Bruce Pennington

I've only tried using it once. The sword got to a shipping point in L.A., and then they returned it to me saying that the shipper (DHL) wouldn't take blades. It was just going from Colorado to Canada, and I know for a fact that DHL is used by guys all over the world. So I think it was GSP anti-weapons lunies and they tried to blame DHL. Won't ever use it again.

A Kikusui on a fuchi (note only 7 petals) Kikusui-themed menuki Of course Kikusui are found on things other than swords: A yari case (style 2 slanted) Kikusui-themed tsuba A Mini-submarine A shirasaya

After doing some research into Kikusui on gunto, I've discovered some interesting tid-bits, which may not be news to some of us, but I'll post what I've found. If anyone sees something I've missed or has something to add, please do! According Dan King, “A Tomb Called Iwo Jima,” the crest we know today as the Kikusui was the clan crest of a 14th Century Samurai, Kusunoki-Masa-sige , who fought to the death proclaiming “But that I had seven lives to give to the Emperor!” (at least the saying is attributed to him). “The Japanese military used … the crest … as a symbol of devotion and self-sacrifice. The Navy adopted Minatogawa Jinja as their sacred shrine.” Crests are found on blades, nakago, and habaki. Stylized Kikusui are found on tsuba, menuki, and mon. They are hand-crafted, not stamped. Most come with a 9-petal chrysanthemum (one mon found with 7 petals) sitting atop an S-shaped flowing river. The rivers mostly fall into 3 styles. Style 1: Three Parallel lines : The sample group is small, but all observed of this version are squared at the ends Style 2: 3-2-3 Ends slanted Ends Squared This version is created two ways: 2 parallel lines with the third added at the top and bottom ; Or: 2 parallel lines with the third added in the bends of the river. Style 3: 2-1-2 Two parallel lines merge to one in the center and emerge as 2 at the bottom. The third line is simulated by adding curves at each bend. Style 4: 2-1-3 Two parallel lines merge to one in the middle, coming out as three at the bottom

It’s an old practice, from way back. I have never read an explanation on who started it or why. Around here, though, the man who asked the question gets assigned the research! Let us know what you find out! Ha! Edit: After re-reading your post, I realize I misunderstood your question. I remember it being discussed years ago, and while no one knew, the predominant theory was the same as yours. It would take some research into blades made by smiths who used kao to see if non-traditionally made blades got the kao or not.

Found a nice one for comparison

Don't know if this is clear enough.

Speaking of mons and kikusui - here's one on an old post:

Neil, My post was a "2-cents" value and in no way meant to question your unquestionable experience with koshirae or anything else. I do tend to play Devil's Advocate, though, when someone starts leaning toward an "always" or "never"! Ha! So, you challenged me to dig deeper on the kikusui. I'm only half-way through the NMB database, but just came across this one. It's much better made than this one of this post, but closed ends. That MAY be due to the way it was imprinted or sculpted, though. On a Yoshichika, found ON THIS THREAD.

Did a little search on Gunboards and found several bayonets with stamps on the ricasso, and they are all from arsenals! The Jinsen is in sakura like this Toyokawa. SO, I guess it really is a stamp from the Toyokawa aresenal. Seems they used different stamps (circle or sakura) depending upon the item it was going on.

I don't recognize that tassel, is it leather? Is this on a kyu-gunto?

Well, I have an aversion to pain, so I won't be pulling my hair out! And I've been married for decades, so I've given up on sanity long ago! Of course, the answer may turn out to be "Both are true". But unless we get a real breakthrough, like an Army document or a book like that one Morita-san found for us in the Mantetsu study, we likely will never find out. Won't stop me from trying, though! Sanity is over-rated anyway!

Trystan, Do you have pictures of other arsenals or shops on bayonets like that? Curious to see if they are shop stamps or arsenal stamps. John, sorry for taking an off-ramp from your post! Brian, If you feel it appropriate, we could split this off from my post #27. Could call it "Toyokawa Anchor in Sakura".

George, That's very useful info, thanks! I am still in the gathering stage. I included your earlier post on the Akihisa and Munetoshi Yamagami blades. In it, you point out that prior to the Army's assumption of control over national sword making in 1942, their blades were just numbered, but beginning in '42 they added the Matsu stamp, and finally in '44 the Matsu was replaced with kanji that could be associated with their prefectures - which matches the way stamping changed for all arsenals and blades. While it is WAY too early to draw conclusions, this all has the hint, the faintest whisper, to me of numbering done by smiths and/or arsenals rather than fitting shops. Fittings shops, as far as I know (which is very little!) weren't responsible to these stamping laws, it was the smith/forge and arsenal who were held to this. But, like I say, too early to even say that!

Ha! I'm afraid I don't know. The picture is from a post made by Vajo on an older thread. I just collect pictures of kikusui for my files. I did recently see Sadakazu and Sadakatsu (sp?) mentioned in another thread as a smith that was known to use the emblem.

My 2 cents on the kikusui -From Herman Wallinga's book. The Sadakazu one shows a hand-crafted one that is, in my view, even less skilled ( I'm trying not to say poorly crafted!). We found on an other Minatagawa thread (HERE) that there is quite a lot of variation of these emblems. They were not a fixed stamp, but hand-cut, so artist conception and skill vary for all of them. Second one, bottom row:

This is what George Trotter said about him: "The Yanagawa brothers of Saitama had been making swords in their shop in Suginami, Tokyo (next to Shinjuku) since Meiji Taisho times, (mainly sabres etc which they "signed" with a stamp "Naotsugu"). Their "brand" name was "Shoshin". In WWII they must have also been making gendai which the signed with the usual "cut" mei...usually SHOSHIN or USHOSHIN. "

Picture Please! I wish we could pin down the shop that was stamping numbers rather than using paint. But they seem to be affiliated with higher-end blades. Maybe it was considered "classier" by the shop owner.

Third choice: Doesn't matter to me either way. "check"

It might take a while, but that can be part of the fun of the hobby. It took me 2 years to find all the parts that were missing on my dad's Mantetsu. But it's worth the time and effort. In the end, you wind up with a really good looking gunto and the pleasure of making it all happen.

Bobby, You have a Japanese officer sword (Type 94 or 98, can't tell without pictures of the full saya (scabbard). Someone will help with the smith's name. More pictures of the full blade, and close-ups of the blade tip and a section of the blade showing the temper line, will help tell more about the blade.

Thanks Neil, any other inspector stamps on it?

Thomas, I hadn't made that connection! Are you seeing the "TO" on the kabutogane of the "M" stamped blades?

Thanks David! I'm glad we looked further on that, as it is クKU. And it fits better as all the other Ku are Autumn blades too.

Here's one from BaZZa on the Kaigunto with mon thread:

Barry, Richard Fuller says that is the Toyokawa Navy Arsenal stamp on fittings. It might be, but I'm starting to investigate the idea that it's an actual stamp from a koshirae shop, associated with the arsenal, sure, but a separate shop like Tenzoshan was. The Toyokawa stamp on blades is an anchor in a circle, not a sakura. Thanks for the nice example!