Bruce Pennington

Nailed it, Mal, thanks! Boy, been seeing a couple of these blades with really bad mei cutting lately. Makes me wonder if they started using rookie mei cutters at some point.

John, Yes, "Na" on both sides of the Nagoya Army Arsenal. The stamp on the mune is a partially struck "Gifu". We don't actually know who was using the Gifu. I have been assuming it was being used by the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association after the Nagoya arsenal absconded with their Seki stamp design. It could also be just another Nagoya arsenal inspector mark, though.

Matching numbers 1412, comes with leather saya cover. Price is already at $2,000, likely will climb. WWII Japanese sword early NCO copper handle | Live and Online Auctions on HiBid.com

Cleanest, most intact version of the blue Seki label I've ever come across. For sale by Old City Auctions HERE. Don't have the smith name figured out. Any help?

You're a good man, Alex. Zen Moment: I heard a discussion on the radio the other day, went like this: Guy was recounting a day, walking across the street with a buddy. In the middle of the road, on the divider, was a beggar. The guy handed him a $5. The buddy said "Why do you do that? You know the guy will just spend it on drugs or booze." The guy replied "My heart loves to give. I follow my heart and use my gifts and God will honor that. What the other guy does with the 5 is on him, and between him and God." If you love to help at NMB (I know I do), then follow your heart. Whatever the guy on the other end does with that, is on him. Just my philosophy about that.

You can review several of the swords for sale here, and see how they are presented. Swords and Edged Weapons - Nihonto Message Board (militaria.co.za) Ebay has a much broader viewership, but they have built-in charges that will cost you money or force you to crank up your price to account for the fees you'll pay. If I really needed the money, I'd try both let the first comers win.

Bingo! That's the one! There are other WWII photos, too. We'll find them eventually!

There are a few examples of this, with photos, on the forum. This is the only one I could find, but my Search skills are really bad. Seems like @BANGBANGSAN owns one, or has the photos.

There is a larger conversation about the straps that allow the sword to be carried across the back. I haven’t been able to find it, but maybe one of our gifted gurus with search engines can pull it up for us. I think @BANGBANGSAN owns one, or it has a bunch of pictures of them and use.

Yes, at first I thought it was the small Seki, but then I realized it was just the top, right quarter of the large Seki stamp. Unusual to see the large Seki struck that deeply. @ChadleyRJL - Smiths in the Seki area made blades for both Army and Navy. Your top one is in a "resting case" called shirasaya. Nice way to protect the blade from the elements. The second sword is Japanese Naval Officer sword called kaigunto. "Gun" is Army; "to" is sword - so "gunto" is Army Sword. For some reason they tacked "kai" (navy) onto gunto, so kaigunto for Navy sword. The slim sword in the last photo group is the Type 19 Army dress (or parade) sword. Not a battle weapon, just worn for show, formal occasions, photos, etc. For your neighbor, the rough values: Masahiro in shirasaya - $900 - 1,000 (assuming the blade is in good shape) Yoshishige kaigunto - $1,800 - 2,400 Type 19 dress saber - $250

Read this to learn about kaigunto, or Navy Officer swords: Navy commissioned officers Shin-Guntō 1937 (Type Tachi Guntō) (ohmura-study.net) and here: https://www.warrelic...w-navy-gunto-678705/ There's a little bit about Tenshozan here: 「天照山鍛錬場作」・「無名」関刻印 "Tenshōzan Forging Workshop Saku", "Seki inspection mark" (ohmura-study.net) The blade is the WWII Japanese version of stainless steel. You can read some about that here: 耐錆鋼刀 Stainless steel sword (ohmura-study.net)

They will need a full length photo of the bare blade, all fittings removed. Also, a couple of close-up shots of the hamon, or temper line.

I wasn’t talking about replacing the seppa with strap. I was talking about making a separate one for the other side of the tsuba. A singular seppa with no strap on it. Simply made of leather to tighten the fit. I apologize, I have not been following the conversation closely enough about the strap. If it does not reach the snap on the scabbard cover, that is a whole different issue.

Hi Kris! We'd enjoy seeing a couple shots of the blade and the whole rig, if possible! The small stamp near the top is the large Seki stamp of the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association. It was a civilian organization that inspected blades for quality. They used this stamp from 1940 to 1945, but the great majority of them were made in 1942, just to give you an idea of the age of your blade.

What an interesting piece! Any knowledge about kaigunto tachi? Have never heard of these.

I'll have to work on that! For now, the closest I can manage is: I could try it in the sake cups, but wouldn't want to upset the "spirits"! Ha! (get it?)

We've moved twice in the last 3 years, and I can't find it. Could be at my daughter's house, could be in a storage unit. I'm looking and will update when I find it. Here's my meager sake cup collection, and the 1 wooden one:

Sending a PM.

Don't know why, but I really like the red wooden ones. I have 1 of those along with 2 ceramic.

So, January, 1944. Could you do me the honor of posting a couple of clear shots of the small stamps near the top?

Steve, The looseness is likely due to drying out and shrinkage of the leather seppa. Couple of ideas - make a leather seppa to go on the other side of the tsuba; buy a couple of spare seppa to make the fit tighter. I have added seppa to a number of gunto in my collection to make the fit snug. They don't cost that much, luckily, as you will have to buy a few of them to get 1 or 2 that you like and that fit well.

A 1938 SMR Mantetsu in Navy Kyugunto fittings!!!

One of our guys gave me a link to this. It had been at auction, Amero Auctions, and he hoped to get it, but was outbid. Hoping someone here won it and will post photos, including the serial number! A 1938 SMR Mantetsu in Navy Kyugunto fittings!!!

The more I look at the Sesko blade's mei, I'm wondering if it weren't done by another hand. What's it called? Nakarishi mei? BTW, I've added a photo of this actual kakihan to the upcoming March revision to the Stamps Doc. Thanks guys!

Good eye, George! I had assumed it had come up from the leather saya cover, but from this picture, you can see it is above the tuba, like you say.