Help Translating An Unusual Type 98 Shin Gunto Sword

[adamG]

Hi! My name is Adam and I am a new member of this group. I am a sword and militaria collector and I wanted to ask you guys with some help in further identifying this sword. I think it is a gendai blade, shin gunto, in type 98 fittings. I think the date is February of 1943. I think it might be chikushu province. That is about all I could figure out on my own. It is all original as far as I know, the numbers match on all the fittings. It has a fairly uncommon drag on the scabbard that is from a 1935 patent, and it appears to be an interesting sword. Any information that you guys have would be appreciated. I am not interested in selling it, I would just like to find out more about it. Thank you for your time.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Mei is Chikugo Kuni Ju Muto Hidehiro and dated the second month of Showa 18. He was a good smith who worked in hizen den (maybe others) and as I and visitors of the Chicago show a few years ago can attest, his blades are VERY sharp! He was a very good smith and scored a JoJo saku rating and was a RJT.

 

http://www.jp-sword.com/files/seki/gendaito.html

[adamG]

SwordGuyJoe, Thank you so much for that information!

[adamG]

pardon my lack of knowledge, but this would be a traditionally made "gendai" blade then, correct? I do not see any stampings on the tang, such as a star or arsenal mark.

[SwordGuyJoe]

More than likely, yes. The polish obscures the details needed to say for sure though. I would be willing to bet, that thing would be a screamer if you sent it to a good, fully trained, professional polisher in Japan.

[cisco-san]

Hi,

 

from Markus book:

HIDEHIRO (秀弘), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Fukuoka – “Chikugo no Kuni-jū Mutō Hidehiro” (筑後国住武藤秀弘), real name Mutō Hideyoshi (武藤秀吉, his first name also reads Shūkichi), born December 29th 1891, he studied under his father, the 2nd gen. Mutō Hisahiro (武藤久広) (he was the second son of the 2nd gen. Hisahiro), and worked as a rikugun-jumei-tōshō, kihin-jōi (Akihide), First Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀 展覧会, 1941)