george trotter

OK, didn't think of those possibilities...thought it would be fairly straight forward. Thanks guys, Regards...

Hoping someone may be able to help. I have a wakizashi that originally had a 2-piece habaki. The base piece was missing when I got it and although the habaki still "sits" right, I was wondering if there is anyone who could make a copper replacement base- piece for me? I could send the existing part with scabbard mouth measurements and maybe he could make one up to fit the "inner" part? Maybe a member can point me to the right person? I'm in Australia, but happy to post overseas to get it done. Thanks...

Regarding the rusty tang Yasukunito...I just don't know the reason. All I can say is I have noticed it as it was "common" on the Yasukunito I have seen. Regarding the quality of RJT blades. I am no expert on any blade but have collected for a long time. I started in Koto/shinto/shinshinto years ago (see pic - top to bot: Mino Kanesada 1700s, Kanabo Masazane 1530s, 3 gen Echizen Yastusugu 1660s, Ishido Mitsuhira 1660s, Shimada Sadasuke early shinto) so I know quality work when I see it. I went to RJT out of personal interest and can say that I think the work is very good. We don't know the exact details of course, but the RJT material, workmanship, inspection, testing process as set up was first class. I am not going to test one, but I think an RJT would stand up to one of the pre-WWII swords very well. I have never seen a flawed one, but I have seen a few that just don't "appeal" to me. So long story short, I have to wonder where all these doubts and debate about "standards" of quality and not surviving one polish are coming from. They are good swords made to do a good job...period. It seems to me all this chatter is just that (no offence intended).

Hi Dave, Oh, I see, not RJT in three classes but gendaito in general. ..that explains it....yes sure, RJT are mid-level to upper level IMO. I have not seen one (yet) with kizu or flaws, but who knows. I have not seen Yasukunito with kizu or flaws that I can remember either, but on Yasukunito, I have noticed that of the 5 or 6 that I have had the opportunity to handle over the last few decades, 4 had badly rusted tangs. In fact they were "rotten tangs" from the nakago tip right up to the mekugi ana - only the tangs at the mei area were OK. Made me think that there was some feature of their tamahagane that was liable to rust. The two "good" ones Yasunori (naval mounts) and Yasuoki were very good. Anyway, like you I have not chased Yasukunito....but I do like RJT. Again, that said, I have to LIKE the sword, I don't just buy the 'type'. Interesting discussion Dave, thanks...

Just a bit more on this interesting (and disturbing) discussion Dave had about RJT swords having (1) (his friend believed) rather thin skins and (2) three levels of quality. Can I comment.... (1). In subsequent comments it seems that the thin skin became visible after a post-war re-polish. Now, as I have said before I have never had a WWII RJT sword re-polished as I prefer a slightly dirty WWII polish to (IMO) an awful post-war hadori polish, so I can't speak with authority on this subject, but I can express an opinion on it. My opinion is this - I find it hard to believe some of these RJTs had thin skins for the following reason. Using logic, if this skin is so thin it becomes visible after ONE re-polish it means that the skin is SO THIN that one polish can rub sections of it away to show the metal below. This skin therefore must be perhaps only a couple of thousanths of an inch thick - I am amazed how anyone could make a layer of tamahagane that thin and then hammer forge it onto the core steel? Can it be true? (2). Any chance this friend can post the sources stating that RJT blades have three standards of quality ? I ask because this is totally new info to me. Regards,

Just saw this...have to agree. How much valuable hand-made tamahagane was being produced? ...enough to make say, 1,000,000 shovels as well as swords?. Seems strange. Just thinking out loud...

Hi Phil, Date seems to be KOKI 2 thousand 6 hundred NEN, which is 2600 years since the foundation of the empire = 1940. Regards,

Thomas, I had a look at those posts. I think to answer your question about the fuchi with the tiny silver mon having a safety clip...my ancient memory says yes. From memory the mounts were the standard Type 98 with clip. Interesting to see a "mon" if that is what it is, cast into the fuchi like that...just like the silver one I found but cast...unusual. Keep digging you guys...always valuable discussion...even if we don't come up with clear answers. Regards,

Just had a read of your new research Malcolm....great stuff. I am glad to add it to my WWII sword library...A valuable assist to members. Thanks also to Brian for providing this platform for all. Warm regards, George.

This is Tsukamoto Masakazu 1901-1969 of Fukushima...he was RJT. Elder brother of Tsukamoto Ikkansai Okimasa and studied under him and his teacher Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu shown above.

