Bruce Pennington

That’s really cool, Neil! Hey, can you post the Mantesu date and serial number on the Mantetsu Survey thread for me? http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/

Ayieeeeeeee!!! Good thing you asked. Very bad fake. Look here at real ones: http://ohmura-study.net/905.html

Thanks Ronnie! Any chance you have the date on that one?

Yes, nice! And a very clear Nagoya stamp on the blade, which is somewhat unusual as they are more often faint or incomplete. Thanks!

Agee. Cool Seki Token contractor stamp! Could I get a better picture?

Dang, you guys! Those are both gorgeous! Thanks for the addiction fix!

Neil, So far, I have 14 blades and the following katakana in use: Ka,Sa, Ta, Na, Ra, Wa; Hi; Se; Ro. I have blades from '38, '39, '40, '41, '42, '43, '44 missing '37 and '45. Numbers range from 41 to 2340, but they aren't sequential by year as I thought they would be. The HI 41 was made in 1943! and there is a SA 520 from 1940. Haven't heard back from Morita-san as to whether he's collected Mantetsu numbers.

John, thanks, that's "SE" 72 Is the nakago too rusty to get the date?

Steve, Spring 1941; “TA” 181 Thanks!

Yeow! Look what just showed up on the Military Swords of Japan FB page (and it's brought in from a fleabay sale). Spring '44, SE 2340! OMG! That's the first 4-digit number I've ever seen! SE 2340! It's about time, though. Ohmura states that Mantetsu was making 400 PER MONTH, so in a single year there would be 4,800 blades made. Nine years of production - (assuming the production rates was steady) 43,200 blades. There were 50 Katakana "letters", so if they were used uniformly, there should be 864 blades pere katakana. So this blade shows the kanji were not used evenly.

Thanks Neil! This is already revealing something. You and I both have blades marked with "NA". Yours from 1939, number 124, and mine from '41, numbered 184. Only 60 blades were made in 2 YEARS under this "contract line" if I can call it that. Mantetsu was making 400 blades PER MONTH (Ohmura's site). In reading the stories of some various smith's it is said that a smith could crank out up to 80 swords PER MONTH. So my idea that Mantetsu started a series of blades, like "A" 1, and ran that series out a certain amount, then began with "KA" 1, and so on through the katakana alphabet - is not likely. Even if a single Mantetsu smith was assigned a number series, like Smith Bruce makes blades using "A", "KA", "SA", "TA", it seems to me that he'd run through more than 60 blades under one kanji in 2 years time. Making just 60 blades per month, Smith Bruce would run through 12 Katakana lines in just one year! More collecting, and analyzing to be done!

Calling all Mantetsu Owners: I'm doing a very informal survey of serial numbers on Mantetsu blades. I'd like to see if there is a progression of the katakana from year to year, or if they are randomly scattered throughout the years. If you own one, please post the year and serial number below. I seem to recall a woman on this forum that had collected one from each year of production! If you read this PLEASE post your dates and numbers. Thanks to all who help out! Mine: Spring 1941 - "Na" 184

O.M.G. Neil! What a contrast between the mangy looking canvas cover, to the immaculate mint saya!!! What a sight! Thanks for sharing that.

Tom, That's a new one on me! The Type 32s and Type 19's, and any blade made before the 95s had some makings that are not found on the later blades. I assume this is because they had different manufacturers. It doesn't look like a number to me. If I figure anything out, or find someone who knows, I'll update.

Josh, To your question about "type" - The army officer gunto in the first stage was called the Type 94. They normally came with 2 "ashi" or belt hangers, but yours seems to only have one. The second one was removable, and often was, later in the war, so I would still call yours a Type 94. (95 was NCO only, and 98 came later with only 1 ashi)

Steve, Dude - it's "Showa 17 year 12 month - so, December 1942.

Bryce, What a unique piece! Do you know anything of it's travels?

No month. There are many variations they used on the date, from NO date, to just a year, to month/year, to "a day" in month/year, and sometimes "a lucky day" month/year.

Matt, I don't understand what bothers you with the saya. There were many variations of the leather covered combat saya, and were carried by military officers as well as civillian Gunzuko. The wire-type sarute is found on Type 98s fairly commonly. Not as common as the higher-grade sarute, but I've seen plenty. The civilian tsuba is a mystery to me. I understand civilian tsuba on an old blade converted to IJA use, but this is a showa blade. Unless the blade wasn't made FOR the army! I have not heard or read anything about swords made during the war, but made for private sale, not military. Has anyone? Maybe this blade was a private purchase, not inspected by army arsenal personnel, therefore considered "civilian."???

George, I had mixed a memory on that Osaka question - According to Ohmura's discussion, on the Type 95 stamps page, there was an "Ogura Army Arsenal" that was renamed "Tokyo".

Thanks George! I think that's it. Refresh my memory - Wasn't Osaka an arsenal before it was renamed to one of the main ones?

Eric, that's a new one on me, and I don't see it in any of my reference material. Is it on the nakago mune (back edge)?

Thanks Patrick! That's the kokuin for Kanetaka. It can be found in Fuller & Gregory, in a drawing form.

Yeeeowww! Don't do it! The steel is "damascus" steel which is used by Chinese fakers, NOT Japanese. NONE of the fittings are accurate for Japanese. Like the guys said already - it's a Chinese fake of a WWII Japanese sword. The Chinese sell these on fleaBay for 150 USD.

Neil, My all-brown came in at 46cm too! As did one of my Navy and a Field grade tassel. My Company grade was 54cm and 3 Navy ones were the shortest at 43cm!