BANGBANGSAN

John, these are not from Japan. Some sword sellers in China made these. I don't know those guys, my friend in China send me this photo and told me people started to make these Mantetsu a few years ago.

Be Ware of Chinese made fake signature Mantetus sword.

Yep, California buyer gets charge 10% tax for purchase from eBay...

Very special!Thanks for sharing!

Bruce ,I‘m sorry ,only one photo for the stamp.This dagger is not mine.

I had few of these 造兵刀 and like them a lot。Many people in the US Confuse them with 村田刀 Murata to though.

Here is the better quality Type 95 copy from Longquan sword maker in China just list on eBay.Not all the detail correct, but it looks nicer than the other wannabe. https://www.ebay.com/itm/95-CHI-Japanese-ARMY-OFFICER-1095-CARBON-STEEL-CLAY-TEMPERED-KATANA-SWORD/143492917180?hash=item2168d827bc:g:WEMAAOSw-9NcvsDb

Here is the better quality Type 95 copy from Longquan sword maker in China just list on eBay.Not all the detail correct, but it looks nicer than the other wannabe. https://www.ebay.com/itm/95-CHI-Japanese-ARMY-OFFICER-1095-CARBON-STEEL-CLAY-TEMPERED-KATANA-SWORD/143492917180?hash=item2168d827bc:g:WEMAAOSw-9NcvsDb

I'm glad those Chinese counterfeiters not that good yet.

Fake 95 sold around $30-50 in China.

Sorry Bruce,I'm not sure what that stamp is it.Here is the info of Battleship Mikasa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mikasa

Bruce I'd like to share some photos of 三笠刀 Mikasa To(This one is not mine)，you can add the marks on your chart. These swords were used steel from damaged cannon on Japanese warship 三笠(Mikasa)。 http://ohmura-study.net/204.html

Found this photo online-full crate of Chinese made Type 95 handles & Tsuba.

David Bruce is right,it is Kanji for number four 四，sometimes worte like that.

Thanks JP!

JP Can you share the translating engine?Thanks!

Neil Here is the photo of 栗原昭秀 Kurihara Akihide visting 軍刀修理団第9班(Gunto repair group 9th squad).昭秀Akihide should be in the center.The other 4 people in the front roll are石井昭房 Ishii Akifusa、松本千郎 Matsumoto Akiro、若林昭壽 Wakabayashi Akitoshi、宮入昭平 Miyairi Akihira.

このように未曾有の成果を挙げ得たのは松岡総裁、中西、渡辺理事の激励、東北大の村上先生、中試の日下和治氏、歴代の工場長加藤仲二、赤松喬三、井上愛人、吉野信太郎氏等の指導、鈴木鷹信 Suzuki Takanobu、國重久氏の対外折衝(Outreach/Public Relations)、藤原恒男、高橋享太、小林市太郎、玉置繁雄氏の技術指導による処大でありますが、直接の製作で庄垣内正一氏を始め数十人の人達が一筋に、戦線に通じる意気込みで努力されたこ とを想い、過ぎし当時を振り返り感激に堪えない。 That's the main reason I believe 鈴木鷹信 Suzuki Takanobu is not a real swordsmith,even that sword had his name on.

