Translation on Katana second sword.

[iowa1111]

I have just acquired a couple of swords and would like to see if I may find some assistance in identifying the age and makers. These are not going to be put up for sale- This is the second sword I acquired-a Katana. As I said in my first post- I am new and have little expertise in this area. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I had to split each side of the tang into 2 separate pictures- one side has 9 characters and the other 5- I will try to post the best I can.

tang side one is pics 1 and 1a-tand side 2 is 2 and 2b.

[Stephen]

Seki Kanefusa saku kore

made by Kanefusa of Seki

 

date the long side, Showa Ju Roku nen ju gatsu kitsu jitsu

 

a lucky day in october of 1941

[ottou812]

Not Kanefusa. Looks like Kanehide.

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

I think it's Kanehide 兼秀

[Stephen]

Hi,

 

I think it's Kanehide 兼秀

 

always double check ....yes Kanehide better still.

[jason_mazzy]

Stephen what book is that pic form?

[Stephen]

Oshigata Book Japanese Swordsmiths WWII Samurai Sword by John Slough

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Oshigata-Book-Japan ... 19bbd05e92

 

id hold out for paperback and not spend that much...think its out of print and have seen the HB for 125. might be a deal if it stays there.

[David Flynn]

I seriously doubt if it's the same Kanehide.

[Stephen]

not sure how you can be so sure, stroks look same to me, match from JSI

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/kanehide.jpg

[David Flynn]

I appologise, I checked Sloughs and you're right, it is the same.

[jason_mazzy]

Thank you stephen. You are a gentleman and a scholar.

 

edit: lol I was initial bidder on that one i believe. LOL at least i'm picking good books.

[iowa1111]

I just remembered a small stamp that is located on the tang of this one. It is like the photo, does anyone have any other info on this. What I can find only states that it may be the Seki Token Corporation's trademark or accepting stamp. Also, should I beconcerned since there is no star stamped on the Tang?

 

Thanks

[drdata]

I just remembered a small stamp that is located on the tang of this one. It is like the photo, does anyone have any other info on this. What I can find only states that it may be the Seki Token Corporation's trademark or accepting stamp. Also, should I beconcerned since there is no star stamped on the Tang?

 

Thanks

 

Not sure when the star stamping started. I've an October '43 Kanehide with the star and small seki stamp. Would be interested in seeing pics of the blade/hamon if you have any.

 

Regards

[Stephen]

Joe

 

pix shows a star on the side, dont think its a seki stamp on the mune, im sure someone will know what it is.

[iowa1111]

Stephen, I apologized, I cut that image off the interenet becuase I did not want to break down the sword. It is an exact replica of that stamp. The tang on mine is the first two images I posted 3 weeks ago. I was being a little lazy, but remembered the small mark, so I thought I would look into it and see if anyone else has one similar, or information on the stamp. Or when stars started appearing on tangs?

[iowa1111]

I am sorry for my confusion here, I was absolutely sure that the image I posted a few days ago was exactly like the one on my sword. After, a few days of thinking about it I thought I would give it a second look, and I was absolutely incorrect in my memory. There were actually two markings, and they do not look close to the one I posted. I do not even think these are stamps at this point, but can not find any info on them. Here are two images of what I found. I thought my memory was better than that?

 

Edit Admin - rotated pic so we don't have to stand on our heads

[Basho12]

That stamp's come up before (http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=7430&p=59691&hilit=mune+stamp#p59691).

[george trotter]

I just noticed this on Ohmura's Military Swords of Japan site. I appears that at the Kokura Arsenal, blades that came through their system were stamped with their "pile of cannonballs" logo, but sometimes had the smaller stamp of "ho" (like yours) to indicate Factory No 1 and a small "se" stamp to indicate Factory No.2. Perhaps Nagoya ("Na") also had several divisions and "ho" indicates this? I once owned a star stamped sword by RJT smith Muto Hidehiro and it had on the nakago mune in katakana script the characters "ko" (Kokura?) and below it "ho" (like yours). I think it must be some military code mark for their system of issue/mounting etc.

 

http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_115.htm

 

Regards,

George.