Duncan

[duncan2502]

Hi

 

I am not a collector of Japanese shin Gunto, but found this and wondered if anyone would give me their opinion on whether you think if this is an original sword and if so helping with the Translation of the Mark on the Tang. Any help would be most appreciated.

[ROKUJURO]

Looks like an authentic SHOWA-TO by SEKI KANEMITSU (can't read the MEI properly, too small).

Your photos aren't bad, but you could improve on the technique. Making good photos of swords isn't easy and takes a lot of experience. Try to post images that are:
 

- well focused, not foggy or blurry
- made with a dark, non reflective background for good contrast
- made with light from the side (may not apply for HAMON photos)
- made directly from above (not at an angle)
- made with correct orientation (vertically tip-upwards, especially NAKAGO photos and TSUBA) 
- without HABAKI but showing the MACHI and NAKAGO JIRI 
- made in high resolution to see details
- showing details (in magnification) like BOSHI, HAMACHI, HAMON, HADA, NAKAGO JIRI etc. or the fine work on TSUBA
- presented as cut-outs so very little background is shown
 

If you cannot provide good photos (..."these photos are all I have from the dealer...."/..."I do not have a good camera but only an old mobile phone...." ), DO NOT POST BAD ONES. They will not be helpful.

 

[Brian]

It's a genuine wartime made arsenal mass produced type sword. Oil quenched, with the arsenal stamp.
Kaneyoshi maybe?

Edit: Oops, Kanemitsu it is.

[duncan2502]

Hi 
 

Thanks for the feedback here are some more images, I am having problems uploading the others, 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Jean is right, Kanemitsu 兼光. There were two Seki Kaji Tosho using that Kanji:

 

兼光 (Kanemitsu) - 後藤 松蔵

兼光 (Kanemitsu) - 小川 光雄

[Yukihiro]

[mecox]

Duncan, Seki Goto Kanemitsu 関後藤兼光  he was a good smith, sho-sakura stamp is early war but looks a well made Showa-to blade. 

Some background and context in this paper:

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Not to be confused with Kanemitsu 金光.

[Bruce Pennington]

It kills me that they mostly didn't date the early war blades!  The showa stamp was used not by an arsenal, but by the civil organization called The Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association, tasked to inspect showato for quality by the Seki area sword industry.  They used the stamp from 1935 to 1942.  While most of the dated blades are found to have been made in 1940-'41, your Type 94 fittings likely put the blade more in the 1935-1938 range.

[duncan2502]

Thanks for all the very useful information on this sword far more than I could have hoped for. Certainly interesting that you think this was a 1935-38 produced blade I did not think it was that early.

[ROKUJURO]

Didier,

probably not OKUMURA KANEMITSU. I see that he used a different "KANE" KANJI.

[Yukihiro]

  On 10/21/2024 at 2:46 PM, ROKUJURO said:

Didier,

probably not OKUMURA KANEMITSU. I see that he used a different "KANE" KANJI.

Expand  

Yes, Jean, this is what I had thought: try as I may, I couldn't get the kanji to match - they're a different hand altogether.