New here, was wondering if I could get some insight on some WW2 bring back swords

[LiLDJT]

Hello All! I’m new to this forum, I was referred by a fellow member of gunboards. I was wondering anyone would be able to help me get some more information and history on some swords I own. The shin gunto I bought from an English WW2 vet’s son, he told me his father brought it back from Burma. The wakizashi I found in an online estate auction from another vet a few years ago. Both swords are signed. The nice fellow who referred me told me the Tsuba on the gunto was a Gunzoku Tsuba. From what I can tell by Googling it was a civil branch of the military? He also said the sword was refitted for WW2. I’ve attached some photos of the swords, their tangs, and the Tsuba of the Wakizashi. Thank you so much, any insight would be helpful. -Evan

[Kiipu]

三品義明 Mishina Yoshiaki.  A World War 2 Seki swordsmith.

 

友次 Tomotsugu.  Bruce over at GBF says Tomoyasu 友安; but, I do not see those characters.  So lets get SteveM to arbitrate!

First post, help with some swords I own

 

Tsuba, outside my ballpark, so let us call Spartancrest.

[LiLDJT]

Thank you! Do you have any idea when the Wakizashi would’ve been made? 

[Spartancrest]

The Iron guard is not military and is OLD a genuine piece - someone can probably give you a translation if you drop the image over onto the translation forum. The other is what your friend says is a Gunzoku Tsuba  and is likely some sort of civil service sword. [I have even heard they may have been 'civil defence' like the home guard but I would have expected many many more examples to have been evident]

 

 

Bruce Pennington says he has not seen this pattern before in the above thread but I have seen maybe a dozen and owned one myself [which I regret I exchanged for something else]

[SteveM]

Tomotsugu (友次) for sure. 

 

[LiLDJT]

Hey thank you all for the information and help. If I read correctly Tomotsugu was from the early Muromachi period so the blade is from somewhere between the early 1300s to late 1400s is that correct? Is there a way to tell if the Wakizashi was refitted during the war? I was once told the Wakizashi was from the edo period. To have one that’s almost 400 years older than I thought makes me happy! Thank you all again! 

[Spartancrest]

    

 

 

https://www.samuraim...samurai-sword-t-372/

 

  I personally think the design is Grape leaves and grapes - the samurai museum has an interesting description on the symbology of the grape: 

"In Japanese, there is the word Budou (武道) which means martial arts. As Budou (葡萄, grape) has the same pronunciation of this word, it is considered that grape pattern shares some underlying ideas with Bushido (武士道, Japanese chivalry). That is why many Samurai appreciated the grape motif."

[Bruce Pennington]

8 hours ago, LiLDJT said:

Hey thank you all for the information and help. If I read correctly Tomotsugu was from the early Muromachi period so the blade is from somewhere between the early 1300s to late 1400s is that correct? Is there a way to tell if the Wakizashi was refitted during the war? I was once told the Wakizashi was from the edo period. To have one that’s almost 400 years older than I thought makes me happy! Thank you all again! 

There are no obvious signs that this was fitted out for the War.

 

Do yourself a favor and take it over to the Nihonto forum.  There are lots of guys there that can evaluate the blade and give you ideas on a date range.

[uwe]

8 hours ago, LiLDJT said:

Hey thank you all for the information and help. If I read correctly Tomotsugu was from the early Muromachi period so the blade is from somewhere between the early 1300s to late 1400s is that correct? Is there a way to tell if the Wakizashi was refitted during the war? I was once told the Wakizashi was from the edo period. To have one that’s almost 400 years older than I thought makes me happy! Thank you all again! 

Not necessarily! 
There are about 19 smiths listet (Sesko, Index of Japanese Swordsmiths) with this name, ranging from the 13th century to the 17th century…

I would support the Edo (Shin-to) assessment!

[LiLDJT]

Interesting! Thank you Uwe that would make more sense. Last night I was looking at similar iron tsubas online that were also Edo period. 

[Kiipu]

The iron tsuba was made by Kanenobu.

長州萩金信 Chōshū Hagi Kanenobu.

Translation courtesy of "mywei".

Help translating a Tsuba