Type 98 sword

[Butch]

Help with this Type 98 officers sword which comes with a Sami covered brown sayer and with a Major to Colonel rank Tassle and also a Mon attached to the handle ..

Help would be greatly appreciated who finding who the maker is ?

Many thanks Gareth

[Butch]

Some more pics

[Butch]

More

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[Bruce Pennington]

That's a relly nice gunto, Gareth!

 

The smith is 祐光 (Sukimitsu).  Can't make out the full date, as I don't have grass script down very well.  It's one of those "Year 2600 + 'number'" dates.  Someone like @SteveM can help with that.

 

Actually, Sesko has it as "Sukemitsu" not Sukimitsu, and has 2 smiths listed during the war:

"SUKEMITSU (祐光), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Shiga – “Bitchū no Kuni-jū Takeshita Sukemitsu” (備中国住 竹下祐光), “Gōshū Suzuka-sanroku-jū Takeshita Sukemitsu kore o saku” (江州鈴鹿山麓竹下祐光作之), real name Takeshita Zenji (竹下善自), born May 20th 1915, his father was a certain Eitarō Sukemitsu (栄太郎祐光), he studied under Okishiba Masatsugu (沖芝正次) and worked as rikgun-jumei-tōshō (see picture right)
SUKEMITSU (祐光), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Sukemitsu” (祐光), real name Fukuda Yoshiji (福田吉二), born October 10th 1909, he worked as guntō smith"

 

The inked writing on the end of the tsuka is just a matching number "0417"

 

 

[SteveM]

Yes, it looks like 皇紀二千六百三年仲冬  (Imperial year 2603, mid winter).

2603 is 1943

[Butch]

Thank you both for your help ..

I have had this sword for a while but health issues as stopped me posting it the blade is in fantastic condition with a beautiful interesting Hamon …

Gareth 

[John C]

3 hours ago, Butch said:

a Mon

Gareth:

Below is the reference for your mon. I don't know the name, however the mon is associated with "Ya" (arrow). Also, the numbers in kanji on the end of the tsuka match the stamped numbers on the other fittings.

 

John C.

[Butch]

Thanks John C wondered what the Mon was ..

[George KN]

Another Welsh member! Noswaith dda  

 

Also absolutely beautiful hamon on that gunto, and what looks to be a really nice saya as well. Very jealous.

[reeder]

Sukehiro is the smith. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Very nice sword, is there any history behind it? Sometimes the writing on the Tsuka could be the officers name or related to the Mon.

 

Edit: Bruce translated it as matching assembly numbers.

[Butch]

Thanks for the comments regarding the smith called Sukehiro is there any information about him ?

Thanks Gareth 

[oli]

4 minutes ago, Butch said:

Thanks for the comments regarding the smith called Sukehiro is there any information about him ?

Thanks Gareth 

Markus Sesko book: 

 

SUKEHIRO (祐弘), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tōkyō – “Tenkeishi Sukehiro” (天奎子祐弘),

“Sukehiro” (祐弘), real name Tomita Shōtarō (富田庄太郎), born January 29th 1891, he signed

also with Sukemitsu (祐光), gō Tenkeishi (天奎子), he studied from 1912 under his grandfather

Katō Sanekuni (加藤真国) and worked later as rikugun-jumei-tōshō, kihin-jōi (Akihide), Special

Honor Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)

[Bruce Pennington]

13 hours ago, reeder said:

Sukehiro is the smith. 

Thanks Brandon!  I see it now - 祐弘.  Well, my track record of being wrong half the time is holding strong!

[Butch]

Thanks Oli is there an image of him anywhere ?

Gareth 

[oli]

46 minutes ago, Butch said:

Thanks Oli is there an image of him anywhere ?

Gareth 

Yes in the book from Markus Sesko https://www.lulu.com...ko&page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

[Butch]

Thank you for that as I don’t have the book could anyone help to post the image for me of him …

Gareth 

[Butch]

Will post pics of my two army sami  covered swords together tomorrow …

[zentsuji2]

Absolutely stunning swords Butch.

 

Love the rayskin scabbards  on gunto swords ,just never see them come up for sale here that often .

The hamon on the Sukehiro is beautiful ,as are the mounts and officers tassel.....great sword .

 

Look forward to more pics of second sword 

Thanks for sharing them .

 

Ian

[Butch]

As promised a pic of my three Sami covered sayer swords together one Navy and two Army both the Navy and one Army have been posted before but never the three together ..

Thanks Gareth 

[Butch]

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[Butch]