44 military sword , matched number

[phil reid]

Help with signature please on this sword, nice hamon on it but last 3rd of blade is very worn, Suya stamped tsuba and # 898 to hilt fittings and tang.

Cheers

[phil reid]

[mywei]

Gunma Imai Kanetsugu

March Showa 17

 

[phil reid]

Fantastic, thanks for your help!

[Bruno]

Any photo of the hamon?

[Bruce Pennington]

Kanetsugu later became RJT qualified, just for the FYI.

[vajo]

Looks like Type 3 Koshirae. Nice!

[phil reid]

Tried to capture hamon

20 hours ago, Bruno said:

Any photo of the hamon?

 

[phil reid]

[Kiipu]

It is a traditional blade and was part of the Army's early Type 100 program.  The Tōkyō 1st Arsenal serialized the tangs and this one falls right inline with all the rest.

群馬今井兼継　Gunma Imai Kanetsugu.

昭和十七年三月 ８９８　March 1942 [serial number] 898.

Legally rebutting the existence of a Type 3 Army Officer's Sword

 

The serial numbers on the early ones were stamped upside down and the high is 798.  The orientation was changed about serial 1129 to an upright position.  I am guessing the serial number on yours is 898; however, it could be 868.  This blade falls in the middle of the change in serial number orientations.  The problem is further compounded by the use of the same stamp for the 6 & 9!  Hopefully another one will surface that will clarify exactly when this change occurred.

 

Edit:  I "remembered" that I had posted a summary of this already.

Arsenal Mark on RJT sword Fittings

[Bruce Pennington]

My vote is for 898 vs 868; but since it is right between the change, it certainly could go either way:

{"Top" - numbers read with the cutting edge down; "Bottom" - numbers read with the cutting edge up}

Number Layout (RJT, no star)

1941, Jul	Munetoshi	106	Bottom	RS
1941, Aug	Tsugukiyo	232	Bottom	RS
1941, Nov	Tomomaro	470	Bottom	RS
1941, Dec	Akihisa	566	Bottom	RS
1941, Dec	Tomomaro	535	Bottom	RS
1941, Dec	Tomomaro	621	Bottom	RS
1942, Mar	Kanetsugu	898	Top	RS
1942, Apr	Masakazu	1129	Top	RS
1942, May	Kanetsugu	1220	Top	RS
1942, May	Akimitsu	1229	Top	RS
1942, May	Ryuu	1301	Top	RS
1942, Jul	Naotsugu	61	Top	T98
1943, Jan	Shigemasa	2118	Top	Slough, no 2nd ana
1943, Jul	Yasumitsu	106	Top	RS
1944	Kanemitsu	24	Horizontal, tip up	RS
1944, Feb	Kiyokane	207	Horizontal, tip up	RS
1944, Mar	Kanemitsu	118	Horizontal, tip up	RS
1944, May	Kiyokane	115	Horizontal, tip up	RS
1944, Oct	Munetoshi	394	Top	RS
ND	Kanemitsu	247	Horizontal, Tip up	RS