Showa Tanto?

[MikeS]

G'day All (first post for a long time lurker).

I have a tanto which I think is post Shinshinto, signed Kanekuni. I cannot locate this Kanekuni. Has anyone seen this mei? (Hopefully images should be attched) Possible a Seki smith due to the yasurimei. It also has a kanji engraved which I cannot translate. It maybe the carver of a bonji on the blade. Not a particularly attractive blade but I would like to know more. It is in a Shirasaya with a label adhered onto the shirasaya. Label kanji are worn and hard to make out. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Mike Smith

Sydney Australia.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Images of blade would be helpful? Thanks.

[cabowen]

Appears to be Meiji or later and signed Kanekuni. Definitely Seki. The small kanji reads "Yu" and means courage/bravery....

[outlier48]

Also, please post a picture of the shirasaya with the "label" and of any sayagaki.

 

Charlie Brashear

[MikeS]

More photos. The label is worn and these are the remaining kanji as best as I could photograph. Thanks for the help thus far.

Mike Smith

[outlier48]

Mike wrote "Not a particularly attractive blade but . . ."

 

I find the bonji and futasuji-bi interesting. Do you recognize the bonji? Can you get better pics of these, particularly the bonji? This tanto might be very attractive in full polish, no?

 

Charlie Brashear

[cabowen]

I believe at least part of the writing is a woman's name....Blade has a decent shape unlike a lot of these tanto....it would probably be quite nice in polish.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Appears to be Meiji or later and signed Kanekuni. Definitely Seki.

 

Based on shape there isn't much more to add. Hawley's lists a Seki Kanekuni working in 1912, probably a good bet.

[MikeS]

My thoughts were it may have been for a wedding which may fit with a female name. What is the story of tanto and weddings? Have attached a photo of the bonji.

Thanks again.

Mike Smith

[cabowen]

My thoughts were it may have been for a wedding which may fit with a female name. What is the story of tanto and weddings? Have attached a photo of the bonji.

Thanks again.

Mike Smith

 

At first I thought the same thing-must have been made for a wedding...the kanji cut at the top of the nakago (bravery) seems a bit out of place on something made for a wedding. That kanji does look a bit awkward, perhaps it was cut later and the tanto retasked for the war???? In any case, it is a decent blade made with sincerity....

[Nobody]

I find the bonji and futasuji-bi interesting. Do you recognize the bonji? Can you get better pics of these, particularly the bonji? This tanto might be very attractive in full polish, no?

The horimono is a Gomabashi (護摩箸), which represents Fudo Myo-O (不動明王 - Acara). The bonji may be Kaan, which also means it.

[outlier48]

The horimono is a Gomabashi (護摩箸), which represents Fudo Myo-O (不動明王 - Acara). The bonji may be Kaan, which also means it.

Moriyama-san, thank you for the correction and for the information on the bonji.

 

Charlie Brashear

[David Flynn]

May have been made for the Russo-Japanese war?

[cabowen]

May have been made for the Russo-Japanese war?

 

Don't believe there was a military mounting for tanto for that war. That didn't come until later. They were about westernizing at that point and the tanto was old school....

[SwordGuyJoe]

At first I thought the same thing-must have been made for a wedding...the kanji cut at the top of the nakago (bravery) seems a bit out of place on something made for a wedding.

 

Have you been married? I would say bravery is completely applicable!

[Weidas]

May have been made for the Russo-Japanese war?

 

Don't believe there was a military mounting for tanto for that war. That didn't come until later. They were about westernizing at that point and the tanto was old school....

 

Hello Chris, why do you think military mounts were not possible for that period? Tanto in mounts of naval dirk seems very much possible.... Also, you still can find plenty of nihon-to in kyu-gunto mounts..

[David Flynn]

As the Russo-Japanese war was very short, there is always the posibility that swords were made for this episode, but never got there. What made me think of this is the fact that Bravery is written on the tanto.

[cabowen]

May have been made for the Russo-Japanese war?

 

Don't believe there was a military mounting for tanto for that war. That didn't come until later. They were about westernizing at that point and the tanto was old school....

 

Hello Chris, why do you think military mounts were not possible for that period? Tanto in mounts of naval dirk seems very much possible.... Also, you still can find plenty of nihon-to in kyu-gunto mounts..

 

Guess because I have never seen a military mounted tanto from that period....I have seen naval mounted tanto but they were of a later vintage....

[cabowen]

As the Russo-Japanese war was very short, there is always the posibility that swords were made for this episode, but never got there. What made me think of this is the fact that Bravery is written on the tanto.

 

 

it seems to me that the bravery kanji was done later by a different hand. It has an air of amateurism about it while the rest looks professional.

[Weidas]

Here is tanto, attributed to Shimada school, in IJN dirk mounts, type 1883. It is custom made and therefore it is only possible to guess when it was made - during Meiji period or later. But still... Of course it is impossible to state that some exact swords were produced specially for Russo - Japanese war or the First Sino - Japanese conflict or for any other particular conflict, unless it is clearly stated on the sword or has other proof attached. I saw several kyu gunto, f.e. in type 8 mounts, with nihonto...

[cabowen]

Just because I have never seen them doesn't mean they don't exist, as custom made or production....I would think a look at one of Dawson's books on the subject would answer the question fairly quickly. Perhaps someone with his books would take a look to see if there was a standard Navy or Army tanto mounting produced during the Sino or Russo-Japanese wars.....I know they made the kyu-gunto but that was for longer blades....

[Weidas]

i'll check Dowson's again, but i do not remember if he wrote anything about kyu-gunto for this period.