Is this a real WWII katana? if so who signed it?

[partyjam3]

[Bruce Pennington]

Sorry Matt, usually with a little time, Brian would have simply transferred your original post over here.  Here's his original post:

 

[Bruce Pennington]

It's a Type 98 Japanese officer gunto, made in 1944.  Still awating smith name:

 

[Bruce Pennington]

And Matt, just give me your best shot on that small stamp.  I'm often able to make them out.

[partyjam3]

  On 6/13/2024 at 6:12 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

And Matt, just give me your best shot on that small stamp.  I'm often able to make them out.

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It’s really hard to see in the photo but I circled it. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks! That is a very faintly struck large Seki stamp.
 

@Kiipu @SteveM - any chance of getting this smith’s name, please?

[Bruce Pennington]

I'm seeing Saneharu, so that's probaby wrong!

眞治

or Sanesuke or Naosuke

眞祐

 

or Naoharu

眞玄

[SteveM]

直治　Naoharu

[Kiipu]

It is starting with the old form of 直.  However, I do not recognize the smith as either Naosuke or Naotane.

 

Edit: Who is Naoharu?

[SteveM]

I'm seeing a WW2 smith on Yahoo Auction (JP) named Onoki Naoharu (小野木直治).

[partyjam3]

  On 6/13/2024 at 11:13 PM, SteveM said:

  On 6/13/2024 at 11:13 PM, SteveM said:

I'm seeing a WW2 smith on Yahoo Auction (JP) named Onoki Naoharu (小野木直治).

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I can’t find any information on him does that mean he was relatively unknown as a swordsmith? 

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[Kiipu]

Thanks SteveM.  I did not find him in the guild list over at touken-kasugado.  This is my go to page for finding Seki smiths in a hurry.

軍刀(昭和刀）の関鍛治刀匠名簿232名

[partyjam3]

Is it real? Why is the hamon so nice if it’s machine made? 

[PNSSHOGUN]

It's a real WWII oil tempered, non-traditional sword. After some study you will find this Hamon is not particularly nice at all, when compared to a true Japanese sword.

 

http://www.ksky.ne.j...9/hamonpatterns.html

[partyjam3]

  On 6/14/2024 at 2:20 AM, PNSSHOGUN said:

It's a real WWII oil tempered, non-traditional sword. After some study you will find this Hamon is not particularly nice at all, when compared to a true Japanese sword.

 

http://www.ksky.ne.j...9/hamonpatterns.html

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Yea but most of the WWII swords i’ve seen have a straight temper line or no hamon. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Matt,

Terminology time!  "Machine made" is collector short-hand for "non-traditionally made, which could mean a variety of things like hand forged but not tamahagane steel, or oil quenched, or other things."  All blades were made by people.  To increase production speed while maintaining reliability, factories began using a variety of methods like hydraulic hammers, oil quenching, rolled steel, all of which removes a blades from the "traditionally made" category.  But often, the blades still have a good deal of quality workmanship put into them.  

Here is a list of methods from Richard Fuller's book:

 

In my opinion, blades with the large Seki stamp tend to be nice looking and had a good deal of workmanship.  They were most likely non-traditionally made, but I like them.  But I am a WWII gunto lover, not a nihoto art aficionado.  

[SteveM]

I'm linking the Yahoo Auction site with the Onogi Naoharu sword, but I think many in Europe cannot access Yahoo Japan due to internet regulations, so I'll post a picture as well.

https://page.auction.../auction/e1055942330

 

 

 

[partyjam3]

  On 6/14/2024 at 2:06 PM, SteveM said:

I'm linking the Yahoo Auction site with the Onogi Naoharu sword, but I think many in Europe cannot access Yahoo Japan due to internet regulations, so I'll post a picture as well.

https://page.auction.../auction/e1055942330

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Why did he only sign his last name on my sword? Was that common? Couldn’t that also mean an apprentice of his made the sword? 

  On 6/14/2024 at 2:06 PM, SteveM said:

 

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[Kiipu]

Naoharu 直治 is not his last name but his swordsmith name.  His last name is Onoki 小野木.  Since 1868, by law, surname is written first, followed by given name.

Japanese name