BANGBANGSAN

@Bruce Pennington

On 10/30/2023 at 4:38 AM, Bryce said:

G'day John,

Here is mine again. It is a 1938 Gassan Sadakatsu blade, with Gassan habaki and tachibana mon on kabutogane. I think the markings translate as short for "Gassan 2" and "special 2"?

Cheers,

Bryce

 

 

 

 

The hiragana written in white paint appears to resemble the pronunciation of '特二' (トク二)。

應 mark

16 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Ok, so we have no official source for the stamp then.  

 

I see what you're saying about the "as required/requested" use of the kanji.  My On-the-other-hand thought is that I don't see why the kanji couldn't be used for both expressions.  In a mei, it is "as required" but on the blade in a circle, it's 'emergency'.  NA, and HO, and KO, etc are kanji that mean something in a sentence, but as inspector stamps they mean something else.

 

I'm no one to say either way, but logically speaking, the "emergency" term makes more sense to me in a circle on a blade.  Maybe some day we'll uncover a regulation or document.

As per my observations, most of these Chinese-made Gunto swords didn't bear 應 marks, especially in the case of the lowest quality, simplified versions that have an 'emergency' appearance.

39 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

 

 

I've been trying to find the original source for calling this stamp "Emergency".  I thought it was Fuller, but couldn't find it.  Same for Dawson.  It's not cited in the thread above either.  Anyone know the origins of the term?

 

 

 It should be "Edokko (江戶子)" who proposed it in this thread. The Kanji 應 is an older style of the Kanji 応, which is most likely a shortened form of 応急 meaning "emergency," similar to those emergency T-99 rifles marked with 応.

https://www.gunboard...356639/#post-2950116

32 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Here is our dedicated thread to this topic:

@BANGBANGSAN

 

Next question Trystan - from a non-Japanese speaker, I see the kanji in both "As Needed" and "Emergency" that you posted above.  Why would you chose one over the other?

Japanese swords often have inscriptions like 應XXX需" or 應需XXX (As the needs of/"as required by someone) as part of their sword inscriptions.

應小林氏需-As the needs of the Kobayashi family

應鈴木照雲師需- As the request of Master Suzuki Shouun

應需 畑俊六閣下- As required by His Excellency Shunroku Hata (Field Marshal)

應需 畑俊六閣下- As required by His Excellency Shunroku Hata (Field Marshal)

This is a military sword produced in China during the later stages of World War II, intended for use by puppet government officials.

 The character "應" mark should correspond to 應需(as needed)rather than 應急(emergency). Some of these swords were given as gifts to U.S. deployed military staff and observers..

8 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

 

 

Otherwise, I'm really not the guy to comment on the blade, if it's older than WWII.  @PNSSHOGUN or @vajo or @BANGBANGSAN might have a thought as to whether it is zoheito.

 

 

It doesn't look like it's a Zoheito, it looks more like a Koto.

I'm interested in purchasing the book 'Japanese MILITARY BAYONETS & MACHETES' 3rd Edition by Jerry L Price. If anyone has a copy available for sale, please contact me.

Thanks   Trystan

7 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

maybe @xiayang or @BANGBANGSAN can confirm, but I doubt it's Japanese.

It should be a sword given to the Chinese police by a puppet government official. However, the sword fittings don't resemble those of a typical Chinese collaboration sword. It's an interesting one.

縣警備隊幹部訓練所畢業第一名獎品  First Place Award for County Police Reserve Officer Training School Graduates

@xiayang covered the other inscription already.

Here is the bio about Lishaowei

李滂(Li Pang)，近代藏書家、學者(modern bibliophile and scholar.)。字少微(Courtesy name-Shao wei)。江西九江人，李盛鐸第十子。幼年承父家教，“性嗜縹緗，舊刻名抄尤所心契”，遇到古籍即喜藏庋，並通讀其父所藏曆代經籍志錄，對歷代藏書故實頗感興趣，早年曾隨父在外購藏、鑑定古籍。精於目錄版本之學，曾著有《千元考》，又應邵瑞彭之聘，在開封主講《近世藏書家概略》，曾説“治校勘目錄之學者，不能不仰資於版本，版本之學重，則藏書家之歷史有不可不知矣”。1934年，任北平國民大學教授，主講《目錄學》課程。1937年，日寇侵華，曾在天津任日偽官員(In 1937, during the Japanese invasion of China, he served as a Japanese puppet official in Tianjin.)其家藏書處曰“鄴亭”，延其父藏書樓名有“木犀軒”。1939年底，不堪日寇炮火及日軍文化販子之侵擾，將“木犀軒”藏書以40萬元出售，由北京大學文學院購藏，部分藏書印有“李滂少微”朱方印。主編有《鄴亭瞥觀錄》稿本，未刊。

2 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Hi Phil!,

Thanks for posting your Mantetsu!  You've got a Koa Isshin Mantetsu made in "Spring 1942" with serial number "(RA)　ラ 485". 

 

Bruce

It should be 495 四九五

Sold!

To me, it looks like 兼高 Kanetaka.

12 hours ago, Jcstroud said:

Here you go.... @BANGBANGSAN

will send others pronto...

 

 

Thanks John!

On 9/29/2023 at 12:17 AM, Jcstroud said:

#34 and 45  both have like numbered habaki,saya,koiguchi,fuchi,tsuba, and tsuka all matching numbers.

John

Do you have a photo that includes all the stamped numbers, painted numbers, and Roman numerals together?

$1200 shipped or $1100 without tassel.

@Bruce Pennington

The tang of this Kai appears to be stamped with 天 118

It's a Chinese repro

On 9/14/2023 at 3:30 AM, Kiipu said:

A Chinese reproduction from around 25 years ago.

Agree

On 4/10/2023 at 8:44 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Thanks John.  That makes 7 I have on file now.

 

Painted numbers:

8

33

45

65

68

81

No paint

No paint

 

And an editorial note - is that Type 98 associated with these?  Seems out of place.

Bruce

Here is #34

13 hours ago, Conway S said:

 

It looks legit, but perhaps the brass tsuba was a period parts swap.

11 hours ago, Kiipu said:

 

Help!  Is that a Takayama blade with that blunt tip?  Also the longer than normal tang that is seen on these as well.

That mark looks like the Tokokawa arsenal's Rocking Star mark on the Navy Type 30 bayonet.

On 8/10/2022 at 6:43 AM, DTM72 said:

Thoughts?

空一七六

Hand forged by   堀井俊秀 （Horii Toshihide）'s son  堀井胤次（Horii Tanetsugu）

John

Check these 三笠刀 Mikasa-tō (Gun material use of a battleship "Mikasa.")
The Mikasa swords were forged 229.
 The grade Kō Mikasa dirks (It is with "the fate of a Japanese Empire is decided by this battle" sculpture were forged 973, and the grade Otsu Mikasa dirks were forged 451. And it was sold through "Suikōsha".These swords and dirks were made by one of the top 12 Shows swordsmiths 堀井俊秀 （Horii Toshihide） also known as 秀明（Hideaki）&兼明（Kaneaki）。

http://ohmura-study.net/912.html