JP The story of 若林重次 Wakabayashi Shigetsugu and his 70 buried swords is from a book called "日本冷刃”, the authr 王辉 is a well known military researcher in China.According to him,it's translating from 若林重次's younger son 若林八州彦's memoirs. Other info are from a post in Chinese forum translate from Omura's website http://ohmura-study.net/223.html 満 鉄 刀 の 試 作 昭和十一年中央試験所より大連鉄道工場に刃物という名称で二尺二寸の日本刀一振りを製作するよう依頼があった。 古来の日本刀は硬い鋼に軟らかい心鉄を入れて鍛造するのであるが、当時そのような事は出来ぬので、炭素量○・二％程度の軟らかい 日下純鉄を使って、刀を鍛造し仕上げた後、滲炭(表面のみ炭素量を増して焼入れする)し焼刃土を塗り水で焼入をし仕上げ研ぎ をして白鞘に納めた。 之が始(ママ=初の誤植)めて大連鉄道工場で作られた日本刀であった。 その頃大連遼東ホテルで刀剣会があって、之を出品した処、之を評して「名刀」で初代忠吉の作であろうという人があった。 後で大連鉄道工場の作品であることを明らかにした際、一同は大変驚くと共に、吾々の技術を高く評価された。 日下氏は之を中西理事に贈りしところ、大連の愛刀家の間に評判となり、注文が殺到した。 本 格 的 製 産 当初は工具製作の片手間に作っていた処、間に合わぬようになったので、製作方法と工程を改め、硬鋼に軟らかい鋼を内部に入れ (甲伏という)て鍛造したが、手間がかかって能率が昂(あが)らなかった。 最も重要な鍛造を受け持つ鍛冶工が足りぬため、内地より刀匠という人を二人雇ったが、その中の一人※1は仲々なじまず退社した。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　※1 筆者は、この人が件の鈴木虹堂氏であろうとみている その内に総裁室より北支軍に贈る日本刀一○○振注文されたので、愈々(いよいよ)工程を分業化して多量生産方式に切り替えるに至っ た。 私は日本刀製作については予(かね)て東大俵国一先生著「日本刀」を通読し、又東北大学村上武次郎先生を訪れ日本刀の現代的製法につ いて教えを乞(こ)うた。又、加藤工場長、鈴木庶務課長（Suzuki Director of General Affairs）、菅原工作長も色々援助された。 ある日松岡総裁が工場に来られ、私に次ぎの話をされた。 「正宗のような名工でも、一人で一生かかって千振の刀は出来ぬが、満鉄の資本と人材をもってすれば、勝(すぐ)れた名刀を大量に作り 得ると思う。日本は現在軍刀が不足しているから大いに研究して作戦に間に合うようにして呉れ給(たま)え。 研究の途上、失敗や困難もあろうが決して悲観することはない」と激励せられた。 このため幾多の失敗もあったが約半年後、昭和十二年十二月、流れ作業で日本刀の多量生産が軌道に乗ることになった。

Bruce 栗原昭秀 is Kurihara Akihide instead of Akira.Thanks Neil for correcting me.

nice Nice looking Mantetsu! You are right 栗原昭秀 is Kurihara Akihide，my bad!As Chinese ,most of time we just recognize the Kanji and did not very careful about the Japanese pronounciation...

Bruce 鈴木鷹信 Suzuki Takanobu was Director of general affairs in Mantetsu Company.That sword wrote 鷹信焠之，焠 means Quench.I think Takanobu is not a real sword smith.He just participate one stage of sword making process,so he can wrote his name on the tang to make it specail ,he could keep it for himself or give to his friend as a special gift.It was just my thought.

