Need help for the Mei

[888jojoli]

Hi Gens:

 

So happy just received a sword Japanese ARMY OFFICER'S SHINGUNTO.

 

My question is, who is the swordsmith? I only found -降旗 友麿 (Furuhata Tomomaro), are they the same person?

 

Please some one can help me for more Info about this swordsmith highly appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

Joe

[Stephen]

From Dr Steins Oshigata list

 

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

[george trotter]

Hi Joe, you have landed on a good sword I think. Your signature is hard to read, but as you say, it seems to say "Ueda Ju Tomomaro Saku"

Date is Showa 17 year, 8 month, a day.

He was a Rikugun Jumei Tosho from Nagano Prefecture (these have a star stamp...but I can't see one in your pic). He won 2 nd seat in the 1941 Shinsakuto Exhib. He is Hawley 1981 TOM 85, Nihonto Meikan p.638 and his oshigata appears in Slough p.172. His family name is Furihata as you say.

I don't have any data on him...other members will have more...can you post a few blade pics?

Regards, George.

edit: I see Stephen has posted his oshigata from the links above...this is yours for sure.

[888jojoli]

Thanks Gens! It's very nice to hear that. The photos will take me a while to re-size them, so I will reply with blade's pics and mounting pics tomorrow.

 

Highly appreciated, please help me with more information, so excited to know more and more about it.

 

Cheers

 

Joe

[Stephen]

Joe

 

when scanning i find a color back ground helps alot. i use as blue folder or purple cloth,

looking forward to the blade pix.

[888jojoli]

Joe

 

when scanning i find a color back ground helps alot. i use as blue folder or purple cloth,

looking forward to the blade pix.

 

Thanks Stephen, I will try it later.

Here are more pics for the blade

 

 

Cheers

 

Joe

[888jojoli]

here are some more

[Stephen]

Very nice, id love to see that in a pro polish.

[888jojoli]

Here is one more

[k morita]

Hi,

Nice blade!

His photograph appears on [ Dai Nippon Token Shoko Meikan] on page 121.

 

There are some patterns of signature of Tomomaro blade.

1. Thin line signature like attached photograph.

2. Thick line signature.

3. Shosho signature(thick line).

4. big size signature.

[888jojoli]

what a good looking guy.

 

I am so happy to see this photo, Thanks so much..

[george trotter]

I forgot about this book...it says that his personal name was Tatsuo. He worked as a swordsmith in the Nihon Tobu Tanren Tokogyo Kumiai (Eastern Japan sword forging Union). There were 46 swordsmiths associated...all good gendai smiths under the president Kasama Shigetsugu.

He became a Army Commissioned swordsmith in 1942.

A good maker...I think you should by the book that Morita san has linked for you...it is available from Jinsoo Kim on his site linked above...very good information.

Regards,

George.

[Stephen]

Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan

 

『大日本刀剣商工名鑑』（刀剣新聞社　昭和17年発行, 2005年 復刻版)は、戦時中の著名刀工や刀剣商の紹介記事、刀剣製作会社や刀工、刀剣商、研ぎ師、鑑定家などの氏名住所などについて書かれた本であり、当時の刀剣界・刀剣事情を知る上で一級資料です。

 

If you are Gendaito collector or interested in WWII Japanese swords, do not miss this chance to get this book. It was published in 1942 during the WWII and one of the rarest books about showa smiths. This book is the only book showing many unknown swordsmiths at that time with their photos, blade characteristics, and smith histories. This book has the information about 400 Gunto smiths and manifacture companies in Japan and East Asia during the WWII. It had been out of print and recently only 40 copies were reprinted privately in Japan to be distributed for Western collectors. It has a good hard cover, about 320 pages, 8.5" X 12" size, and contains many valueable photos as well as oshigata. Limited time offers and shipping cost is $25 worldwide. If you want to see or download the English index, please click here!

 

Price is $225 including air shipping and *ENGLISH INDEX can be downloaded!

[cabowen]

I forgot about this book...it says that his personal name was Tatsuo. He worked as a swordsmith in the Nihon Tobu Tanren Tokogyo Kumiai (Eastern Japan sword forging Union). There were 46 swordsmiths associated...all good gendai smiths under the president Kasama Shigetsugu.

He became a Army Commissioned swordsmith in 1942.

A good maker...I think you should by the book that Morita san has linked for you...it is available from Jinsoo Kim on his site linked above...very good information.

Regards,

George.

 

 

The Nihon Tobu Tanren Tokogyo Kumiai was not a sword making operation but a trade association (kumiai) of smiths.

 

Tomokiyo trained under Akitomo of the Denshujo (run by Kurihara Akihide). He took one kanji from his teacher (友) and the other, well, he was from Shinshu so you can guess where the other probably came from....I have seen several of his blades and, as your blade will attest, he was indeed a skilled smith. His mei varies (as indicated above) along with his sugata (from slender tachi to Keicho shinto-like). The fact that he was rather young during the war years and worked in the hinterland most likely contributed to his obscurity.

 

This sword would indeed benefit immensely from a professional, high quality polish.

[george trotter]

Thanks for the clarification Chris...one of my sword smiths, Yamagami Munetoshi was also a member of this group...I did not mean to imply that they all worked together in a single forging place...their swords were made in their individual workshops in their individual prefectures but were marketed centrally through Tokyo I think, through the organisational control of Kasama Shigetsugu...please correct me if I am wrong.

 

It is nice that a sword of this group has surfaced, the new owner can be quite pleased with his find.

Regards,

George

[cabowen]

their swords were made in their individual workshops in their individual prefectures but were marketed centrally through Tokyo I think, through the organisational control of Kasama Shigetsugu...

 

I don't believe this kumiai actually did any marketing or had any sort of control. More or less just an association that the smiths belonged to, like the modern All Japan Swordsmith's Association. Probably mostly social....I am sure you are aware of how most Japanese love to be a part of a group...

[888jojoli]

Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan

 

『大日本刀剣商工名鑑』（刀剣新聞社　昭和17年発行, 2005年 復刻版)は、戦時中の著名刀工や刀剣商の紹介記事、刀剣製作会社や刀工、刀剣商、研ぎ師、鑑定家などの氏名住所などについて書かれた本であり、当時の刀剣界・刀剣事情を知る上で一級資料です。

 

If you are Gendaito collector or interested in WWII Japanese swords, do not miss this chance to get this book. It was published in 1942 during the WWII and one of the rarest books about showa smiths. This book is the only book showing many unknown swordsmiths at that time with their photos, blade characteristics, and smith histories. This book has the information about 400 Gunto smiths and manifacture companies in Japan and East Asia during the WWII. It had been out of print and recently only 40 copies were reprinted privately in Japan to be distributed for Western collectors. It has a good hard cover, about 320 pages, 8.5" X 12" size, and contains many valueable photos as well as oshigata. Limited time offers and shipping cost is $25 worldwide. If you want to see or download the English index, please click here!

 

Price is $225 including air shipping and *ENGLISH INDEX can be downloaded!

 

Thanks Stephen, it seems to be a good reference for what I am interested.