Bruce Pennington

What's that on, Steve, a Rinji?

I can't speak to who made this, but I've always loved this style blade. This is quite gorgeous!

Inna, still with us? Could we get a clear, close-up of that emblem on the menugi I had enlarged in post #12? Also a good clear close-up of the blade tip and a section of the blade showing the temper line? Brian, what do you think of moving this thread to the Military Section?

I have always wondered about that too. Mal Cox' survey of 426 oshigata found only half had dates, and in my meager survey of around 200, only half are dated. There are a higher percentage dated after 1942 when the Army took over all sword production. Of the Seki stamped blades after 1942, 72 are undated and 62 are dated, compared to the Showa stamped blades where 102 are undated vs 26 dated.

Ohmura and Dawson (and Dawson cites Fuller), show this style, but not the leather wrapped saya. Dawson speculates that it might be an early RInji seishiki (Type 3) prototype due to the copper fittings. Quite an amazing gunto, Brandon, good luck with the sale!

Don't put any weight on my opinion on this, as I'm usually wrong about the smiths, but if that's a Seki stamp at the top, maybe it's this one:

Still, yours may be heading more in the right direction. The number of rays, for Japanese police badges, in Dawson's book, are 5, or 8, or, 16 (one odd one with 6). This one seems to have 9. I don't know if the Manchuko govt used police. If so, could this be a Manchukou?

I can't find that mon (though I'm not the best at finding them!), but it reminds me of the early Army sun-ray pattern found on a couple of custom kyu, recently. Nick Komiya said the pattern was army, with a large "org" in the center. Smaller orb was for police. Discussed HERE on Warrelics.

I'm looking into the mon, too. Chinese fakes don't have mon on the menugi.

I've enhanced the last 2 shots. I've short on time today, but I'd like to continue this later. The kabutogane looks legit late-war and the nakago is made much better than what we normally see in fakes. But I's still bothered by that "Made by" stamp. How is the fit with the tsuka (handle) and tsuba/seppa (handguard and spacers) set? Is it tight or loose? Would still like a closeup of the blade tip.

Well, I’m pretty sure they were not doing this during World War II. But I could be wrong.

Jesse, Thanks for the link. This one is TRYING to look like the ones above, i.e. Army fuchi, but failed badly. Now I don't know what to think about this one. I knew the habaki looked crude, from the beginning. At best, this is something made in China during the war, late in the war. We have been dealing with the topic for some time. Without better pics of the blade and nakago, it's impossible to say if this falls into that group or is just fakery. (pics posted to save for future when auction site is lost)

Dale could be right. Is this yours? or pictures from a seller? I'd really like to see clearer pics of the tsuka (handle), close-up of the blade tip, and clear close-ups of the nakago (tang). It has many characteristics of a late-war island-made sword (like the canvas same'). But the gold stamp yells "Chinese fake". Maybe one of the translators can come in on that stamp? The island-made swords don't usually come with the round, plate, tsuba either. At best, an unknown; at worst a fake.

Thanks James! That was a good add to the database. So far, all blades triple-marked - 2 on nakago 1 on mune - are in the 1944-45 date range, and almost all are made by RJT smiths. Your Nagamitsu and Niel's Norinaga aren't listed on the Japaneseswordindex RJT page, but they could have missed their source data somehow. No star, so probably not traditionally made.

Mark, I assume you've gotten the smith name already, but just in case, I make it to be: 兼清 (Kanekiyo) Also - no date on the other side? If not, it is most likely 1940-41, though could be earlier or later, but the massive majority of Showa stamped blades are '40-'41. To call it a shingunto would be appropriate. It simply means "New Gunto" (gunto - army sword). By the showa stamp, we know it's "New" and by the leather cover, we know it was brought, or sold, or donated to the army for the war. So, it was a new, army sword! B.E.A.Utiful blade, by the way!