BANGBANGSAN

My bad,I was wrong ,笠间一貫斎繁継 Shigetsugu is NOT Yasukuni smith 靖繁Ysaushige(阿部繁雄).繁継 is 宫口靖廣 Miyaguchi Yasuhiro’s uncle. Mark，Thanks for correcting me, and stop the wrong information right here.

若林重次(Real name) Wakabayashi Shigetsugu is 若林重房(Smith name) Wakabayashi Shigetsugu，the guy worked for SMR, and he's the guy on the 聖代刀匠位列。 https://www.tsuruginoya.com/infomation/data/iretsu-seidai Not the wrong translation,just didn't know 重次 and 重房 is the same guy. Also, could be confused 重次 and 繁继 by only using English instead of Kanji, because they are the same pronunciation. PS:the registration paper from Japan was wrong about the signature on that Mantestu sword, it should be 若林重次 instead of若林重高。 Whoever work for the education department and register that sword could have not many knowledge about swordsmith，and the cursive script is kind of hard to get it right.

@Bruce There are 3 Smith associates to Mantetsu mentioned by Ohmura 1.栗原昭秀 kurihara Akihide 表1から、軍刀製作を思い立った昭和12年9月からほどなくして、大連鉄道工場での栗原彦三郎昭秀による焼入れをした時点（昭和12年10月）での記述にもある様に、大連鉄道工場内の刀剣製作所は準備で大わらわだったとあるから、まだ刀剣製作はごく少数が試験的に造られていたのであろう。 http://ohmura-study.net/222.html 2.竹島久勝 Akeshima Hisakatsu 大野正編『現代刀工・金工・職方総覧』（昭和52発行）の116Ｐに山口県の刀工・竹島久勝氏の経歴として興味深い記述がある ので一部引用する。 「十三年南満州鉄道株式会社刀剣製作所に赴任、終戦まで興亜一心刀の鍛造指導に当たる」とある。十三年とはもちろん昭和十 三年のことである。同書では久勝は本名とあるが、大野正著『現代刀工名鑑』（昭和46年発行）の149Ｐでは本名は竹島政雄氏 とあった。堀井俊秀門下であり、昭和九年に自らの鍛刀場を山口県田布施町内に開設した。 氏は昭和33年から郷里で作刀を再開した。水竜斎とも号した。 http://ohmura-study.net/221.html 3.若林重次 Wakabayashi Shigetsugu 堤 章 著『軍刀組合始末』（副題、陸軍受命刀匠の周辺／平成6年刊 会津文化調査研究会発行）の106-107Ｐによれば、福島県 会津の刀工だった若林重次こと本名:若林猪之吉氏は、満鉄刀の初期頃から、製作に係わっていたらしく、昭和16年の春に会津 に戻りその後は陸軍受命刀匠として刀剣を製作した。 http://ohmura-study.net/221.html NOTE：若林重次 Wakabayashi Shigetsugu was student of 笠間繁繼 Kasama Shigetsugu,the Yasukuni smith known as 靖繁 Yasushige。 The pronunciation for both 重次 and 繁继 are the same Shigetsugu, so better write Kanji instead of only English pronunciation to avoid the confusion. Here is the story of 若林重次 that I replied to on this thread.

NO, not the same person,Shigetsugu 繁继 not Shigefusa 重房 。I’m saying 若林重次（the smithe work for Mantetsu) is 6th Generation 重房.

It's a legit mid war Type 95 NCO sword，made by Nagoya arsenal.

@Kiipu @Bruce Pennington 若林重次 is the Mantestu swordsmith,he used 重房 name since his 6th Generation 重房。若林升 ，the 5th Generation 重房 若林大八‘s son,is 7th Generation 重房。 Here is root of 重房，and 7th Generation 重房 若林生’s Signature when he was 21 years old. 1st Generation 重房 若林安右衛門 2nd Generation 重房 若林猪之吉，安右衛門‘s second son.He and his older brother 若林安左衛門 both are using 重房 name. 3rd Generation 重房 若林大助，若林猪之吉‘s son。 4th Generation 重房 守藏 ，若林大助’s student and son in-law. 5th Generation 重房 若林大八，若林大助‘s son. 6th Generation 重房 重次，守藏’s son。 7th Generation 重房 若林升，若林大八‘s son，重次’s nephew.

