Shin-gunto from my Grandpa

[Bang34]

Okay, I know that you have seen that title from every newb but I have done some research and consulted a local expert on my sword. Here are some image links, but please read futher before judging me.

 

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... 1263295938

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... 1263295978

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... 1263296016

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... 1263296048

 

Those are the photos, it was hard to get good ones of the blade without reflections.

 

I was told the translation was: 5th Month, 19th year, Showa

 

And the signature is: NobuMitsu

 

There is also a very small stamp which the expert said was Seki, it is so small I could not get a good shot of it with my camera.

 

My question is: Is this a traditional Gendaito blade or a non-traditional showato blade?

 

I know that most Seki stamped blades are Showato, but Japaneseswords.com does have a Shin-gunto supposedly made by NobuMitsu that is a Gendaito.

 

Any opinions are welcome.

 

-Ben

[mdiddy]

I would suggest Showato. The hamon looks nioi chu-suguha, a Showato feature. Also, it is late war (19th year of Showa = 1944) and better blades (i.e. Gendaito) usually have a star-stamp/better fittings combination. What do the fittings (scabbard, handle, etc) look like?

 

Of course, there are no absolutes and even star-stamped blades may not be 100% traditionally made and vice versa. Showato vs. Gendaito is a constant debate with little agreement on how to tell 100% of the time. However majority of blades produced for the war were Showato and in the late war period I would expect the ratio of Showato vs. Gendaito to be higher. Nioi chu-suguha is also a big tip-off.

 

Matt

[Bang34]

Here are a couple more pics of the tsuba and the handle:

 

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... 1263305178

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af1 ... 1263305427

 

I hope these help.

 

-Ben

[mdiddy]

These look like fittings from Type 98 koshirae. The fittings I referred to that came late in the war were for the Type 3 koshirae. Here is a page that shows the difference: http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_003.htm.

 

Essentially, your fittings are for the older model koshirae so that does not add any input on the showato vs. gendaito debate. My opinion is the older Type 98 koshirae fittings are nicer in general.

 

I still suggest showato for your blade based on nioi chu-suguha hamon. But keep doing the research and maybe you will find something new. If you browse around the site above you will find a wealth of info on Guntos.

 

Matt

[Stephen]

two Nobumitsu in Slough, the Showa-gifu looks close to yours.

 

 

edit to add, Hawleys small blue book says he was a student of Katsumitsu, it also says Katsumits was Teacher at Natl. Tech. shc.

 

Id not look for this being more than showato.

[zuiho]

Hello,

Most of my interest has been in gunto and have seen many.

In my experience, showato will show muji hada; no grain pattern in the steel between the hamon and shinogi ridge line. Also, many showato will have a shinogi that wavers along the length of the sword instead of a graceful curve thus betraying the fact that it is a factory

made item. The signature is not definitive since a workshop may have produced both showato and gendaito. The seki stamp indicates showato as a rule but everyone hopes their blade is the exception that is known to occur.

William G.

[loiner1965]

Hello,

Most of my interest has been in gunto and have seen many.

In my experience, showato will show muji hada; no grain pattern in the steel between the hamon and shinogi ridge line. Also, many showato will have a shinogi that wavers along the length of the sword instead of a graceful curve thus betraying the fact that it is a factory

made item. The signature is not definitive since a workshop may have produced both showato and gendaito. The seki stamp indicates showato as a rule but everyone hopes their blade is the exception that is known to occur.

William G.

as a rule yes but my seki stamped kanetoshi is hand made

[nagamaki - Franco]

In my experience, showato will show muji hada; no grain pattern in the steel between the hamon and shinogi ridge line.

 

Hello William, All,

 

An additional comment regarding muji hada.

 

The term "muji hada" is often used in association with machined Japanese sword steel as in the case with showa-to. This, at least in my experience, is a misnomer, because muji steel is a given specific term that is applied and used to describe hada in true nihonto where the folding pattern is not distinguishable, as in say for instance the same way that mokume, masame, or itame, would be, BUT, unlike machined steel, muji hada does indeed show hand forging qualities that make it "clearly distinguishable" from machined steel. Once a collector sees real muji hada and the image becomes imprinted, they will begin to understand what is meant by the term lifeless when it is applied to machined steel. So, perhaps we should call machined steel, just that, and stop slandering the term muji hada. Oops!, I bet I'm going to be real popular with the showato guys now