First Japanese Sword - Ww2 Officers - Any Info Anyone Can Provide

[BKB5]

This sword is my first Japanese Shin Gunto sword. I have ordered 2 books but they will not arrive for a while Any info on Maker, Date, Where is was made, etc would be so helpful I am not having luck on the internet through Google and a friend's Japanese Girlfriend could not understand it.

[Grey Doffin]

Noshu Ju Ozawa Kanehisa Saku (Resident of Noshu Province, Ozawa Kanehisa Made) with the Seki Arsenal stamp at the top and a hot stamp (personal seal) at the bottom.  This is a non-traditionally made sword and there is no date but during the war for sure.  The red paint is the number 533, used to keep track of parts.

Grey

[rebcannonshooter]

Your sword is signed "No-Shu (no) Ju O-Zawa Kane- Hisa Saku. The stamp at the top is a Seki stamp, and the one at the bottom is a "kakihan" or personal seal. The transliteration is "Made by KaneHisa" whose family name is "Ozawa" who is a "resident of Noshu" province. 

 

Tom M.

[rebcannonshooter]

Whoops, Grey beat me to it!

   Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

Fittings are of the Type 98 style with leather-covered combat saya (scabbard). Rank tassel is Company Grade, meaning for Lt's and Capt's.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Nice, honest and complete example of a mid war officers Type 98 with leather combat saya.

[BKB5]

WOW WOW! Many. many, many "thank you's" from this new member. I came to the right place for sure! Everyone is so kind to offer information. Usually its tumbleweeds or hordes of people pointing out what is wrong or fake but never saying why. I look forward to many more swords and broadening my extremely limited knowledge.

[Bruce Pennington]

I look forward to many more swords and broadening my extremely limited knowledge.

Ohmura's website is a vast free resource:

 

http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

 

As to the girlfriend's inability to translate the kanji - the kanji used during the war were much simpler than the ones used today. When I first started out, with my dad's Mantetsu, I asked an older Japanese lady to translate the Koa Isshin slogan. She got most of the individual sounds right, but not being familiar with the wartime slogan, she had no idea what it said or it's meaning.