Bruce Pennington

Oops! Sorry brother! But you did give me a good laugh this morning!

Hi Frank! Looks like "99". Are there numbers on the other fittings, like seppa and tsuba?

It is unusual, but not unheard of. @Shamsy and @Stegel could tell you, but neither of them have been active for a while. @BANGBANGSAN or @Kiipu might track things like that.

Posting pics for posterity

Dang Gareth! That is in pretty pristine condition! I have one like that where I swear, the sergeant carried it must have been an accountant in a financial office and headquarters building somewhere. It never saw service in the field. I am also surprised to see the end of the bohi. It 90% follows the shape of the kissaki just like the Tokyo Arsenal blades do. A bit unusual for Nagoya. With these exceptions, you have quite an exceptional sword!

So, a few things We do have 2 '41 blades with real hamon - Ka 228 and Ka 232 228 232 They came out of Japan on a Buyee sale. It is possible that they are fakes, but much of the other signs seem legit, like the "Ka" being right for the year. But back to yours. We do have blades without serial numbers, but they are signed blades by Shigetsugu. We also have a waki with no serial number, that I think is legit. So, it's possible all these, including yours, are legit. But we don't know. One thing supporting yours is the curved nakago mune. I don't follow civil swords enough to know, but I don't think they had curved mune, and I don't think even the WWII blades from the mainland had curved mune. If I'm wrong about that, I'd like to know. On the other hand, I agree that the mei looks fresh. In this photo, you can see how clean the mei cuts are compared to the aged surface around it: But you have it in hand and can tell if that is a trick of the lighting and that there really is signs of age in the cuts. I'm going to file it, like the other ones, as I don't have enough info to say for sure either way. It's possible you have something quite cool.

@Gerry Ditto with John - can we get the serial number on the back edge of the nakago? May I ask who you bought this from?

Thomas, In the Stamps doc, I used Slough's terminology for the stamp. Do you think Morita's should be used instead?

Posted this on the Mods for Gunto Swords thread by mistake:

Here's a T98 with a sayajiri drag I've never seen! At auction HERE. On a Feb 1945 Nobumitsu with Gifu stamp in RS fittings: @PNSSHOGUN Edit: Realized this thread is for modifications, and this is not a mod, but an original manufactured item. Posted a link on the Fittings Thread.

@BANGBANGSAN I know we have another thread with several of these, but I cannot find it. I've been filing these as "Manchurian". This seller is claiming them to be Sumatran. I think they are wrong and we are right about them, but it is found AT THIS AUCTION

Ha! 11 hrs to bids closing and it's only up to $26. I was tempted to go for it, until I saw the fine print. Auction found HERE.

The only help I can offer you is to help take it off of your hands and into my collection! It's a nice one. Legit, if that is your question.

The link just goes to the .pdf Thomas added just above your post.

That is "Ki" キ122. Mantetsu used katakana to serialize their production line. Ki was the ninth line (out of 15) for the year 1943. I do not know if their "year" was calendar year or fiscal year. Fiscal year started in April, but you can sort of guess-timate the timeframe. Ki was 3/5 of the year (9 out of 15), so around May or August, depending on which "year" they were going by.

Sesko lists both father and son, but doesn't mention RJT status. I wonder if that is because the RJT blade is Tadamori? How do you have them linked?

Thanks for the update, Mat! Turns out I have this one charted already from a past seller online, but your photos are clearer, so I appreciate it.

Ah, the Shoheikan Gunso Kabushiki Gaisha stamp. The shop made "army and navy koshirae. They also adverstise a wood saya gunto koshirae. The company was located in Tokyo and owned by Mr. Saito" -- Chris Bowen; Fuller & Gregory, "Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks", pg 227.

Oh I wish I could remember all the things I used to know! I HAVE Markus' book "TAMESHIGIRI". The photo you reference is on page 174: On the next page, 175, Markus discusses multiple examples of cuts, 3 cuts through one body, one cut through 3 bodies, 2 body cuts, etc. And these were described on the nakago in detail. He also mentions blades that were tested multiple times by 2 different testers. I have a vague memory of that old feller in that video from another video, stating things that weren't exactly right. SO, disregard my original post, however it has all been a good refresher!

And I'm gonna milk that omniscience for all it's got!!! So, not a star-stamped blade, but the mei for comparison, then.

Retirements must be requested in triplicate, carbon copies, typed on manual typewriter!!! Thomas, I don't see the mei side of the Tadamori in your link. There are 3 photos of date, and no mei or mune.

Which reminds me that I seem to recall a translation or 2 that did specify, in those terms, the cut position. Anyone else recall something like that?

Not really. They were just Japanese prisoners in a Japanese prison. I have never heard any interviews from prisoners during the war, but I would bet they’re nationalism and pride in serving their nation would’ve been quite a positive motivation for them to have been making these swords.

Definitely not.

I thought Jewelry&coin and Showa22 were the same guy.