Bruce Pennington

Ha, I find it quite annoying that life keeps getting in the way of my hobby time! What’s your serial number on that one? Is it close to Neil’s?

Peter, I would appreciate a picture with the Seki stamp showing for my Stamps Survey!

I would also appreciate seeing if there is a stamp higher on the nakago (tang), likely under the metal fittings, you'll have to remove them to see the stamp. Have you read up on this style of gunto? It was a contingency model, often called a "Type 3" or "Rinji seishiki", designed to be cheaper (officers had to pay for their swords) yet more durable to the rigors of combat. The style caught on in the latter part of the war and became quite elaborate. It would be nice to see pics of your rig as well. You can read about them HERE.

I just got some pics from the auction house - everything BUT the serial number I asked for!

That General's Mantetsu at auction has the same fat tsuba with the identical pattern around the edge-face.

Make that 217! John just fed me a link to one Bill Brannow had sold a while back. It's got a General Officer tassel and up for auction again. Wish I had the fun-money to go for it!!! I've posted it HERE if anyone wants to have a go at it.

Wow, Trystan, my '39 Mantetsu has that same exact tsuba! Had to have been the same koshirae shop! My thought was the same as John's on the thickness, but was hoping he'd comment. He's far more knowledgeable on koshirae. Here's mine. Next to my '41 Mantetsu

216 with full numbers, mei, and date. There would be more, but many pictures found on the web don't show the serial numbers.

I have not skin-in-the-game on this auction or item. I'm just not able to bid, financially, and want guys to know this baby is up for auction in 2 days. https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms-Military-Artifacts/Military-Artifacts/Superb-Signed-WWII-Japanese-Officer-s-Sword/lotInformation/57745860#topoflot

Got both, but thanks for your help!

That’s a good one, Stephen! Didn’t have that one in the database. But now I do! I only have two other blades with single numbers - 1941 ナ 5, and 1942.ラ 7

Minor correction - There wasn't a Seki Arsenal. The Nagoya Arsenal governed sword making in the area of Seki. The stamp is first seen in 1940 (1 in my survey), some in 1941, but the massive majority of them are seen in 1942, with many seen in the rest of the war years.. It's not known for sure if the stamp is of the Seki Sword Guild or an Army inspector stamp working the Seki area. But it's presence on a sword does mean the blade was made by non-traditional means.

Welcome to the club Chris! The Shingunto world is full of complexities and variations. My collection is at 22 now, and I've gotten each because it represents a certain distinct variation from the "standard" gunto, and I still don't have all that could be added. You've got a real beauty there. Can't go wrong with anything coming from Neil. His stuff is top-notch.

I've never heard, nor read, an explanation. My guess is that it started when Japan was "modernizing" their military and were using guns and swords made in the West. But that's just a guess.

Ok, you had me at "stamped numbers"!!! Ha! So, they were doing this as early as the late-1800s. Great thread Thomas, thanks for all the links! Enjoying this!

I’m glad you asked me, Stephen, because I see that I missed the one for sale on eBay! I don’t have that one! I sent an email to the seller asking for a picture of the character under the habaki. It looks like a HI ヒ

Takehisa was one of 8 smiths whose blades often have the W/M stamp: Research from collectors on the Nihonto Message Board (www.militaria.co.za/nmb/19390-the-mysterious-w-stamp/) have revealed ‘W’ stamps on the following blades: Type 19 sabre; Type 95s made by Ijima for Kokura & Tokyo 1st Arsenal; Mantetsu; Kaneoto (with Seki stamp); Haruhisa; Kokima Kanenori; Tenshin; Takehisa; Yoshiharu; and Yoshitani. We don't know why it just shows up on these blades. We believe it is a "midway inspection".

Glad to see you're reading some Classics Thomas! Seriously, we are all grateful for you're ability to research and share. Does the publication offer any pictures?

Nice presentation Neil. I agree it's nice to have matching numbers, as it means no one has done post-war mixing. In the case of this late-war piece, it also acts as evidence that the odd gunto was actually made that way.

Hale, The numbers on fittings, like John said, are put there by the fitting shops to keep all the parts together for a particular blade. Each blade has different curves and thicknesses, so the fittings are customized, filed to fit nakago, etc, for a particular blade. The numbers keep those parts together when not on the blade, like for polishing. If you have all matching numbers, it simply tells you all the parts were original from it's making. But many gunto have parts without numbers at all, or have a mix of numbered and unnumbered parts.

That's a new one too! Any more pictures of that one? It should be Spring 41, but it's always good to have a full set of pics.

That's great Trystan! I had two of these, but not the rest. And that's our first recorded "KO" number!

That's a fabulous find, Thomas! I don't have my reference books at the time, but this seems to be 2 years after the introduction of the Kyu-gunto and the Type 32s? Weren't they in the 1886 time frame?

You can see date characters under the rust. It was all there but covered up by rust.

These run around $450 USD