Bruce Pennington

That's it Steve! I'm reading it now, thanks to @Julian. The copy he sent me looks new! I can see why Neil recommended a thread of actual blades. While the book is full of great swords, the black & white photos just don't match the color photos we are collecting here.

I'll stop soon, but here's a 1940 with a "5" that very well could be what yours is with the top and bottom strokes obscured by the corrosion.

I think they are both faded and original. There were several makers of these and the ink seemed to vary. @PNSSHOGUN will settle it soon.

Here’s a 1938, Yasumitsu blade, that shows the “3” fitting in.

I like these better too. I've put together a little collage comparing 1935 and yours and 1937. I think there's plenty of room for a "2" or even "3" in there. So, I think the date is later than 1935, which solves your smith's dating problem.

@Erwin, As you've seen already, the collecting community has a number of names for this variation of the Type 98. It was created under the Type 98 Emperor orders, as a cheaper model (80 Yen vs 120 Yen), and in the process, something with improved features for durability in the field. You can read all about the "contingency model" or Rinji seishiki, in Japanese, on Nick Komiya's posts True Significance of "Type 3" Contingency Spec Army Officer sword Unveiling of the Rinjiseishiki Sword

Yes, thank you! I only have 3 smiths on file that used stamped mei - Naohiro, Nobumitsu, and Masayuki Naohiro Nobumitsu Masayuki

It belongs to @Leen

Forgive a novice from intruding, but more precisely, if I'm correct, the blade simply says "Katsu masa". He may have been from Noshu, but it's not stated on the blade.

Tony, Someone at Wehrmacht-awards, HERE is asking about this gunto. He didn't say where he's seen it, but it looks like someone else won that auction and cleaned it up nicely.

Interesting one in that both sides have mon, but different ones. Also interesting because of it's possible history. Found this on an auction posted by John, @Shugyosha, HERE. The tanto is made for Tomoo, in 1843. The seller speculates that it was "Nagasawa Tomoo 長澤伴雄 (1808-1859) who was a scholar of Japanese classical literature and Waka poetry. He was a Samurai at the Kii Domain, Wakayama. He compiled multi-volume Waka poetry collections. It is likely that the long poems inscribed on both sides of the blade are by him."

Thanks Steve and Barry!

Don’t know if you’re looking at NCO Swords, but this is a nice fairly rare Nagoya side latch:

Found this on an auction posted by John, @Shugyosha, HERE. The tanto is made for Tomoo, in 1843. The seller speculates that it was "Nagasawa Tomoo 長澤伴雄 (1808-1859) who was a scholar of Japanese classical literature and Waka poetry. He was a Samurai at the Kii Domain, Wakayama. He compiled multi-volume Waka poetry collections. It is likely that the long poems inscribed on both sides of the blade are by him." It has the Kiri mon on one side and the Kikyo mon on the other. Just wondering why there would be 2 mon for 1 owner. Ideas?

I see, Geraint saw the meaning of your question better. You can see the evolution of the modernized styles here: http://ohmura-study.net/902.html Ohmura explains a little more here: http://ohmura-study.net/910.html Nick Komiya goes into the history in depth here: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/why-did-army-revive-samurai-sword-design-1934-officers-770851/ But Geraint's summary is correct. At the end of the 1800's the Emperor wanted to modernize Japan. On the military side, he brought in western weaponry, the cavalry saber being the "modern" version of the sword in that time. Various models, Type 19 Kyugunto, Type 32 Cavalry & Artillery, were the primary swords in use for a while. The Shanghai Incident in 1931 highlighted the inability of the cavalry sabers to withstand serious combat against Chinese winter clothing and temperatures. They were bending and breaking. Multiple calls were being sent back to Japan calling for better swords, Samurai-styled swords. This and the massive expansion of the Japanese military, creating a huge shortage of swords, prompted the revival of the samurai style and the industrialized production of modern "Showa-to". The saber was retained in it's "dress" style and function, while the gunto replaced cavalry swords in combat.

I only have a couple of Type 95 saya liners and 1 combat saya liner from a Mantetsu I can show you. Haven't been able to any others out of the outer shells. All 3 are close to the end of the liner. I do recall a couple of posts over the years where the blade was considerably shorter than the say it came with, so it did happen.

@dwmc Does this nakago have numbers stamped at the end, probably on the other side?

Here's one from a Guns.ru Thread. The post was actually exploring the meaning of the overlapping sakura, as maybe a mon.

Wow, incredible! Do you think the fittings, with this habaki, are new? They seem too new looking to be original.

Came across this on a Gunboards Thread - Navy Officers Sword. It has stamped "1 66" on the nakago. The "1" is large, and the "66" is small. Can't decide if that was intentional or simply a guy grasping for number stamps and grabbed different sizes. The painted numbers are "166" so I'm leaning to the "not intentional" theory.

Cool, I had the "Kiyo" right. No way I was going to figure out the second konji. Thanks Steve!

Found on a kaigunto:

And a much better photo! Much nicer looking, too!

Thanks Oleg. Truly gorgeous blade:

Maybe a Moon over Clouds? or Moon over Farmland? On a 17th century Sukesada, civil mounts at a Guns.ru thread.