Pawn Shop Gunto

[kotachi]

Just found my first gunto at a pawn shop. They were trying to show me all these pos Chinese reproductions and had no idea this was a WW2 sword. I bought it even though it has a bend and I had not taken off the handle yet because I have never come across one in person. Has a lot of activity in the temper and evidence of hada and folding. Once I got it home and the handle off I found signature and date. Might be a last ditch low end war effort sword or a slightly nicer war blade but I need help translating as I am really bad with characters. Forest one looks like it has a sa in it to me? Maybe sa, sada or sane? Date looks like high numbers, maybe made in winter during end of war? Thanks in advance for your time.

-Jay G.

[lonely panet]

think the date is

 

SHOWA JU ICHI NEN SEN ICHI HI

 

but im only guessing

[uwe]

It might be Shōwa 16, 11 month = November 1941....

[John A Stuart]

It is maybe Tomohide 友秀 John

[PNSSHOGUN]

Well finished Nakago and Mei, lets see the whole blade, I think you might have done well.

[k morita]

Hi,
Maybe good sword.

Mei says Tomomaro (友麿).
Date is Nov,1941 (昭和十六年十一月日).
 

[PNSSHOGUN]

"Furuhato Tomomaro"

 

Rikugun Jumei Tosho smith

 

http://yakiba.com/Kat_Tomomaro.htm

 

My friend, you did well.

[Stephen]

Nice find , Kesho file marks always a good sign. A togi can fix the bend, worthy of polish? maybe so. Blade pix after the turkey day please.

[kotachi]

Here is a photo of the whole blade and one of the more active parts of the hamon. Hard to tell if the rest is as active because of the poor condition of the polish. Also including a shot of the base of the tang the number 470 is stamped. I am under the impression that any stamps other than stars are not great but it’s not a sho or seki stamp so maybe it is not an indicator of non traditional methods? It’s interesting that the blade was s dated in 41 but it’s in 1944 gunto mounts. Did this sword sit around waiting to be mounted for most of the war? Thanks for all the help with the signature and date.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Gendaito, and quite a nice one too.

[cisco-san]

Hi,

 

nice find!!

 

From Markus book:

TOMOMARO (友麿), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Nagano – “Ueda-jū Tomomaro” (上田住友麿), “Tomomaro” (友麿), real name Furuhata Tatsuo (降旗辰男), born 1905 student of Kasama Shigetsugu (笠間繁継), he worked as rikugun-jumei-tōshō and died October 9th 1950, jōko no jōi (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)

 

 

and from John S. Slough´s book:

[drdata]

No star stamp? Perhaps smith was not working under RJT at the time?