Bruce Pennington

Thank you Moriyamasan!

Malcolm, it’s the one around the corner from McDonalds. Brian, I didn’t buy it, my hobby money fund is too low right now! He didn’t have a price on it yet, and it’s not registered. He said it would take a couple of weeks to get a certificate.

Fabulous Thomas, thanks for the corrections! Can you explain the significance of the parentheses?

Found this one in a antique shop in Narita Japan. The blade is pretty rusted up, in a leather covered saya.

Lev, Don't know if this is the same Mantetsu waki, but this one is a Spring '39, cut to waki length.

Moritasan and Thomas - this is exactly what I needed. I needed someone who could see the data through the eyes of Japanese culture, not my American perspective. Now I have some work to do!

Excellent, Thomas! I was trying to find katakana that fit, but it wasn't working out right. You've nailed it, thanks!

Posting the latest version of my Mantetsu Study document for anyone interested. I'm hoping someone with an eye for detail might see something interesting that I have missed. Let me know if you do! Not much new lately. Over 160 blades. 60 of the serial numbers are in the "A"s. Some years have obvious groupings, some are all over the place. mantetsu serial numbers (1).pdf

Ok, cute. While technically within requirement, it still kinda defeats the purpose for a name. A rookie to the hobby won't get it, and will have no idea how to adress someone doing that. I simply thought is was a tagline like some people put below their names. I'm not a legalist by nature, but I enjoy this hobby and the connection to real people that it gives me.

Thomas, Your name has dissapeared from your post tagline. Might want to fix that. Great chart! Is that a compilation from Fuller's chart? Or is it something you've compliled yourself? If so, how did you get the data?

As in all things Gunto, I can see both scenarios as possible. If David's is correct, for this blade, then the stamp is likely original to it's manufacture, making the stamp one of the earliest I've seen. If Dave's, then the stamp could be original or added at re-mount. As with many areas of our hobby, I wish we knew more about the actual workings of life in WWII swordmaking. If stamped during re-mount, I wonder who would have done so? I don't picture a koshirae fitting shop using a showa stamp. Kevin, Ryujin Swords, speculates that the Sho stamp was used by the Officer Clubs that sold gunto. If true, then maybe the sword was brought to a Club associated shop for remount, and consequently stamped. Going with Occum's Razor, with the simplest answer often being the correct one, I'd have to bet this was an original stamp at time of manufacture.

Yes, SMR.

My only odd-ball 95 is a Nagoya side-latch with a crooked nakago. I'm not sure if it was damaged and repaired or if it was just really poorly made. In my opinion, the Nagoya arsenal had a looser quality standard than the Tokyo arsenal. It's also has the odd multi-green paint on the saya that we've tentatively determined to be period paint, not post-war.

That's a great story Bob, thanks! Stories like that often give us tidbits that help explain things we see today - shortened blades; showa blades in wooden saya, leather covered, etc.

I was going to speculate that the un-fullered blades came toward the end of the war. I read somewhere that since they were under pressure to crank out more blades (they went from an average of 2,400 blades per month to 5,000 in '44, to 6,000, then 8,000, to 10,000 in August of '45), the fuller was dropped to save time. BUT, seeing the fullered "late-war" wooden handled blades makes me wonder about that theory.

That’s great news, thank you! I’m anxious to hear what it says. It’s very good to just know that it’s mentioned in a book. It’s the first not 1945 Mantetsu blade I’ve seen.

Like David said, the orders to begin stamping blades were published in 1938, but it wasn't widely practiced until '40. That doesn't mean that stamping wasn't done before that, though. As it has 2 mekugi ana, it must have been remounted at some point. Maybe the Sho stamp was added during the remount? Both options are possible.

Moritasan! It is an honor. I enjoyed your chart Ohmurasan used on his site! I found this in a collection owned by Beng Chua of Singapore. Here is his page on this one: http://www.kinghouse.sg/collections_frame.asp?cat=8 It came with a general grade tassel (I know,this could have been added later). Here are the pics:

Neil, I, too, have seen their mark on numerous seppa and tsuba, but had never paid close attention to the blades they were on. Nick Komiya has a dedicated thread to them here: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/he-untold-story-suya-shoten-711132/ They were making blades, fittings, banners, uniform items and more. So it wouldn't surprise me to learn that people went to them for a quality custom order. "In this way, the era between the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, was the heyday for Suya. They had two factories in Tokyo, one in Atago Shita Machi (芝区愛宕下町) and another in Shinsenza, both in Shiba Ward. They had a workforce of 38 floor supervisors and more than 200 artisans, including smiths, polishers, scabbard makers, metal casters, guilders, engravers, leather workers, lacquerers, saddlers, bullion embroiderers, weavers and other specialists. Saber production in Japan was being carried out almost exclusively by artisans in the employ of Suya or by its former employees."

Alex, Yes, due to the ornamentation on the handguard, I'd say it's a 19, but it's an early 19 as it has the 2 belt hangers (one removable). You're lucky to still have the 2nd one as they were often removed and discarded, or simply lost post-war.

Here's an interesting one, not because it's a Mantetsu, but because of the "snakeskin" saya cover! Very unusual!!! It's for sale on fleabay now.

Sorry Chris, it of that one. I took some of a Murimachi (sp?) though that they wanted $20,000 for! Also a really nice tanto.

Ok, thanks!

I found this matchlock at an antique store in Narita JP, Does the certificate say anything about it's age or authenticity? I haven't bought it, thought I'd get more info. I know we're sword guys, but this is the best place I know to get translation, THANKS!

Interesting Malcolm. The base under the Sakura on the Haiikan look like leaves interspersed with FAT stamen. I’d never paid that much attention before!