Neil Please share the photos of your Winter 38 Mantetsu . They Start to devolpe Mantetsu sword in 1936,and start the production line in 1937 December. There were 100 swords ordered by Mantetsu President's office as gift for 華北駐屯軍（North China garrison army），these sword should be made by 若林重次 Wakabayashi Shigetsugu and 竹島久勝 Takeshima Hisakatsu .Before Mantetsu hired them,some Prototype has been made by steel workers not the profetional sword smith . 昭和11年（1936年），中央试验所委托大连铁道工厂制造一把长2尺2寸名曰“利器”的日本刀。古时的日本刀锻造时，是在硬钢中加入相对柔软的铁芯。当时没有采用此法，而是使用了含碳0.2%较为柔软的日下纯铁，先将刀锻炼完成，再将其渗碳、淬火、打磨，最后装入木鞘。这就是最初在大连铁道工厂制造的日本刀。 在此期间，该刀曾被设在大连辽东旅馆的刀剑俱乐部展出，有观者赞其为“名刀”且可与忠吉（江户早期的制刀名匠）的作品相媲美。事后得知此刀为大连铁道工厂的杰作时，众人在大为惊叹的同时，对我们的技术也给与高度评价。日下和治将该刀赠与中西理事，其后，这种刀的名声便在大连的刀剑爱好者中间不胫而走，随之而来的是纷至沓来的订单。 In the 11th Showa period (1936), the Central Laboratory commissioned the Dalian Railway Factory to manufacture a Japanese sword with a length of 2 feet and 2 inches, called a "weapon." Ancient Japanese swords were forged by adding a relatively soft iron core to hard steel. At that time, this method was not used. Instead, pure soft iron containing 0.2% carbon was used. The sword was first exercised, then carburized, quenched, polished, and finally loaded into a wooden sheath. This is the Japanese sword originally made at the Dalian Railway Plant. During this period, the sword was exhibited at the Swords Club of Dalian Liaodong Hotel. Some viewers praised it as a "famous sword" and it was comparable to the works of Tadashi (Edo's early swords). After learning that this sword was a masterpiece of the Dalian Railway Factory, everyone was greatly amazed, and highly praised our technology. The Japanese ruler gave the sword to the directors of China and the West. Since then, the reputation of these sword has spread among the sword enthusiasts in Dalian, and the subsequent orders have followed. 最初制刀都是利用制造工具的间隙，慢慢时间就不够用了。改变了制作方法和流程，需要把软钢加入到内部进而锻造成硬钢，制刀变得越来越费事了，而效率却没能提高。因为缺少技术精湛的锻工，只好从日本国内雇用了两位刀匠，其中一人后因亲属关联而辞职。稍后，由于总裁室预订了100把准备赠送给华北驻屯军的日本刀，使得造刀的工序愈发细化，最终实现了批量生产。 At first, the sword was made using the gap between the manufacturing tools, and slowly, time was not enough. The production method and process have been changed. The soft steel needs to be added to the interior and then forged into hard steel. The swords have become more and more difficult, but the efficiency has not been improved. Due to the lack of skilled blacksmiths, they had to hire two swordsmiths from Japan and one of them resigned due to family reason. Later, as the president's office ordered 100 swords to be donated to the North China Garrison, the process of making sword became more detailed, and mass production was finally achieved. 松冈总裁莅临工厂，对我说过如下的话，他激励道：“即便是正宗（日本古代造刀高手），单打独干，一辈子也造不出1000把刀。而满铁有资金有人才，一定能造出又多又好的名刀。日本目前军刀不足，就更应该加大这方面的研究力度，以适应战事的需要。研究过程中，难免有失败和困难，但绝不可悲观。”又经历多次失败，终于在半年后的昭和12年（1937年）12月，依靠流水线作业，日本刀的制造终于步入了大量生产的轨道。 President Matsuoka came to the factory and told me the following words, he inspired: "Even if it is authentic (the ancient Japanese sword making master), alone, it will not make 1,000 swords in a lifetime. And Mantetsu has funds and talents, There are bound to be many good swords. Japan ’s current shortage of swords should increase research efforts in this area to meet the needs of warfare. During the research process, failures and difficulties are inevitable, but they must not be pessimistic. After many failures, finally half year later in December of the Showa 12 (1937) , relying on assembly line operations, the manufacture of Japanese knives finally entered the track of mass production.

Bruce Yes,according to that article 栗原昭秀 Akira Kurihara went to Mantetsu as a instructor for short-term. Besids 若林重次 Wakabayashi Shigetsugu, another smith 竹島久勝 Takeshima Hisakatsu worked for Mantetsu as well. I found a photo of 軍刀修理団 Gunto repair group stand infront of 陸軍刀修理所 Amry Sword reparing institute/Factory.

Rinji Seishiki (臨時制式-Temporary Type) or Type Rinji sounds ok.It dosen't matter people call it Rinji, Type 3 , Type 0,Type 44 or NLF sword,I knew what sword they are talking about. Maybe Type 3 is not the correct name ,but is the most common name for that type of sword.I personally prefer to call it 三式 .