Help identifying this sword

[fourth alarm]

 

 

Jeremy 

Texas 

 

 

Hello, I just acquired this sword from an estate and know nothing about it. I would like as much information about this sword as possible. Here are some photos. 

[Bazza]

Signed BUSHU JU HIROSHIGE.

 

BaZZa.

[French nihonto]

Markus Sesko : 

 

 

Hiroshige (N), 1 Gene Bunroku (CP 1592-1596), Musashi -. "Bushu Shitahara Hiroshige-ju", "Bushu-ju

Hiroshige, "real name" Yamamoto Shinshichiro "he was the fourth son of the 1st Gen. Shitahara

Terushige (WN) and opened his own branch of Shitahara family, he lived in Ongatamura (XYZ) in Musashi's Hachioji,

Suguha mixed with Gunome-ashi in ko-nie-deki with a rather suppressed nioiguchi, chu-saku

 

Hiroshige (N), 1 . Gene Kan'ei (1624-1644), Musashi - "Bushu Shitahara Hiroshige-ju", "Bushu Hiroshige-ju", "Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Hiroshige", "Bushu Tasai Hachioji-gun Yokoyama no junin Seishu Kuwana

ni saku oite Shitahara Hiroshige, "" made out of Shitahara Hiroshige

Yokoyama at the Hachioji District Tasai Musashi in Ises Kuwana "), real name" Yamamoto Shinbei, "he

later changed his first name to "Shin'emon", the third son of the 1st Gen. Shinshichiro Hiroshige, he opened the twelfth year Kan'ei (1635) has its own branch of Shitahara family, he died in the second year Kanbun (1662) at the age of 88 years

 

Looks like a good blade. Unfortunately Gimei for me. 
I really like the Habaki, Chrysanthemum Imperial is divine wind I think. 

[Bazza]

Many decades ago I had a polished and papered katana in shirasaya so signed by this smith. It was lovely and I wish I still had it, but such is life that it needed to go to buy a more desired item.  Sigh...

 

BaZZa.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Nice pre-WWII mounts with seldom seen black lacquered Army Saya. Some have hypothesized that this has a connection to the Special Naval Landing Force, the Kikusui-To on the Habaki may offer some support to this.

[Geraint]

Dear Jeremy.

 

Just to back up a little, and forgive me if I over simplify but you did say you knew nothing about the sword.  This is a sword in Shingunto mounts designed and carried by officers during WWII.  It has a pierced tsuba/guard which is a nice sign as most are not cut through, the mounts are in generally good condition and it has an unusual black lacquered saya.  As is often the case it has been fitted with an earlier blade, you know all about the signature.  These are often described as familyy blades but that is known not always to have been the case as desperate measures meant that there was a call up for blades to equip officers later in the war. 

 

At the base of the blade is the habaki/blade collar which is unusual in being silver foiled and with the marks that Maxime mentioned.  Gimei means that the signature is not by the smith that it claims to be.  I can't see much detail of the blade and some of the marks suggest that a previous owner may have polished the blade, bad news and please don't clean or polish anything, just a wipe with light oil will do.

 

I see that someone else has replied while I am typing so all of the above may already have been covered.  Ah, not all but John's a specialist so his words are to be taken seriously.

 

All the best.

[Bruce Pennington]

Jeremy,

You call learn a lot about the Japanese officer sword variations on Ohmura's site here:

 

http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

 

You can find a discussion of the kikusui, or chrysanthemum floating of a river, on the thread below.  Briefly, it was:

"According Dan King, “A Tomb Called Iwo Jima,” the crest we know today as the Kikusui was the clan crest of a 14th Century Samurai, Kusunoki-Masa-sige , who fought to the death proclaiming “But that I had seven lives to give to the Emperor!” (at least the saying is attributed to him).  “The Japanese military used … the crest … as a symbol of devotion and self-sacrifice.  The Navy adopted Minatogawa Jinja as their sacred shrine.” 

 

[fourth alarm]

Thanks everyone! Is there anyway to see if the blade is not Gimei, I think it would be awesome if the blade was a older one passed down for the war effort.

Also it is missing the Mekugi, What would be the proper replacement for this?

[ChrisW]

  On 8/9/2024 at 2:43 AM, fourth alarm said:

Thanks everyone! Is there anyway to see if the blade is not Gimei, I think it would be awesome if the blade was a older one passed down for the war effort.

Also it is missing the Mekugi, What would be the proper replacement for this?

Expand  

Gimei blades were made/marked at all points throughout the history of nihonto. Regardless of whether or not this blade is gimei, it is almost certainly an older blade and could still merit restoration. Find a trusted polisher and ask their opinion. You could also take it to a sword club meeting and get opinions there. It is very hard to judge such things from photographs!

[Scogg]

  On 8/9/2024 at 2:43 AM, fourth alarm said:

Also it is missing the Mekugi, What would be the proper replacement for this?

Expand  

Until you find a proper replacement: you can fashion one from a bamboo chopstick. Cut off the proper length from a section of the tapered end. Choose a section that fits without falling out easily.

Cool sword! 

Best of luck,

-Sam