Rinji Seikishi dated 1945 - Signed by KATSUTERU?

[tbonesullivan]

So, I've searched all my resources, and just wanted to check my reading of the mei, as the best I can tell it reads 勝 照 - KATSU TERU, and no other Kanji even comes close to the second one. I went through just about every Mei beginning with KATSU I could find and was not able to find anything. Consulting my Kanji charts came up with TERU for the second character. I can't find any smith listed under this name. It's signed in the usual late war "chippy" way so I thought maybe I was misreading it.

 

Date is pretty standard 昭 和 二 十 年 二 月 - Showa 20 (1945) 2nd Month (February).

 

The sword is a completely standard arsenal made "P-1944" Rinji Seikishi in every other way aside from the signature I cannot identify.

[mecox]

David, looks like 勝 照  KATSUTERU  and Feb 1945, but no info readily available.

[Conway S]

@tbonesullivan I'm glad you posted this sword. I have one with the same mei also dated February 1945. I was also stumped by the character after Katsu. Mine has a Gifu stamp above the mei and a Gifu stamp on the mune. Thanks @mecox for confirming. 

 

Conway 

 

 

 

[tbonesullivan]

On 2/27/2024 at 5:17 PM, Conway S said:

@tbonesullivan I'm glad you posted this sword. I have one with the same mei also dated February 1945. I was also stumped by the character after Katsu. Mine has a Gifu stamp above the mei and a Gifu stamp on the mune. Thanks @mecox for confirming. 

 

Conway 

Well that definitely is interesting. I wonder if the person they had putting the mei on blades that day made a mistake? Or maybe it was a very new smith? 

[mecox]

There are occasionally tosho not in lists but swords found.  For Seki registration I think at least 4-5.  Often they are later in the war and in an arsenal.   In Seki there were a few late registration tosho (e.g. 1944) with "katsu"  e.g. Katsunori and Katsufusa.  Some are young some are old.