Kai gunto identification help

[Luca]

Hi, I recently came into possession of this kai gunto. I post the photos with the hope that you can help me identify it correctly. 304 is the number stamped on the metal parts and written inside the scabbard. The nakago of the sword has an anchor mark which, from what I have been able to reconstruct from reading on your forum, seems attributable to the Navy Kamakura-Tenshozan Inspector.  However the kanji inscription that we find in productions attributable to Tenshozan is not present.  On the other side of the nakago, in addition to the presence of some notches (in another discussion on the forum, there is talk of a form of numbering of the sword, xxx + IIII = 304?) I find some symbols imprinted which however I am not able to decipher well .  

Do you have any ideas?  

thanks in advance for the support.

Luca

[Bruce Pennington]

Luca, welcome!

 

You have done an excellent job researching your kaigunto.  Everything you have stated is correct.  Don't worry that there is no signature or mei.  Many of these blades were unsigned.  The markings on the end of the nakago are also "304" but I cannot make out that 4th charactor.  Maybe someone else can recognize it.  And you are exactly right about the modified Roman numberals.  Very nice kiagunto!

 

[Bugyotsuji]

That bottom character looks like an H…(?)

[Kiipu]

22 hours ago, Luca said:

However the kanji inscription that we find in productions attributable to Tenshozan is not present.

 

Hi Luca and welcome to the "Military Swords" subforum.  Your sword was made by Tenshōzan and inspected by the navy.  Tenshōzan blades were signed & dated until late 1943 and then the practice was stopped.  So your blade was made sometime after late 1943.

 

I have a couple of questions for you about the tang.  How long is the tang in millimeters?  From the center of the tang hole (mekugi-ana) to the notches (machi), what is the length?

[Luca]

Thank you all for the promptness of your feedback which provided very useful information to reconstruct the origins of the object.  I noticed if it helps you that a magnet attaches to the blade.  If you need any further information, I'm available as you were to me!

[Kiipu]

Luca, thanks for the tang picture.  Below is a link to another sword like yours, except it is assembly #499.  Note the unknown character that follows the number on the bottom of the hilt.  You may want to take a look at yours and see if it has a character as well.

Two KaiGunto for review

[Bruce Pennington]

3 hours ago, Kiipu said:

except it is assembly #499.  Note the unknown character that follows the number on the bottom of the hilt. 

I see 499 in Roman numerals, but I don’t see any other characters.

[Luca]

Kiipu is probably referring to the character observed after 499 engraved on the upper part of the handle.

 

below is a photo of mine

 

[Luca]

however the two swords are really very similar!

[Beater]

16 hours ago, Kiipu said:

Tenshōzan blades were signed & dated until late 1943 and then the practice was stopped. 

Just a thought, but would this be because of the death of Fujiwara Kanenaga, who worked at the Tenshozan forge and certainly signed many blades with his distinct small, precise kanji? I can’t recall the exact date of his death but I know it was in 1943.

Regards,

Kevin.

[Bruce Pennington]

Sesko has him dying in August of '43:

KANENAGA (兼永), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Nōshū-jū Nara Tarō Fujiwara Kanenaga” (濃州住奈良 太郎藤原兼永), real name Kawamura Eijirō (河村永治郎), born in April 1887, he was one of the first smiths who worked with stainless steel and also focused on the carving of elaborate horimono, he lived in Seki and died in August 1943 at the age of 57.

 

It is a striking coincidence.  But this is a topic I know nothing about, so I'll leave that question to you guys!