@Kiipu Thomas After more digging ,it should be 若林重房 Shigefusa

The Japanese 銃炮刀劍類登錄證 says 若林重高 for the other one just like it，I’m not sure that Kanji is 高 or 次 now。。。I found a sword signed by 若林重次，it looks different than the signature on the Mantetsu.

Bruce Here is an unusual one that has wavy Hamon 昭和甲申春 興亞一心 滿鐵作 strangely with NO Ser# on nakago,says in Shirasaya ,but not photo of the mount.

Yes,it is in RS mount，I posted it before, here you go.

My 1944 Se 1066 Also has連 at top

南」　南満陸軍造兵廠　　　　　　　"Nan" Nanman Army Arsenal 「連」　南満陸軍造兵廠大連製造所　　"Ren" Nanman Army Arsenal Dalian Factory. It seems 関東軍 made some changes after took over 南満陸軍造兵廠 on April 1944. MRS fitting Mantetsu all have the 連 連工 mark. 1）工程: 刀身 ； 満鉄撫順製鉄所製純鉄を心棒として高炭素鋼の筒中に挿入鍜伸、荒砥ぎ、熱処理、仕上げ砥ぎ 　　　　　　その他； 外装、鍔付け、握り付け、鞘入れ、刀緒付け 1) Process: Sword blade; Inserted into a high carbon steel cylinder using pure iron manufactured by Mantetsu Fushun Steel Works as a mandrel. Others; fitting, Tsuba, Tsuka, scabbard, sword tassel They only mention the inserted steel was from Fushun Steel Works, but not say if the 皮鉄(outer steel?) are the same. If they use different 皮鉄 then the blade is not the same as earlier Mantetsu.

@Bruce Pennington@Kiipu It seems we might found the meaning of 南 and 連/連工 mark .南 means the blade was made in 南満陸軍造兵廠本廠,and the 連/連工means the blade was made in 南満陸軍造兵廠大連製造所軍刀工場. http://ohmura-study.net/205.html From Ohmura 南満陸軍造兵廠は、昭和13年6月「南満工廠建設要綱」が決まり、同年8月、陸軍造兵廠南満工廠※の編成が決定された。 奉天郊外の文官屯に約300万坪の敷地を有し、軍人・軍属12,000名、満人傭工等 数千人の規模だった。此処で将校用軍刀が製造された。 昭和20年4月、兵器行政本部から離れ、関東軍直轄の関東軍造兵廠となった。 製造軍刀の種類; 陸軍将校用軍刀、生産工場: 南満陸軍造兵廠本廠及び南満陸軍造兵廠大連製造所軍刀工場 生産期間 昭和19年10月～20年8月 (実際は昭和18年春より製造されている。たまたま特定期間が記載された事に注意)

He also sword marked 1944.

It's 社 Mark for the army arsenal subcontractors

I think in that chart,長劍 means saber,短劍 means dagger,短刀 means Waki short kai.

Yes,on the right 軍刀 五二（官品Government property) 二九（私品Privately owned）

I didn't see Ma 77 post on your chart though...

I think Type 95 is Army's property,like Type 30 bayonet and rifles.

@Bruce Pennington @Kiipu One more from Matt’s shop 昭和壬午秋 1942 Autumn マ 七八 Ma 78，it‘s the first 30 Series マ found so far.

I was checking on the file of the surrender swords by IJN in Taiwan in 1945. The list mention 私品（Privately owned)and 官品（Government/Navy property), also said some kind of carry permit in applying process for the Privately owned sword. We all know the Type 95 NCO sword was issued by the army and its army property. It got me wondering what kind of Kai Gunto was issued by IJN? I'm thinking maybe the double hanger black paint wood saya, with Navy anchor logo on the tang and no smith mei, like the photos I'm posting, what do you guys think?

Neil I'm not an expert on the uniform. But seems 军属（Civilian work for the army）wearing different uniform and insignia?

I think this 大 mark is Izumo Taisha (Izumo Grand Shrine/出雲大社) 。Hence:Slough's book, page 82: Tai stamp appears on late war blades made by smiths associated with the Izumo Seiko steel works. Located in Shimane. The forge was located near the Izumo Taisha shrine and by 1945 the country was in dire need of divine assistance. @Bruce Pennington@Kiipu

Thomas I got more photos of that sword, It has 江 Mark indeed. It's in the Kai gunto mount.

I asked him again if he can find more photos or details, he found one more photo （not full tang,I'm sorry)with 南 mark, and partial Mei shows it's not KOA he said it's 滿鐵鍛造之。