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Help with Shigetsugu Mei, Please!


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興亜一心 満鉄 若林重次囗囗 (作之?)

 

Kōa Isshin Mantetsu  Wakabayashi Shigetsugu (saku kore?)

 

 

Its a bit out of focus, so I'm partially guessing at the words in red. From the family name it seems like it could hardly be anything other than Shigetsugu. At the end I would normally think "saku kore", but its too out of focus for me to say with any confidence.

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興亜一心 満鉄 若林重次囗囗 (作之?)

 

Kōa Isshin Mantetsu  Wakabayashi Shigetsugu (saku kore?)

 

 

Its a bit out of focus, so I'm partially guessing at the words in red. From the family name it seems like it could hardly be anything other than Shigetsugu. At the end I would normally think "saku kore", but its too out of focus for me to say with any confidence.

  

 

Thanks Steve!

 

Thomas, I knew I'd seen another name along the way, but I couldn't find him - thanks!

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Its a bit out of focus, so I'm partially guessing at the words in red. From the family name it seems like it could hardly be anything other than Shigetsugu. At the end I would normally think "saku kore", but its too out of focus for me to say with any confidence.

 

Bruce provided the source of the pictures in another thread.  Hope this helps with your translation.

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/7445-tang-your-opinion/page-1?do=findComment&comment=73318

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滿鐵 若林重次作之

若林重次 study under 繁繼(Yasukuni Swordsmith,Known as 靖繁), worked as sword smith for Mantetsu company.

Here is his stroy,roughly translate by google.

最后的“满铁”军刀

1931年“九一八事变”之后,日本全国弥漫着军国主义的气氛,人们对军刀的热情也日益高涨。重次也不例外,在制造刀具之余,经常前往东京的日本刀锻炼传习所,向笠间一贯斋繁继学习制造军刀的技术。繁继和他的交情非常好,有一次繁继不知怎么回事,居然把重要人物交其托管的名刀卖掉了,因此而闯了大祸,为此还到重次家里躲了一个月。为了感谢重次,繁继亲自制作两把刀相赠,并把自己的技术手把手地传给了重次。1937年,大八的儿子若林升成年了,重次也与当年他父亲一样,从若林家功成身退。但这时他的父亲早已去世,今市的家里也没什么人了。恰好此时,“满铁”株式会社的日下和治正需要会制作军刀的刀匠。而“满铁”有一名工务长,名叫武田,武田的夫人又和重次家是亲戚,就这样,通过武田的关系,重次被日下和治聘请到“满铁”做刀。

The last "Mantetsu" sword
After the "September 18th Incident" in 1931, the atmosphere of militarism was permeated throughout Japan, and people's enthusiasm for sabers was increasing. Repeatedly is no exception. In addition to manufacturing knives, he often goes to the Japanese sword training institute in Tokyo to learn the technique of making sabers from Kasama. Fan Ji's friendship with him was very good. One time Fan Jie didn't know what happened. He actually sold important knives entrusted to him by the celebrity. So he had a disaster, and for this reason he went to hide again for a month. In order to thank Jieji, Fan Ji personally produced two knives and gave his skills to Jieji.

In 1937, the son of Da Baoruo was promoted to adulthood, and his father retired from the house of Ruolin again. But at this time his father had already died, and there was no one in his home in this city. Just at this time, Nichita Kazuhiro of Manchuria Co., Ltd. needed a swordsmith who could make sabers. And "Mantetsu" has a chief of construction, named Takeda, and his wife is a relative of Shige's family. In this way, through Takeda's relationship, he was hired by the Japanese and the rule to "Mantetsu" again.

日下和治研制出的钢材,与日本制刀所用的传统玉钢不同。因此,重次所面临的问题并不仅仅是做刀,而是要嘗试用一种全新的、从未用过的钢材来制造军刀,可以说,这是一个很具开创性的工作。事实证明,重次的工作相当成功,“满铁”军刀从外观看起来没有玉钢锻打时形成的地肌,但它带有像尺子量出一般的直刃纹,显示出制作者高超的技艺水平。实际上,它的性能并不比玉钢所造的军刀差,在中国东北这样寒冷的自然气候条件下,也能够不折不弯。

The steel developed by Niigata Heji is different from the traditional jade steel used in Japanese sword making. Therefore, the problem faced again and again is not just to make a knife, but to try to make a saber with a brand new and never used steel. It can be said that this is a very pioneering job. Facts have proved that the re-work is quite successful. The "Man-Iron" saber does not have the ground muscle formed by the forging of jade steel from the appearance, but it has a straight edge pattern measured by a ruler, showing the superb craftsmanship of the producer. Level. In fact, its performance is not worse than that of the saber made by Yugang, and it can not bend or bend under the cold natural climate such as Northeast China.

昭和十五年(公元1940年)秋季,恰好是日本皇纪(神武天皇即位纪元)2600年,侵占中国东北的日军举行了一场庆祝盛典,重次被授予勋章,还获得了一对落款重次的玉制印章作为纪念品。另外,日本著名刀匠栗原昭秀曾经到“满铁”做过短期技术指导。除此之外,再没有找到其他刀匠参与“满铁”军刀制造的记载。但根据常理推测,重次在自己制造军刀的同时,必定也在培养新的刀匠。重次于1941年返回日本,而“满铁”军刀的生产依旧正常进行,那时,应该有很多刀匠接替重次的工作。回国以后,重次继续做刀,直到战争结束。

The autumn of the Showa Fifteenth Year (1940 AD) happened to be the Japanese Emperor (Emperor Emperor Shenwu) in 2600. The Japanese army occupying Northeast China held a celebration ceremony, was awarded a medal again and received a pair The jade seal was used as a souvenir. In addition, the famous Japanese swordsman Akira Kurihara once went to Mantetsu for short-term technical guidance. In addition, no other knifesmiths were found to be involved in the manufacture of the Manchurian Sabre. However, according to common sense speculation, while making a saber on his own again, he must also be training a new knifesmith. He returned to Japan again in 1941, and the production of Manchurian sabers continued normally. At that time, there should be many knifesmiths to take over the job. After returning home, he continued to do the sword again and again until the war ended.

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Thanks guys, and thanks Trystan, interesting reading! So it's just his name on the nakago. There is a blade or 2 out there where the mei says it was made by Manchurian steel or Mantetsu steel. I thought this might have been one, but clearly not.

 

Still, a great contribution to the Mantetsu Study files!

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I have tracked down these pictures of the 興亜一心  満鉄若林重次作之 to a Russian forum from March 2011.  There are more pictures and the resolution is much better.  Unfortunately, there is no picture of the nakago mune.

http://guns.allzip.org/topic/188/774791.html

Edited by Thomas
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