Masatsugu gunto (possibly gendaito)

[Yukihiro]

My Masatsugu gunto arrived today - I got it from a fellow NMB member to whom I am most grateful.

 

The leather clad saya came with a matching tsuka cover.

I very much doubted that the sarute was original to the koshirae, but now that I see it with my own eyes, I am beginning to have second thoughts.

[Yukihiro]

The koshirae is number matching: 99.

I was unable to spot a star stamp on the nakago.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the number 99 also appears on both sides of the nakago.

 

 

[Yukihiro]

There are two kanji on the mune machi, but I am unable to read them:

 

To go back to the sarute, although it doesn't look Japanese to me, I must say that, judging from its patina, it could have been on there for the last eighty years or so.

 

The blade itself is in need of a polish: I think someone must have tried to sharpen it as if it were a bucher's knife and I see no hada at all, not to mention the hamon, which seems to have been obscured by the sharpening work.

That said, I find this blade quite appealing: it feels really heavy in hand and quite sturdy as well. So now I am contemplating having it repolished, although I know it will cost me an arm and a leg and more than double the overall cost of this gunto.

 

The tsuka cover is now back on.

[Kiipu]

21 minutes ago, Yukihiro said:

There are two kanji on the mune machi, but I am unable to read them:

 

These are army inspection marks and indicate the blade is most likely traditionally made.  This blade predates the adoption of the later "Star" stamp.

名ホ.

[Yukihiro]

I should have started with Bruce's study on Japanese Sword Stamps:

 

 

 

[mecox]

Didier,  its Taguchi Masatsugu, history & examples in NMB Downloads.   (sarute likely a later non-Japanese replacement)

 

 

[Yukihiro]

15 minutes ago, mecox said:

Didier,  its Taguchi Masatsugu, history & examples in NMB Downloads.   (sarute likely a later non-Japanese replacement)

 

 

Thank you very much indeed, Malcolm! This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for

So I take it that polishing the blade anew is definitely worth a try?

[mecox]

@Yukihiro   @Kiipu @Bruce Pennington  Didier  your blade is dated February 1942 and as noted by Thomas this it pre Star stamp.  However, Masatsugu does have one of the earliest Star stamps at August 1942.  It would appear that your blade is traditionally made, but whether worth polishing depends on its condition, and the economics.  The polish could cost more than the blade value.

To further put Masatsugu into context, look at the paper on FUKUOKA in NMB Downloads.  This also discusses the nakago mune stamps.  Yours is 名ホ. Na/Ho and is an interesting example I did not have, so in Feb 1942 his sword was "collected" by a Nagoya inspector then delivered to Kokura Arsenal where it was polished.  See pages 30-32 in the Fukuoka paper. (Note there are several other Masatsugu).  From the koshirae it does look that your blade was owned by an officer in the field.

[Bruce Pennington]

Great sword, Didier, with plenty of personality!  I agree the patina on that sarute matches the kabutogane.  Could have been something the owner put on himself.

 

@mecox I do have a June 1942 Masatsugu with star (and Na Ho), posted by @Shuriken.  Photos available if needed.

 

I also have another Feb 1942 Masatsugu, with similar painted numbers (A19) and Na Ho.  Must have both been fitted from the same shop.  That one has an aluminum saya, and no leather.

[Yukihiro]

2 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I also have another Feb 1942 Masatsugu, with similar painted numbers (A19) and Na Ho.  Must have both been fitted from the same shop.  That one has an aluminum saya, and no leather.

I would be interested to get a peek at your Feb 1942 Masatsugu, to see how it compares to mine, from the point of view of its koshirae, as well.

[Bruce Pennington]

Here's what I have:

[Bruce Pennington]

more

[vajo]

On 9/24/2024 at 7:26 PM, Yukihiro said:

 

The koshirae is number matching: 99.

 

 

 

I was unable to spot a star stamp on the nakago.

 

 

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the number 99 also appears on both sides of the nakago.

 

 

 

 

Its star stamped i see it.

 

[vajo]

I'm no longer gold member so i can't post it here from my pc.

 

• You have used all of the attachment space you are allowed.

[Yukihiro]

23 minutes ago, vajo said:

Its star stamped i see it.

 

I will have a much closer look, then, but wasn't the Star stamp supposed to be later than February 1942?

[Yukihiro]

@Bruce Pennington There are some striking resemblances between the koshirae of the Masatsugu blade you posted and mine, and I see that the rectangular latch hole on your pierced tsuba was slightly rounded off, too. Maybe the sarute on yours was the original plain one, which would account for mine being replaced with whatever was possible to obtain.

[vajo]

The stamp is there where it should be. 

[Yukihiro]

Is this what you mean? This is the only possibility I can see, but I don't think this is a Star stamp.

 

 

[vajo]

No on the ura side. 

The star is never on the date side.

[Yukihiro]

 

Maybe there is a hint of a star, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

This is what it should look like:

[vajo]

I see nothing on that picture.

Its not there.

No stamp.

[Yukihiro]

3 minutes ago, vajo said:

I see nothing on that picture.

Its not there.

No stamp.

 

There is some kind of ghostly outline that might suggest a star.

[Yukihiro]

 

I finally got around to taking some photographs of the blade, but, if this gunto is indeed a gendaito, you will see just how disappointing they are.

 

The only part of this blade which is worth looking at is the nakago.

 

 

 

[Yukihiro]

 

As is often the case, the blade was sharpened in an awkward way, which resulted in the blurring of what few features would have still been visible.