Just got in a Type 98 Shin-Gunto by SHIGEKUNI? Any info?

[tbonesullivan]

Just wondering if anyone has any information on the swordsmith SHIGEKUNI, which like the KATSUTERU example I looked at, is also pretty much unknown. It's a pretty standard type 98, SUGUHA temper line, Irayagamata tang as with others seen. It has two holes in the tank, one of which looks to be drilled. I also can't quite decide if it is written 重 国 or 重 國, but it looks more like the first one.

 

I did do a search, and came up with this thread from quite a number of years ago, but wondered if there is any more information out there now, compared to 16 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Nothing in Sesko's list on a showa era Shigekuni.

[ChrisW]

Far as I know, there are 11 generations of Shigekuni which date back about 400 years. The most famous being Nanki Shigekuni 1st generation. Hawley has him at 115 points and 15m yen in Toko Taikan, Sai-Jo Saku in Fujishiro. The 11th generation stopped working in the Ansei era and there are no more recorded after that.

https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SHI206

 

Would be a dream come true if this blade were him! But that is unlikely to be the case. But you still have many other to compare to and see how they compare.

If you'll be at the Chicago show, I'll have a papered 11th generation Shigekuni yoroi-doshi that you can compare this blade to and see how the workmanship compares to mine.

Shigekuni blades were known for being well made with lots of activity in the hamon and boshi.

[george trotter]

Hi David,

Your Shigekuni signed blade is identical to mine...signature matches exactly. It is written in the style of some of the signatures done by the c.1655  2nd Gen. NANKI SHIGEKUNI of KII province (now Wakayama).

However, this is in fact a WWII gendaito smith and now that you have provided a second example, it seems he made these for military officers, but signed in the style of 2nd Gen Shigekuni. Although modern WWII made, this smith is not recorded in any book I have seen, so other than discuss the quality and date of his (now 2) blades, I have no history of him.

Here are a few photos of mine and his signature and a comparison with the way the 2nd Gen Nanki Shigekuni signed some of his tangs - look especially at the way the 'kuni' is written. I think this WWII Shigekuni deliberately "copied" the writing style of the 2nd Gen.

Hope this helps.

I'd like to see some pics of your blade and fittings...any info on where/who surrendered your blade?

Mine was owned by a 2nd Lt. Kume of the 32nd (Kaeda) Division on Morotai Island in August 1945. This Div. consisted of the 210, 211, 212 Regiments drawn from Tokyo and the adjoining Chiba and Yamanashi Prefs. It was raised and trained in Feb 1939 - May 1939 (so the officer probably came from one of these three areas and as they all trained in Tokyo, this is probably where he engaged the smith Shigekuni to make his sword). Lt Kume surrendered to the Americans and Australians on Morotai in two separate ceremonies...he was obviously part of the units that surrendered to the Australians as it ended up here after the war.

Be great to know more about this Shigekuni....look forward to your pics of blade/tang/fittings etc.

On the handle wood (under the Fuchi) is a ink stamp "3 in a circle" mon (prob. the mounting/polishing/artisan logo, and also the kanji numbers '199' (prob the job number) and the name 'Oshima' (prob the name of the mounter guy?). Maybe check yours and see if yours went through the same "system".

My officer's silver mon was torn off before its surrender.

 

 

 

 

[george trotter]

Hi David,

It has been a couple of days since you posted...I was wondering if we are going to hear back from you regarding your query?

I would like to have info/pics from you regarding your Shigekuni - so I can compare it with mine.

Love to see the blade, whole tang, fittings and whether there are any "mounting shop" marks on your hilt wood etc.

So far as I know, you are the only other collector in the world that has a modern WWII Shigekuni sword.

 

Here are some hilt marks on mine. 3 in a circle stamp (mounting shop logo?)

kanji numbers 199 (job number?) - tsuba and seppa have roman numbers 199.

Name OSHIMA (customer name - not my officer - maybe the person who ordered the polishing/mounting job?).

Anything on your hilt?
Regards...

[george trotter]

Hi David,

Now 6 days since you asked your question about your WWII Shigekuni and also that long since members here gave you some answers.

Not sure why you don't get back in touch with us...hope you haven't been hit by a bus outside International Military Antiques in Gillette, New Jersey, where you work.

