Bruce Pennington

Ok, I'm tracking now. So, no need to change the page in the SMR Mantetsu article that states Shigetsugu was one of the smiths that helped them get started making swords. Thanks for working through that with me Trystan. I can see why working these names with kanji rather than English is safer. Yet, even as I say that, I can recall several smith names being used by multiple smiths that even use the same 2 kanji! But that's another rabbit to chase another day.

Forgive my denseness here - So, We are saying that the mei, and smith, of the guy that helped SMR was Shigefusa, and it was simply a wrong translation early on to have called him Shigetsugu?

Great article, Johnny! I knew the stainless blades were seen thoughout the war, but this says they had been working on the steel for 10 years prior to 1939. Wonder if any kyugunto had stainless blades?

Posting pics. Note the wrapped 'leather?' saya! And quite rudimentary Rinji fittings, usually called "late-war" but June '44 wasn't THAT late and we have many high-quality RS fittings in '44 and '45. Third "Ma" number and all 3 from Yamagata. Frustrated by the "Wago" name @george trotter. The RJT list only shows the Akimoto Sadatomo and so far, all the Kana + numbered blades are by RJT smiths. Yet Akimoto is listed as from Shizuoka. So, I'm guessing this Wago Sadatomo is a different guy, and by lack of star or listing, he wasn't RJT. I'm also curious about the extra stroke on the "tomo" kanji." Any thoughts?

One of the first name kanji I was pushed to learn was - 兼 - Kane. It's the most common name-half. It helps to reduce the name search, as you only have to figure out the second kanji. As with all of these, the trouble comes when the smith gets loose with the strokes and appearance!

Or simply to preserve another piece of WWII history. The stamps are (L. to R.) - Gifu (possibly the later stamp of Seki Shoten Co., Ltd), Nagoya Army Arsenal inspector, Kokura Army Arsenal. Kokura arsenal ran administrative oversight over both Tokyo 1st and Nagoya up until 1942ish, so this dates the blade no later than '42. You can read about the Type 95 NCO sword here: http://ohmura-study.net/957.html there are more in-depth discussions if you want links to them.

So, we're thinking the guy we've been calling "Shigetsugu" should be "Shigefusa?" I tried backtracking my source of SMR smiths we used in the Mantetsu article and the only source for "Shigetsugu" working for SMR was @k morita's post. Do we have any other source showing a smith named Shigetsugu worked there? If not, then it's starting to look like Shigefusa was the guy. I checked Sesko's smith reference. He shows 2 Showa era Shigefusa and didn't mention the SMR work at all. @george trotter @mecox - any chance of finding a source on who it was that helped SMR start their sword work, Shigetsugu or Shigefusa?

Papered Mantetsu! Registered Type 95! CATS AND DOGS SLEEPING TOGETHER!!! What's this world coming to?!?!? Well, I'm glad they're coming around finally. I think the kissaki has been re-worked. Maybe even a field repair. The blotchy steel "patch" on this looks very similar to one I own that I've always felt had been a factory or field repair. Here are some more pics for future reference: Item of interest @Shamsy @Stegel

Thanks Bob. I actually didn't doubt that, I was simply mildly shocked at the asking prices for the swords I listed. I had thought that prices were falling a bit, but after chatting with a couple other guys about some other swords, they say prices are still climbing. So who can blame him for starting high. If someone wants to make a lower offer, he's still on market price, but if a hungry guy with $$$ really wants it and bites, he makes out both ways.

So are we saying that Shigetsugu also signed Shigefusa?

Tried. The first step is my cell number, but it doesn't work, likely because they're expecting a Japanese phone number.

@Stephen @PNSSHOGUN- I tried translating the page, but can't find a way to contact the seller for the serial number. Do you know how? I will do it if you can tell me where to click on the page. I tried clicking his seller name, but that didn't give me a message option.

"vonStubben" over at this Wehrmacht-awards Thread - Aerial bombing of the US West Coast started a conversation about this event. Quite interesting. There is a good 6 min video of the story by one of the news outlets here:

My google translate of that second page calls him "Shigeije" so bad translation, but they say he's the Mantetsu guy ...... which would be Shigetsugu?! "Shigeji Aizu Sumi Wakabayashi is an Army swordsmith. According to Akira Tsutsumi's "Guntō Union Disposition" (subtitle, Around the Army Ordered Swordsmith, published by the Aizu Cultural Research Study Group in 1994), Shigeji Wakabayashi (real name Inoyoshi Wakabayashi), who was a swordsmith in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture, is a mantetsu. It seems that he was involved in the production of swords from the early days, and it is written that he returned to Aizu in the spring of 1941 and then produced swords as an army swordsmith. Although there are only two flaws in this work, it is an excellent work with a dignified appearance by Shigeji Aizu Sumi Wakabayashi, who was involved in the Mantetsu sword (Koa Isshin sword) and was a swordsmith of the Army. Passed the preservation in the examination in September 2021." Need some Sherlock Holmes work @mecox