"GI" arsenal stamp

[TomP]

Does anyone know how rare the "Gi" arsenal stamped blades are? A handful? Quite a few? I mostly run into the "showa" stamp, "seki" etc. I have come across this kind of stamp for the first time recently and was curious. Thanks for any help.

 

Tom

[Bruno]

I think it replace the Seki and Showa stamp from 1943 and is found mostly on Murato swords.IMHO

[TomP]

Thank you for the reply.

 

From what I have read, the "Gi" (Gifu?) stamp came into being around mid-44 to the end of the war. My example that I have since picked up is dated December 1944. There is a tiny--from what looks to me--stamp on the other side of the tang that looks like Seki and yet another stamp of unknown design on the ridge of the tang. I read a description of just this type of tang in Gregory and Fuller's sword book: I think it is the Military Swords of Japan (?) the paperback (much less expensive!) reference book.

Although the book states that a blade with this type of stamp is very rare, since the book was published 20+ years ago, does that still hold true? I would think several blades with this stamp would have "come out of the woodwork" so to speak since then. Thanks.

 

 

Tom

[george trotter]

Hi Tom,

I think it probably correct that more info has come out since F&G wrote their book. Personally I have seen the "Gi" stamp with some frequency...but only on tangs of "Type 3" mounted swords. These came out as Bruno says, in Nov? 1943 I think...there is an article you might have missed on this mark and type of sword, by Ohmura san...interesting. These marked swords seem to be mainly oil-quenched sunobe-to and the mark is put on by private contractors.

try: http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_118.htm

 

It seems fairly common...but not nearly as common as SHO and SEKI stamps.

Regards,

George.

[Bruno]

This Ohmura san's article seems pretty interesting, I say "seems" because I really do not understand what it says! Probably because of my limited english but the translation is a bit weird, isn't it?

[TomP]

Thanks to the both of you for the information. I will have to update my reference library big time!