My new Kobe type 95 - I have a few questions

[JohnWB]

Just picked this up today.  Please correct me if I am wrong about anything:  Made by Kobe Shoten under Kokura Army Arsenal, Inspected by Tokyo 1st Army Arsenal.

 

1.  The inspector stamp on the blade is a partial stamp, but can someone confirm that is a Tokyo Arsenal stamp?

2.  The saya has a period paint over the original green finish that is either very dark green or black aged to dark green.  Can someone explain this?  The Sarute is also painted with the same black.

 

From what I can find, this stamp only appears within a serial range of roughly 2000 blades. 

 

3.  Do we know if all 2000 swords in that range came from Kobe Shoten? 

4.  Are they actually all that scarce and is that Kobe stamp something 95 collectors are looking for? 

5.  More specifically, does it add appreciably to the value of the piece or would I value it like any other type 95?

6.  Any idea then this would have been made?

 

Thanks guys!  I have learned so much from you!

 

 

[JohnWB]

[Conway S]

John,  

 

Nice find! I linked a useful bit of information on Kobe in another thread below. I believe there should not be any other subcontractors mixed in once the Kobe range starts. I think the “K” marked Kobe swords in this range are unique  because production with this fuchi stamp was so brief. However, if you factor in that there is a belief that Ichi “一” and Kobe may be the same subcontractor, then I guess Kobe/Ichi production is not so short. “一” marked swords appear in many serial number ranges. Also note that your sword has the brass tsuba whereas these Kobe swords are commonly found with the black iron tsuba. I have one similar to your example in the linked thread. 
 

Conway 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

The mark on the blade is the top horizontal line and the first 'box', left side under that line of the "TO" stamp.

 

I doubt that the Kobe stamp will add to the pricing value for most collectors.  It would have to be someone that is specifically trying to collect examples from each arsenal and contractor. to make a difference.

 

As for the paint, we have had many discussions about wartime second paint-jobs.  No one really knows, but there are plenty of examples making it clear that it was done.

 

Nice 95, John!  Beautiful blade and paint in decent condition.

[Scogg]

10 hours ago, JohnWB said:

Just picked this up today.  Please correct me if I am wrong about anything:  Made by Kobe Shoten under Kokura Army Arsenal, Inspected by Tokyo 1st Army Arsenal.

 

1.  The inspector stamp on the blade is a partial stamp, but can someone confirm that is a Tokyo Arsenal stamp?

2.  The saya has a period paint over the original green finish that is either very dark green or black aged to dark green.  Can someone explain this?  The Sarute is also painted with the same black.

 

From what I can find, this stamp only appears within a serial range of roughly 2000 blades. 

 

3.  Do we know if all 2000 swords in that range came from Kobe Shoten? 

4.  Are they actually all that scarce and is that Kobe stamp something 95 collectors are looking for? 

5.  More specifically, does it add appreciably to the value of the piece or would I value it like any other type 95?

6.  Any idea then this would have been made?

 

Thanks guys!  I have learned so much from you!

Hi John, nice sword! Thank you for sharing. 

My records imply that your sword was made between June 1939 and September 1942. Other more experienced members on the forum may or may not be able to narrow that down. 

Yes, I can confirm that is a lightly stamped "TO" ( 東 ) on the blade. It is believed that the KOBE stamp with the "K" in flower, was dropped and replaced with the Ichi "-" in flower at some point in time.

While the "K" KOBE stamp makes your sword particularly cool and scarce to collectors like me; the average Type 95 collector may not recognize it's relative rarity. Most have blinders on and only care to recognize the rarity and desirability of the copper handle pattern 1's versus the later paterns - and care less about the diversity of stamps and arsenals. I don't agree with this outlook on 95s, but it's what I see in the market, unfortunately.

Hope that helps address some of your questions.
Cheers,
-Sam

[JohnWB]

Thank y’all for the insight.  All of the help and information you have all made available here is the only way someone can learn to start navigating in this minefield of collecting.  I have no idea why I love collecting these things so much, but they are, without a doubt, a piece of history.