george trotter

OK, thanks guys, Kaneyoshi...good. Be interested in the date, star, stamps etc. Regards,

Hi Matt, welcome to the NMB. Your sword looks to be of good, handmade, WWII quality. Bit hard to read the signature (may be Kaneyoshi as Ray said - he's got better eyes than me) Maybe take a clearer pic of the signature? (is there a star stamped just above the signature?) Also take a pic of the date on the other side (if there is one?). Is there a number stamped near the 'circle' stamp? These circle stamps usually have the character 'matsu' (pine) in the centre - probably put there by the mounting shop. Looks interesting, Regards, George (I'm in WA).

Thanks Eric, Very interesting, so Rinji mounts can have very long blades (my Masakazu of the earlier period is Sho 17/4) - your Nagamitsu (date?) is 27 3/8 in 69.4 cm (mine is 27 3/8 in 69.5 cm) so just about the same (my extreme point is slightly chipped off so was probably 69.6 or 7). Wonder if anything of 70 cm or longer will show up? Regards,

I have been to Numa Numa. It is a coconut plantation on the coast of Bougainville Island in the Solomons just outside the town/harbour of Wakunai. It was back in 1975...I rode a motorbike up the coast from Arawa. There was some hard fighting there in 1944/45. I remember some bomb craters between the rows of trees and and a wrecked Australian tank on the side of the road....but I don't remember seeing those guys, or those swords...sorry. Those were the days,

Thank you both....I will pass it on. Regards,

Many thanks Koichi sama, As this will be on display in a museum - can I just ask what UTSUGI SHUN means in English? Then I will pass it on. Regards,

Nice blade by Yamagami Akihisa of Niigata. Just for us WWII nerds (I mean Bruce and me) can you tell us if there is a stamp and number on the tip of the date side of the tang? Usually a 'matsu' kanji in a circle with a number. As this blade is dated sho 17/11 I think it should be numbered about 575 Also, does it have a star stamp on the top of the name side of tang. I have one by his elder brother. Regards,

Hi all, it's not often I have to ask, but in this case the family and personal names of the person here is a bit too 'fluid' for me to read. Anyone care to tell me his name? This belongs to a friend in a South Australia military museum. Thanks guys...

Thanks for that Neil, who the MRS gendai smith? (sorry if I'm asking a question you have addressed years ago...memory getting a bit "wonky". Regards,

Heh, Heh, yes, simply humour...I actually like valleys...not so keen on crevices though. Can't believe you have no TV ...so no Blackadder...sad! But no...definitely no mal y pense here. Blackadder was a series on BBC. It started in medieval times, then Tudor, then Georgian and finally WWI. Very funny English humour...the last episode was very sad however...all killed in the last charge "over the top" in WWI. You should look it up On-line? Keep up the good work. regards,

Very nice spread of the major 'types' of WWII Neil. Just for interest, who is the MRS blade made by? Regards,

Yes, Feb 1942 and Seki stamp. VERY nice writing....we don't usually see such high quality on showato Regards, To add: (sorry Brian) but ROKUJURO, I see you are located "in a deep valley"...can't help thinking of the word "crevice" ...to quote General Melchet in Blackadder "Now Blackadder, security is not a dirty word, but crevice, well, that is an absolutely filthy word". (Sorry, English humour)....can't help it.

Date is hard to see but looks to me like it might be "? thousand ? hundred year" (that is: Koki 2 thousand 6 hundredth year) = 1940.

I came across that sarute barrel second hole in the tip of the tang many years ago....unfortunately, I tapped the hilt off a bit too much and by the time I noticed this second hole, I had badly cracked/split/messed up the same/binding etc...dang!!!! Very rare, but if a hilt doesn't come off with a few taps...always check this....just saying. I learned the hard way.

Maybe Ishii ?

I think simply made in first half of 1942, so no stamp, and just sold within the existing 'private smith' system. To me, there is no problem/worry about stamps or faults. Enjoy,

Steve, Because your sword is dated 5/17 (May 1942), it is unlikely to have a star stamp. So it is probably made using his 'usual' source of tamahagane. So, short answer, it is OK to not have a star up to mid 1942. After that date, the star/no star situation changes. While there may be a few exceptions, the RJT scheme star does not appear on tangs until the last half of 1942, and from my experience, usually in the last 3 months of 1942, So to have the star after mid 1942 confirms quality. To not have a star on a known RJT smith tang after mid 1942 can mean: 1. it failed RJT standards guidelines, was not stamped and was "sold outside the system"....this must? mean it is lower quality/has faults etc. 2. it was made privately by a RJT smith....this raises the question...where did he get the tamahagane etc. I don't know the rules for private work. So, yours seems OK without a star...and to answer your question, the star confirms quality in a blade, but not having it does not "make it less" - that depending on the date on the tang and the quality of the work. Regards,

Ha ha..

Never trust anyone with a file Bruce (at laest...that's what Stephen told me)

Hi Chris, The mei (signature) on your sword says TOSHINAGA. There are about a dozen smiths who used these characters for their signature between c.1600-c.1750...don't know which one he is but most come from Musashi Province (this is the area around what is now modern Tokyo). Not much info, sorry...I'm sure someone here will know more. Regards,

Thanks for the kind words Bruce...glad to help!

Gosh Mal, How lucky are the 'newbies' in WWII collecting compared to "our day"!!! While folk like me and other old fogies have contributed snippets of well researched info from time to time over the years, we now have you and Sueko-sama. Your gathering and presentation of this info is unsurpassed! If only you/Sueko, Nick Komiya and a few others could get together and write a book we would have the "Dictionary of WWII Gendai Smiths - Seki smiths - RJT - mountings etc'...the works! Wish I was 21 again...I'd like to live long enough to read it! Thanks to you all,

Ah, that's better Andy, Yes that is Kanetomo (must say his handwriting is very 'Seki' in style). So, going by quality and 'handwriting style' we can rule out Kiribuchi Kanemoto, so that leaves only? MIWA (SHIZUO) KANETOMO. Jinsoo Kim records show he started as a Seki swordsmith on Showa 14.10.20 (20th Oct. 1939). Nihonto Meikan Homma/Ishii 1975 p.160 lists him as MIWA Shizuo of Seki town. In Showa 18 (1943) he was 28 years old. He became RJT. He is classed as a Showa Smith, Gifu, Army swordsmith. Not much info I know, but about all I can find. My more modern books don't show him working after the war. Regards,

Yes I remember seeing one of these Japanese made swords many years ago...Richard Fuller/Ron Gregory shows one on p.276 in "Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks' 1996. Pretty rare now. Regards,

HI Bruce, I don't think so, but I'll try to help. First...I think we need to see an overall pic of the swordsmith name inscription as I can't be sure what the second kanji says...looks like it might be JU....if so, we have a problem as the 2 signature pics would show SEKI JU ---- TOMO SAKU. No pic given of first mei kanji? I don't think we can progress if we don't have the first mei kanji properly identified (there are 2 Kanetomo Seki smiths.. Kiribuchi Kanetomo (def not him) and a MIWA Kanetomo who was a Seki RJT ....might be him. Not sure if there is a Masatomo smith. So better pics and complete pics please? On the questions raised about the steel scabbard Rinji mounts...I think these are 'normal' 2 button issue for Seki RJT blades....It has a dust cover seppa, so probably has 2 buttons...normal...my 2M rated Seki Kanehide RJT blade is in one of these mounts, so no worries there. Just the mei pics needed... Regards,