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Bruce Pennington

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  1. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks for sharing this, Jan. Both the blade and the fittings are quite beautiful. Those fittings were an upgrade, and for us Military sword collectors, quite desirable. A small clarification - "Kyu gunto" were the early, Western-styled sabers. This is a navy "kaigunto" (Kai - navy; gunto - literally army sword, but it was used more commonly as "military sword").
  2. Bruce Pennington
    Generally speaking, moisture is the enemy of steel blades. Order a nice sword cleaning kit - Online List of Japanese Sword Cleaning Kits - and use the oil that comes with it to with all the parts down, especially the blade.
  3. Bruce Pennington
    Value runs from $1,600 to $2,400 depending upon condition, this one in the lower half of the range. But that still depends upon where and when you sell it.
  4. Bruce Pennington
    The star is confirmation that the army provided the steel for the blade. The only steel the army provided to RJT Smith’s was tamahagane. I cannot imagine a smith using tamahagane and oil quenching the blade. Now, on the other hand, you can have a blade made by an RJT qualified smith, but it may be made from a different kind of steel and either water or oil quenched. That is something that each blade of this type would have to be evaluated.
  5. Bruce Pennington
    Agreed - Showa 20 - 1945; March. Brian, is that a stamp above the date? Are there stamps above the mei?
  6. Bruce Pennington
    Wow, gorgeous!
  7. Bruce Pennington
    I have this blade on file from @phil reid, back in 2021, as "1940". Looking at his other blades, the date kanji line up well for that year. Such a gunto, in today's market, rans more like $1,200-1,400 USD, which is about 2,000 Aus dollars.
  8. Bruce Pennington
    Wow, never seen this before!
  9. Bruce Pennington
    Tom, Is this yours? If so, are there small stamps on the nakago mune (back edge)? You know about the RJT star-stamped blades, right? Could we get a couple shots of the hamon and fittings?
  10. Bruce Pennington
    Wow. Are the photos from a sale page from whom you bought it?
  11. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks, Paul! Looks like it was part of the stamping practice of the Shōheikan Military Uniform Co., Ltd, then. Might be able to move this small star out of the "Unknown" category. I'll have to do some digging first to see if seen only/always on Shōheikan fittings.
  12. Bruce Pennington
    Not my forte, but thought you guys might appreciate this. Made by 菊岡 Kikuoka I thought it was interesting to see a habaki designed with the inner lining fitted to the bohi. Also, his method for attaching his name to the back of the menugi seemed unique.
  13. Bruce Pennington
    I have my first opportunity to attend a sword club meeting, this one in Sacramento. It will be Tuesday, 18 Nov, at 7pm. Meeting is at the Sacramento Asian Community Center; 7334 Park City Dr., Sacramento CA 95831. Hope to see somebody there from NMB, but I don't know if we have anyone else here.
  14. Bruce Pennington
    They are improving on the Kokura and Suya stamps! They still can't get the small, center, Tokyo 1st stamp, though. Yeah, that serial number is bad. No Type 95s have a zero at the beginning of the number. Another tell is the dimpling in the diamonds of the tsuka. They are raised properly, but blurred. So far, they have a hard time making clear, crisp dimples.
  15. Bruce Pennington
    Brandon, Can you check this sword's seppa to see if there is a small star with a number?
  16. Bruce Pennington
    @paul griff - Is there a small star on the seppa and/or tsuba of your Kanefusa?
  17. Bruce Pennington
    I don't have my 200 one with me, but I have 134112, and it has the same flaw!
  18. Bruce Pennington
    Sam, You probably already have mine? 202446
  19. Bruce Pennington
    Minatogawa and Yasukuni blades as well. I'd say: "For the discussion and identification Japanese military swords of 1876-1945" would be a better fit.
  20. Bruce Pennington
    I have Slough's book, but I guess I don't know how guys use it for translating mei. I am starting to recognize a small number of kanji, so I suppose if I have the first one, like "Kane" I could browse through the Kane... pages until I see the one I'm looking for. Hmmm. Never thought of that! Thanks Jeff! Of course, if I don't know the first kanji, then it wouldn't work.
  21. Bruce Pennington
    For future readers: August 1941 From Mal Cox: "KATSUMASA (勝正), Tottori – “Hōki Kanaya Katsumasa saku” (伯耆金谷勝正作), “Hōki-jū Kanaya Katsumasa kore o saku” (伯耆住金谷勝正作之), family name Kanaya (金谷), he also engraved a single coin crest onto his tangs, jōkō no retsu (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀 展覧会, 1941)"
  22. Bruce Pennington
    I noticed slight differences between the two as well. That’s why I was curious about the serial number. The heavier one may have been an earlier one. Similar to the type 95s where the copper handles were quite heavy and later versions got lighter.
  23. Bruce Pennington
    Chino, You might already know, but the small stamp at top, Showa stamp, was an inspector stamp of the civilian Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association. They tend to be really nicely made. The date range is 1935 - 1942, with most dated blades found 1940-1941. Could you post a shot of the full rig showing the fittings?
  24. Bruce Pennington
    Very nice, Kris! I can see the serial number on the second one. Could you post a clear shot of the number on the top one?
  25. Bruce Pennington
    Ha! Wouldn't we all! Thanks guys!
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