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Bruce Pennington

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Everything posted by Bruce Pennington

  1. Bruce Pennington
    Many officer blades come with a date on the other side from the smith's name. If yours doesn't have one, it's not really possible to say. If you know the smith, some of them died during the war. So if you have a date of his death, you'd be able to say it was made "no later than ...".
  2. Bruce Pennington
    I’m surprised they gave us such a clear picture of the fuchi stamps! Quite an artsy-fartsy Kokura stamp! At least they attempted a Nagoya inspection stamp. And gee, I didn’t know the Tokyo inspector was a contractor!
  3. Bruce Pennington
    I had the same negative response as Neil when writing to them. I even had someone write my letter in Japanese.
  4. Bruce Pennington
    This one popped up over on gunboards and I just noticed the original slot for the officer style latch in the koiguchi has been filled with a new wood piece, obviously newer than the liner!
  5. Bruce Pennington
    Interesting. I didn’t even know there were more than one color!
  6. Bruce Pennington
    Just a slight technical correction: Seki stamps were from a craftsman’s guild working under Kokura Arsenal administration until Kokura’s authority was split up and then they fell under the Nagoya Arsenal.
  7. Bruce Pennington
    Hamfish, I just realized what you meant by the interesting koiguchi! You’re right it appears to be made for this 95, which supports my first impression that this was a gunto purchased by an officer during the gunto shortage with a custom built saya.
  8. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks Stephen. I added it to the Stamps document. Latest version 1.5 attached if anyone wants a copy.stamps.docx
  9. Bruce Pennington
    Hockeydad nailed it, and what Vajo said is correct- all of these have that same number. Yours is a nice example. Do you already have the smith name and date translated? If so, I’d like to know the smith name to go with that kokuin stamp.
  10. Bruce Pennington
    Ok, sure. I just thought George was implying that all the similarities, including the mon, indicated that a common shop was fitting them out.
  11. Bruce Pennington
    What do you guys think of the habaki? Post-war? Did they make habaki like this?
  12. Bruce Pennington
    George, interesting idea. I wonder, though, why the military or a contractor buying these blades would go to the trouble of placing mon on them?
  13. Bruce Pennington
    I’ve been wanting one with a real war blade too. Guess I’m not a “serious collector!” Ha!
  14. Bruce Pennington
    Yes, classic example of the era when officers were renting and buying NCO gunto due to shortages. (Or of course just a lucky grab off the post-war pile of blades and saya)
  15. Bruce Pennington
    A bad fake. Good on ya for checking it out first.
  16. Bruce Pennington
    Dave, I've seen this with IJA gunto, but have never owned a Kai with the fabric sarute. Are they anchored inside the same way? If so, I agree with all the above comments. This long one is knotted. I doubt the factory assembly would have knotted a sarute like that.
  17. Bruce Pennington
    Steve, These normally sell in the $250-400 USD range. Yours being on the rare side could be at the higher end, or a tad more, so I don't see that an appraisal would be worth the money. Some of these can have family blades in them, and IF the blade is by a famous smith, then the ante goes up. But you'd have to dissasemble it to find that out, assuming the look of the blade makes you think it's a crafted blade as opposed to a factory blade.
  18. Bruce Pennington
    Dawson adds that after 1934, when Manchukuo was proclaimed the Empire of Manchukuo, the created a Natioinal Army. Swords with the crossed flags were swords of the Manchukua Imperial Army.
  19. Bruce Pennington
    I see "spring"! and I think "1940 (2600).
  20. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks guys! I'm voting "so" also. My biggest doubt was the thickness of the stroke. It almost looked like it was a "Ku" with the parallel lines too close together.
  21. Bruce Pennington
    Can't tell if this is "N" or "So" or "Ku". Anybody make it out?
  22. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks Steve. That actually DID help!
  23. Bruce Pennington
    Oye vey! It's getting worse! Ha! You just mentioned "Zou", which the Mantetsu collectors have been calling "Tanzo". Showa 14 (1939) to Showa 16 (1941) : 興亜一心 (Koa-Isshin) 満鉄作之 (Mantetsu Saku Kore) Showa 17 (1942) : 興亜一心 (Koa-Isshin) 満鉄謹作 (Mantetsu Kin-Saku) Showa 17 (1942) to Showa 18 (1943) : 興亜一心 (Koa-Isshin) 満鉄作 (Mantetsu Saku) Showa 18 (1943) to Showa 19 (1944) : 満鉄鍛造之 (Mantetsu Tanzo Kore) Maybe I should have stuck with "Ignorance is bliss"!!!
  24. Bruce Pennington
    That's a fabulous job Chris! I keep most of mine in original condition, but I've had to strip a couple (gold and black "Bubba" paint) and repaint one. Very rewarding feeling to restore one.
  25. Bruce Pennington
    Thanks Malcolm! Seems most guys use Saku, so I’ll just go with that. But at least now I’ll understand if I see someone using Tsukuru.
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