Hope to hear back from you and to see some pics of the blade and any info you have on the officer that owned it...IJA unit...where surrendered etc. Just hoping...

Regards...

[tbonesullivan]

On 3/6/2024 at 10:40 AM, george trotter said:

Hi David,

Your Shigekuni signed blade is identical to mine...signature matches exactly. It is written in the style of some of the signatures done by the c.1655  2nd Gen. NANKI SHIGEKUNI of KII province (now Wakayama).

However, this is in fact a WWII gendaito smith and now that you have provided a second example, it seems he made these for military officers, but signed in the style of 2nd Gen Shigekuni. Although modern WWII made, this smith is not recorded in any book I have seen, so other than discuss the quality and date of his (now 2) blades, I have no history of him.

Here are a few photos of mine and his signature and a comparison with the way the 2nd Gen Nanki Shigekuni signed some of his tangs - look especially at the way the 'kuni' is written. I think this WWII Shigekuni deliberately "copied" the writing style of the 2nd Gen.

Hope this helps.

I'd like to see some pics of your blade and fittings...any info on where/who surrendered your blade?

 

Unfortunately no information came with the sword regarding when / where it was surrendered. It also has most likely been "messed with" a bit, as it has a bunch of seppa which have matching numbers, however they don't match at all, and more than one has definitely been next to a Habaki for a long time. Overall it's a "regular" type 98, without any mon attached to the handle or any real assembly markings on the fittings or stamped on the tang of the blade. It's got some scuffing so the hamon is not easy to see in some places, and there is definitely some oxidation in a few areas. These are my notes on the blade:

 

37 ⅞” long with a 26 ⅜” blade. Scabbard 29 ⅜” long

HAMON: SUGUHA - 直刃 (straight)
NIE Crystals visible. Nioi cloudiness visible. Some Partial Ashi also visible.
Hada: MASAME (柾目 Straight)
 

[tbonesullivan]

On 3/8/2024 at 2:07 AM, george trotter said:

Hi David,

It has been a couple of days since you posted...I was wondering if we are going to hear back from you regarding your query?

I would like to have info/pics from you regarding your Shigekuni - so I can compare it with mine.

Love to see the blade, whole tang, fittings and whether there are any "mounting shop" marks on your hilt wood etc.

So far as I know, you are the only other collector in the world that has a modern WWII Shigekuni sword.

 

Here are some hilt marks on mine. 3 in a circle stamp (mounting shop logo?)

kanji numbers 199 (job number?) - tsuba and seppa have roman numbers 199.

Name OSHIMA (customer name - not my officer - maybe the person who ordered the polishing/mounting job?).

Anything on your hilt?
Regards...

 

These are the markings I was able to find on the Tsuka. They are definitely a bit faded, and look to mostly just be numbers.

[george trotter]

Hi David,

That is great info...thank you. I will "ponder it" and see if I can add anything to your info.

I actually responded to you privately before I saw this post, so please disregard my private message as you answer most of my questions here...just a couple of things...

Is it  dated on the tang?

Now many seppa?  (8?)

What is the assembly number stamped on the seppas?

Regards,

 

[tbonesullivan]

1 hour ago, george trotter said:

Hi David,

That is great info...thank you. I will "ponder it" and see if I can add anything to your info.

I actually responded to you privately before I saw this post, so please disregard my private message as you answer most of my questions here...just a couple of things...

Is it  dated on the tang?

Now many seppa?  (8?)

What is the assembly number stamped on the seppas?

Regards,

 

There is no date on the tang. It has 6 seppa, one was marked 150, and another had a different number in Japanese numerals, which did not match. The rest were unmarked, and the Tsuba did not have any markings. I'm pretty sure some of the seppa are not original to the sword, probably added by a "collector" because the tsuba was loose. Its unfortunately pretty rare that I get Type 98s that haven't been messed with in some way, unless they are in really good shape.

 

There are no markings on the fuchi or the scabbard lock, and I checked inside the scabbard, and if it had numbers, they are worn away. 

[george trotter]

OK, great stuff...thanks David.

I will keep an eye on IMA's auctions in case it comes up...be interested to know what it brings.

Regards...