Bruce Pennington

Bamboo, found HERE.

4 hours ago, SteveM said:

More info here

Thanks for that tip/reminder Steve.  Ohmura states that a navy official resided at the workshop to do the inspections!  Interesting bit of behind-the-scenes info!

The date is August, 1943. Someone else will help you with the Smith name.

The date is February, 1942. Someone else will have to look at the Smith name for you.

22 hours ago, Kiipu said:

various pronunciations

Thanks Thomas!  I've added the additional photos.  Seems these are showing up often on Masafusa blades.

What do you think of Morita-san's explanation: "It is formal that 眞金(shin-gane) pronounces as "Ma-gane"."?

"

No signs of fakery here.  Like Geraint said, big piece of information is the nakago.

I have to amend what I said about Fuller.  He has 3 pictures of a senior naval officer carrying a Type 94 shingunto.  It was Dawson, page 433, showing a senior NLF commander with a gunto in leather combat saya, 2 haikan (ashi), but with white same'.  Dawson doesn't comment on it, but it's either an army tsuka on naval blade/saya or a civil sword re-fitted for war.

IF it was done, it seems to be tied to Naval forces who fought on land, commonly called Naval Landing Forces.

Ah, yes, I forgot about that.  I don't follow these, so unfamiliar with going rates.  Mine is army, so it would have been cheaper, though.

New angle for sales from Komonjo.  Nice blades with similarly corroded nakago, in hastily made saya and tsuka.  Granted, he clearly states in both ads "...but gimei for sure.  Bid on the steel, not the name."

Hisamichi                                                                                                Kuniyasu

Just came across this Kyu with a Naohiro blade in it.  Fittings are a tad prettier than mine, but my blade is nicer.  Price is unbelievable for a murata-to by Naohiro.  Glad I got mine elsewhere!

For sale HERE

Pictures of mine are on  My Christmas Present finally came in.

YO! Good catch John!  Curious to hear, Jim, about John's question of fit and feel.

I will have to add, though, that F & G has some pics of what Fuller believes is Naval Officers with gunto having mixed fittings like this - naval saya, but army tsuka.  So, this could be one of those, or it could be a post-war add-on.

Jim,

The drag on the end of your saya is a patent number.  Fuller explains it here:

10 hours ago, IJASWORDS said:

already got a photo of this in your stamp document. 

Oooo ... but now I have a much better one!  Thanks Neil!

My other pictures of this made the label look like it had 5 points, whereas the silver label had 3 with rounded "cheeks."  But now I can see they are the same.  Why some are gold and others are silver ... ?  The silver one's I've seen are so worn and unreadable, maybe the "gold" is simply worn off.

I've swapped the photos in the Stamps doc, thanks!   Getting little odds and ends like this for 7.3, but not enough to warrant a re-publish.

Dave,

In case you haven't already ID'd it, this is an 1886 model Company grade Cavalry Officer's sword

Fuller and Gregory, pgs 50,51

Nice save!  I appreciate your heart on this direction of collecting.  I feel that way about them too.  Maybe I'll try doing some hunting around town.

Ok, thanks for checking!

7 hours ago, Dave R said:

"The red string of fate"??

Dave,

At first I thought you said that in jest, but the more I think about it after reading the legend and it’s meaning the more I wonder if the soldier actually was given that string by his loved one before leaving for the war, and he tied it around his saya!

Makes for a nice story though doesn’t it?

Tiger, signed.  Found HERE.

6 hours ago, Alex1984 said:

reverse side

Sorry, not the "sides" of the nakago, but the back edge.  Many (not all) Nagamitsu have stamps and serial numbers on them.  Here's an example:

Ah, ok.  The darkness of the first shot made it look odd, but now I see.  It's standard style for WWII leather covers.  Clearly has a story to tell, too bad we'll never know it!  Great gunto.

I honestly don't know why I love the blades, but what I love most is the STORY.  I love to hear and read the stories of the smiths, of the carry-ers of the blades, of the times surrounding the making and the using.  My almost compulsive focus on stamps is not about the stamps, but really about the WHY, which always leads to stories of the times, people making decisions, etc.  History.

On 12/14/2020 at 1:06 AM, Alex1984 said:

Inscription on one side only.

 

Alexander,

Any stamps and/or numbers on the back edge of the nakagao?

2 minutes ago, Toryu2020 said:

Bruce -

That is a Kuyo mon used by many families...

-t

Fascinating, Thomas, thanks!  Mon on blades. 

Just looked that up - 9 planets - and like you said, several family names and variations.

4 minutes ago, Peter Bleed said:

Its one of the Date crests.

Peter, I'm not familiar with that term - date crest.  What does that mean? (sorry for all the questions!)

Quite an old blade John!  Looks like it was outfitted for WWII with that saya (scabbard).  Could you give us a closer, and brighter picture of the end of the saya?  Seems quite unique.

I realize there's plenty of challenges with this one, but does anyone have an idea of the meaning of the circles emblem at the top? Stylized chrysanthemum maybe?

edited out.  pics are from same gunto

13 hours ago, mtexter said:

the history of these.

Mike,

Just noticed the worn foil label on the saya.  I have never seen one that was readable, but it is said they are of the Seki Cutlery Co. which made fittings as well as Type 95 NCO gunto. [Edited: both pictures are from the same thread and gunto]