help would be most appreciated.

 

I have no idea why it's in a Kai-Gunto scabbard, but I suspect it was probably swapped when it was being brought to the US, or later.

[Ray Singer]

Emura saku - 江村作

First kanji is 'E' - 江 - same as in Naoe (直江) and Aoe (青江)

https://www.samurais....jp/sword/13107.html

[Ray Singer]

https://www.Japanese...dindex.com/emura.htm

[tbonesullivan]

Thanks! Wow I have heard of the maker before, but never seen an example first hand. It has SUGUHA hamon, which I believe is one of the two types these should have. The polish is in OK shape. These really have a great story behind them.

[Bruce Pennington]

@tbonesullivan

David,

Why are you thinking it's a shingunto in a kaigunto saya?  Is the tsuka army?

[Tensho]

48 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

@tbonesullivan

David,

Why are you thinking it's a shingunto in a kaigunto saya?  Is the tsuka army?

Tsuka, Tsuba etc.. all look army to me Bruce.

[Bruce Pennington]

Oh, dang!  Haven't had enough coffee yet, this morning!  I see the photo now.  

 

Yes, these are always an enigma.  I have seen several photos of G.I.s holding swords with no saya.  I have always assumed some of them managed to grab a saya from a pile on the way home.  If there is no story, then it's just as likely a collector over the years found a saya to slip on the bare blade.

 

Back you your regularly scheduled programing!

[tbonesullivan]

5 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Yes, these are always an enigma.  I have seen several photos of G.I.s holding swords with no saya.  I have always assumed some of them managed to grab a saya from a pile on the way home.  If there is no story, then it's just as likely a collector over the years found a saya to slip on the bare blade.

 

I had the same thought. "Back in the day" people didn't really even care. I'm amazed at some of the things I've seen. The hilt fittings are all number matched, so it's a shame that the original scabbard was lost. Now if only it was an EMURA blade with one of the fancy Gunome Midare temper lines. I got out the 16X magnifier, but I can't see much of any activity in the hamon.