Matching numbers on fittings and blade but no arsenal stamp?

[Stephen]

i will try and find a link to how they made them salt water resistent

 

lets start your own thread if you do, Mels thread should stay on her own.

 

Found three or four smiths with stocking stamped numbers most were star stamp or higher rated smiths. FWIW

 

the pix might make think you see stainless, its just well keep, ive had Emura and Nagamitsu with no rust and just as bright. lets keep working on the blade.

[melanie]

Not sure if it matters, but my fridge magnets (the super strong kind) stick tightly to the tang. I was afraid to nick the shiny part of the blade, so I didn't try it on that part, but my regular, weaker fridge magnets stick to the shiny part of the blade as well as they do the fridge. Does that help with figuring out the blade material?

[loiner1965]

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4775&p=36834&hilit=MAGNETIC#p36834

some stainless steel is magnetic but some isnt

[Stephen]

Does that help with figuring out the blade material?

Yes

[melanie]

Another attempt at blade pics - are these better?

I can see dust particles on it really close up.

Should we clean the blade to remove prints?

If so, what should we use?

Thanks!

[Stephen]

Yes we never touch the blade with fingers, prints have oils and acid in them that left un checked will rust.

 

i really can make out any hada, in one i think i see some but that maybe fingerprints. Clean with talc powder in one wiping motion upward with the cutting edge on the outside as you wipe.

 

apply a light coat of machine oil.

 

i see the circle but not sure what it is. does it look like anything on this file?

[melanie]

Ok - here is my amateur attempt at interpreting this blade, since I can see it face-on. I looked up this link,

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/terms/terms.htm

 

and interpreted accordingly, so here goes:

 

Boshi - OMARU style

Mune - IHORI

Hada - MASAME or MUJI (I can see straight grains all the way up and down the sword that are hard to see, but are there)

Hamon - SUGU

Hataraki - this was the most difficult, but based on what is visible in the spots where I know there are no prints, I would make a guess of Ko-Nie/Ji-Nie or even possibly (but less likely) Chikei

 

And the shape of the circle most closely resembles the one on your page, row 4 column 4, but it doesn't have the symbol in the middle of it - it is just the outside circle with a bit missing at the top and the bottom (or maybe you would say the sides, looking at it correctly).

 

Am I even close?

[Stephen]

amateur attempt at interpreting this blade

 

oh if all amateurs were to be as diligent.

 

Light plays so much in pix, and yours is getting much better. Now we see a wide white area that does not show what you point out, a early one of the boshi does, maybe a shot down the blade as the blade is held up to some light to see if that white area does have the nei we want to see.

 

I'm coming off as making this more than it is I think. If the smith truly liked the work he would have signed it, or maybe something happened the day it was done, that we'll never know.

 

IMHO you have a very nice clean Kai gunto. it should be sold as that

 

on which side did you start your count of four?

[melanie]

I started my count on the left - from left to right. And from the top down. I am honestly thinking it isn't anything - just a random mark on the tang.

 

So do you think the blade is stainless with something else in it that makes it magnetic, or do you think it is another material? And do you think it was hand or machine forged?

 

Thanks so much for taking the time with this. I have been researching this thing for weeks and was at my wits' end as to where or how this blade was made. A gentleman who wanted it said he thought it was worth more than he could pay and recommended I find a forum - glad I found this one

[Stephen]

IMHO its Steel and hand forged. priced as i said before.

[loiner1965]

http://www.japanesesword.com/Images/Swo ... 06KAT4.htm

another interesting naval sword in stainless steel....does yours look anything like this

[melanie]

The file marks on the tang are very similar, except without the signature. The blade, though, isn't quite as shiny and doesn't have as defined a grain. I do note quite a bit of rust on the tang - are you sure it's stainless?

I am wondering if magnets would stick so well to mine if it was stainless - it is a very tight hold... but again, I am no expert. I do know from doing more research last night that different grades of stainless have different magnetic properties. I am wondering, though, if mine would be much more shiny if it were stainless, for the simple fact that it has been so well cared-for over the years. Opinion?

I'd love to go ahead and get it listed, but I don't want to list it wrong and get less than what it is worth, or claim it is something that it is not. So I imagine a little more research is in line for me. I don't mind, though - this is kind of fun.

[Tom Clancy]

Hi Melanie

I would be interested in buying the leather tassel you can contact me at tdclancy@eircom.net

Regards

Tom.

[Stephen]

[melanie]

Stephen, is that your sign-off? If so, goodbye, and thank you so much!

[zuiho]

Those leather NCO tassels are as rare as hen's teeth. Most have rotted away so are much more uncommon than the silk braid officer's tassels. So their value is higher. I'd say twice as much.

 

William G.