Another type 98 showato for review

[Jimny]

Sometimes you get lucky at auction as this was not a good looker from the auction pictures when I placed a low bid, so it was a nice suprise on collection no pitting particularly in the flesh (looked black and sandpapered in some of the pictures) a Mon on the tuska and a nicely visible hamon.

 

 

[Jimny]

More pictures.

[Jimny]

[Bruce Pennington]

Nice find, Perry!  Don't know how much you know about it.  Smith was Katsumasa:

"KATSUMASA (勝正), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Katsumasa” (勝正), real name Kojima Shichi´emon (小島七右衛門), born October 20th 1892, he studied under Kaneyoshi (兼吉), worked as a guntō smith and died September 22nd 1947"

 

Likely no date on the other side, with that large Seki stamp, but most of those were made in 1942, plus or minus a year.

 

Faded blue/brown tassel was for Capt's & Lt's.

[Jimny]

Thanks for the information, what kind of rating did this smith have quality wise as I think I have read elsewhere on this forum that showato guntos are uncommon to find in koshirae with a Mon on them?

[Bruce Pennington]

I am out of town for a few weeks, and don't have my books.  Maybe someone with a Hawley list can answer about his rating.

 

I haven't intentionally noted which blades were in gunto with mon, but I suspect you will find everything in them.  Maybe @PNSSHOGUN has experience with that question.