Type 98 Translation/ID (Seki Toku?)

[CowboyVittles]

This one's got a lot of interesting stuff to look at.

-Nakago has mune stamp, similar to "Seki Toku" from p.53 of Stamp Guide Mar 2024

-Mei/writing on both sides of nakago; unidentified stamp (to my eyes) towards top on traditional mei-side

-Hamon looks to be suguha pattern

-Ito has been re-wrapped, with a hilariously bad plastic cover. With this & the mismatched numbering, wouldn't be surprised if this guy assembled "Frankenswords" from surplus.

 

Numerals:

-Tsuba and spacers are all marked "17" in arabic numerals. Fuchi is marked "17" on the inside rim, in Japanese Roman numerals.

-Tsuka stamped "17" with some other unknown symbols in red ink

-Inside of Scabbard seems marked "13" or "17"?

-Scabbard release button marked "12" I believe?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translations & opinions appreciated! 

 

Will have more pics of furniture & overall geometry of the blade in next post.

 

Edit: I also see evidence of roman numerals on the inner-side of the habaki. Just scared to remove it & kick up all that rust. Just wondering would there be any benefit to knowing the number inside the habaki?

 

Edited June 30, 2024 by CowboyVittles
Additional information

[CowboyVittles]

 

 

 

 

 

[CowboyVittles]

Overall shape of nakago

[CowboyVittles]

 

[ROKUJURO]

Looks like SADATSUGU (second KANJI with a doubt), made in Juli 1944.

Photos of the NAKAGO and blade should always be shown tip-upwards. Taken on a dark background, directly from above, light from the side, presented as cut-out, so not much of the background is seen. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Yes,

貞継 Takai Sadatsugu

高井 貞次郎

 

"SADATSUGU (貞次), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Sadatsugu” (貞次), family name Takai (高井), rikugun-jumei-tōshō, ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)"

 

An RJT qualified smith.  No chance there's a faint star near the top of the mei side?  The only other blade I have of his is a Tan stamped blade from 1942.

 

Also, can you tell if the blade is gendaito or oil tempered?  Close-ups of the hamon would be nice.

[Bruce Pennington]

@mecox

 

We now have 2 blades with this exact 3-stamp combo

 

Sadatsugu, July 1943 1944

Kanetoshi, July 1944

 

Both from Gifu, both RJT qual.  Like always, I'm looking for a connection between the 2.  Do you know of any?

According to Thomas, @Kiipu, though, the stamp meant "special approval" (HERE} and could have been used by any factory.  So, there might not be a link between the 2.

[Kiipu]

Yes, this only the second time I have seen this stamp combination.  Looks like Nagoya Arsenal was using the 特 stamp then.  Brandon's stamping is a little clearer than the previous one and thus the third stamp looks like an 一 [1].

関

特

一

 

Brandon, thanks for sharing and below is a link to the other sword.

Show Us Your High Class Gunto

 

carbon copy: @IJASWORDS

[mecox]

 @Kiipu @Bruce Pennington   I dont know what the 3 kanji mean but 特 "toku" means special.

But both swords  are Gifu and  the two dates are both July 1944, maybe that is more significant

Sadatsugu, July 1944

Kanetoshi, July 1944

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 6/30/2024 at 5:04 PM, Kiipu said:

the third stamp looks like an 一 [1].

Expand  

I was thinking in that direction, too.  

 

Thanks guys!

[CowboyVittles]

  On 6/30/2024 at 12:23 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Yes,

貞継 Takai Sadatsugu

高井 貞次郎

 

"SADATSUGU (貞次), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Sadatsugu” (貞次), family name Takai (高井), rikugun-jumei-tōshō, ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)"

 

An RJT qualified smith.  No chance there's a faint star near the top of the mei side?  The only other blade I have of his is a Tan stamped blade from 1942.

 

Also, can you tell if the blade is gendaito or oil tempered?  Close-ups of the hamon would be nice.

Expand  

Whew, exciting to have a blade that could possibly help you out with your records!

Will update with more pics this evening.

 

Haven't seen a star, just that tiny kanji at the top of mei side. Will include a closer Pic of that one.

 

Edit: scratch that, think I'm seeing a tiny star opposite of the tiny kanji. (Which may just be another Seki, hard to tell). Will catch a pic.

 

Will include close-ups of hamon & see if I can catch a hada. From my limited knowledge, I'd guess that the hamon exhibits a more "soft" transition akin to a water quench. But I trust your guys' eyes a bit more! Haha

[CowboyVittles]

  On 6/30/2024 at 12:23 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Yes,

貞継 Takai Sadatsugu

高井 貞次郎

 

"SADATSUGU (貞次), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Sadatsugu” (貞次), family name Takai (高井), rikugun-jumei-tōshō, ryōkō no jōi (Akihide), Fifth Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)"

 

An RJT qualified smith.  No chance there's a faint star near the top of the mei side?  The only other blade I have of his is a Tan stamped blade from 1942.

 

Also, can you tell if the blade is gendaito or oil tempered?  Close-ups of the hamon would be nice.

Expand  

 

Bruce, 

 

Sorry for the delay. Got a bit sidetracked with the 4th and family events this week. Appears there's actually *2* little star stamps on the nakago, as far as I can see? One to the below-right and looks to be another further offset on the left side. 

 

 

Hope these of the hamon are clear enough to be of help. I don't really have much of a darker sheet to lay them on. Looks like some kind of hada to me in the 2nd Pic, but I am nowhere near familiar enough with hada patterns to say that with confidence. 

 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Brandon!

You have the larger SEKI stamp to the right of the hole (ana) in that first photo.  The rest are just metal flaws/pits.  

 

Seeing that, I would say your blade is nicely made showato, not traditional.  

 

I appreciate the update.