Gunto, Tag and Unexpected Iron Daisho Tsuba Set

[Fusilier]

G'day Guy's,

 

I purchased for resale recently this Showa Era Gunto, having been sent a couple of very poor photographs of the sword.  I was genuinely surprised at how nice it was when it arrived with matching numbered shin gunto mountings, I wasn't expecting it to be accompanied by a boxed Iron Daisho Tsuba set, which in addition to containing two Tsuba for a set of blades, also contained a tag which presumably was once fitted to the sword.  I was hoping you guys could help me answer a number of questions which spring to mind.  Firstly, and obviously, what do the mei on the sword say? I assume the painted symbols on the reverse face are numbers from its production.  Secondly, what does the tag say?  Thirdly, can anyone tell me anything about the boxed Tsuba, including a translation of the inscription on the large one? Finally, has anyone seen a pairing like this before, of a wartime forged blade and an Iron Daisho Tsuba set?

 

I'd be hugely grateful for any insights.

[Fusilier]

Final two pics

[xiayang]

Hi David,

 

the blade is signed

 

井戸秀俊 = Ido Hidetoshi

 

and the owner's name on the surrender tag is

 

皆川喜德 = Minagawa [not sure how to read the given name, could be Yoshinori or Nobunori]

[moriarty]

This exact pair of tsuba is for sale here:

https://gspawn.com/p..._sid=099ca4d9f&_ss=r

Maybe an old reproduction or cast? 

[Nobody]

The owner's address on the tag;

佐世保市高梨町一三二 - Sasebo-shi, Takanashi-cho 132

[Fusilier]

1 hour ago, moriarty said:

This exact pair of tsuba is for sale here:

https://gspawn.com/p..._sid=099ca4d9f&_ss=r

Maybe an old reproduction or cast? 

Thanks Maurice, Great spot, at first crack It looks identical to the one I have, but assuming one thing can't be in two places at once, its either a mass produced item or a fake assuming my seller didn't very generously purchase it and send it to me as a gift !! Given the age old wisdom that if it looks too good to be true it usually is, I'd go with the former explanation. 

 

Interestingly, I think the box is the giveaway here.  On the example you've sent me from the pawn shop there are three small discolored marks on the velvet at the top left of the smaller Tsuba, the box I have doesn't have that or any of the other small distinguishing marks on the Pawn Shop example.  If anyone knows more, or can translate what the inscription says, I'd be delighted to hear.

 

Thanks again Maurice

[Fusilier]

18 minutes ago, Nobody said:

The owner's address on the tag;

佐世保市高梨町一三二 - Sasebo-shi, Takanashi-cho 132

Thank you Moriyama San,

 

Are you able to confirm Jan's translation of the original owners name: 皆川喜德 = Minagawa [not sure how to read the given name, could be Yoshinori or Nobunori] ?

 

Cheers David

[Fusilier]

1 hour ago, xiayang said:

Hi David,

 

the blade is signed

 

井戸秀俊 = Ido Hidetoshi

 

and the owner's name on the surrender tag is

 

皆川喜德 = Minagawa [not sure how to read the given name, could be Yoshinori or Nobunori]

Thanks Jan,

 

Great info, on the name, I once called one of these tags a 'surrender tag' and was mildly scolded for doing so, is it now the accepted name for these things?

 

Cheers David

[Nobody]

15 minutes ago, Fusilier said:

Thank you Moriyama San,

 

Are you able to confirm Jan's translation of the original owners name: 皆川喜德 = Minagawa [not sure how to read the given name, could be Yoshinori or Nobunori] ?

 

Cheers David

 

There is no need to get  my confirmation. Jan is one of most reliable transtators here.

 

[Fusilier]

42 minutes ago, Nobody said:

 

There is no need to get  my confirmation. Jan is one of most reliable transtators here.

 

I'm incredibly grateful always for Jan's help, I was actually referring to his question about the translation of Minagawa's given name and whether you had a view on whether it was Yoshinori or Nobunori?

 

There was certainly no question of Jan's reliability as a translator and if I've given you that impression, it was inadvertent on my part.

 

Cheers David

[Nobody]

Generally, both Yoshinori and Nobunori are possible to be a given name. No one knows 皆川喜徳’s correct reading without farther evidence.

 

Personally, I like Yoshinori better than Nobunori because the sound is pleasing to my ear.

However, there was actually at least one Nobunori.

Ref. Matsudaira Nobunori - Wikipedia

[ROKUJURO]

David,

the TSUBA set is not a DAISHO (although one is large and the other small) as we understand it, and they are not real TSUBA but cast souvenir or commemorative items, probably 20th century. The cast-in signature does not mean much (TSUGUAKI ?). 

[Bruce Pennington]

11 hours ago, Fusilier said:

Thanks Jan,

 

Great info, on the name, I once called one of these tags a 'surrender tag' and was mildly scolded for doing so, is it now the accepted name for these things?

 

Cheers David

I've never heard them called anything else.

[Fusilier]

16 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

David,

the TSUBA set is not a DAISHO (although one is large and the other small) as we understand it, and they are not real TSUBA but cast souvenir or commemorative items, probably 20th century. The cast-in signature does not mean much (TSUGUAKI ?). 

Thanks Jean Collin, That makes sense.