Hi Mike, Nice sword. Signed UNRYUSHI MINAMOTO MASATOMO. In fact, it hasn't changed since you last asked on June 15. 2018 (Ww2 Sword- Need help by Psychomantis95). I'd look up the answers...especially from Stephen post #5. That's about all I have. Regards,

Thanks to all for your comments. It seems reasonable to accept that many members see a certain hataraki in different ways, and are inclined to describe it with some 'variation'. This is Fine with me...it means I can see and describe hataraki 'my' way. So, for me, my blade has sunagashi. Great. Regards to all,

Thanks for your comments all. The line shown here in my hamon is "white". It is by Tsukamoto Masakazu 1942 who learned from his brother Tsukamoto Okimasa (who also made these lines called sunagashi in oshigata shown) who was the student of Kasama Shigetsugu who also made these lines (not named in oshigata shown). both oshi from Tokuno "Nihonto Zukan" pp.167, 171. My hamon lines here are about 5 inches long and another "milder" section appears up the blade in the mono-uchi. To me, and I agree with what Paul says, these just have always been sunagashi, but when I see virtually identical features in books/sites being called by other names it makes me "wonder" how accurate I am. I hope I'm not speaking too soon, but I think I will stay with sunagashi...but always willing to hear new ideas. Regards,

Hi all, Happy New Year. I know you are all already bored with 2021 so I thought I'd ask a question. Here is a pic of what I have always thought was sunagashi (sand lines)...not kinsuji or inazuma BUT, here is a drawing of almost the same feature but called imozuru (potato vines )- from Markus Sesko: Kantei & Hamon & Boshi #1. After all these years I must confess I am now not sure what to call it...I have probably been wrong for years (wouldn't be the first time)...would any of our learned members like to comment on: 1. Sunagashi 2 .Kinsuji 3. Inazuma 4.Imozuru Thanks...

Nice sword. I like the quality and the "sunagashi" (swept sand line) in the tip (or maybe it is lightning (Inazuma)...nice. The writing under the habaki is hard to read but the LH column in the upper pic might say SHOWA (part of a date) and the RH column in the lower pic might say OKA... (part of a name - the polisher). Just a guess, but it looks like a gendaito blade, perhaps made for Iaido and then "militarised" for taking to war. Worth keeping, gently cleaning and looking after. Maybe one of our native Japanese speakers can translate the polisher's writing for us? Regards,

I think Noritoshi.

You already know the smith's name...maybe just look him up on-line? Joshu ju Imai Kanetsugu saku. Just for starters, he is in Slough p.71. BTW very nice looking blade/hamon. Have fun...

Hi Mal and Neil, Just had the time to read your research paper..ab. fab!. Great work. NMB members are certainly lucky to have such in depth work added to the "Library". Congratulations and thanks, George.

Hi Bruce, sorry I don't know who these smiths are for sure but there are the following in Hawley Revised 1981... 535...(Ueda ju) Tomomaro, Nagano1926-45 (Nagano is west and southwest of Tokyo) TOM 85 .There is a Tomomaro listed in the Tobu Assoc. ? 95...Morinobu (wrong nobu in Hawley) Kumamoto Showa MOR 779 (Kumamoto is way down south on Kyushu Is.) 315...Mune?mitsu...there are several... 1930 Yamagata (east of Tokyo), 1950 Shimane near Hiroshima, 1930 Hiroshima near Shimane...both south of Osaka. 1098...there are several....Akitaka, Niigata, name Nakamura Fukutaro Showa AKI 68. Also Akitaka, Saitama (next to Tokyo) , name Koyano Showa AKI 69, also Akitaka, Saitama, Showa "Sanjo Group" AKI 70. 490...Munetaka...didn't find any. 1512...Katsumasa? there are these...Bungo (on Kyushu) 1926 (Hoshu ju Kojima Katsumasa) KAT 74....and Mino 1926 (2 char. sig.) KAT 75 Not sure if this helps...some of the names you give could be mis-types?...any oshigata or pics? Regards,

Bruce, about "I" and "O" smiths being tied to a location...I am not saying that is the reason for the katakana stamp, BUT it might be. The two Ta and Fu you ask about are both RJT also. Masakazu lived/worked in Fukushima Prefecture while Munetoshi lived/worked in Niigata Pref....both north/east of Tokyo Masakatsu (""I' 154), Masakazu ("Fu" 37) , Munetoshi ("Ta" 2353) are all north/east of Tokyo and all were foundation members of The Tobu (eastern region) Sword Forging Assoc. led by Kasama Shigetsugu. All joined in 1941 and as I understand it, these smiths (all RJT) had an agreement with Tobu who (I think) collected their finished blades and took them back to Tokyo for sale. Whether these stamps are a Tobu stamp or a RJT stamp I don't know. If it helps, Kunishiro (""O" 154) was RJT in Aoyama, north/east of Tokyo, but I don't think he was a member of Tobu. Bit of a mystery at present, but another item we need to keep an eye on and see if a "pattern" emerges. Regards,

Bruce it is not English letter "i" it is katakana "i" (the sound - look up katakana "i" and you will see your character)...on my sword the katakana (in pic) is pronounced "o". The two numbers you have added here are katakana "ta" 2353 and "fu" 37...(actually fu is pronounced more like "who"}. Hope this helps.

Bruce I think it is 'i'512. I think he is Katsumura Masakatsu of Ibaraki, which is north of Tokyo. Here is the number of my Kunishiro, also RJT and also north of Tokyo in Aomori....maybe the same RJT blade inspector guy collected both blades to take back to Tokyo for polishing/mounting and gave them his stamp? I say this as your 'i' is from Ibaraki and my 'o' is from Aomori...both numbers 5 and 1 seem to match in font and size...just saying.

Here is mine. Looks similar to yours. Width of "blade" is 14 mm or 7/16 in. Do you know what it is used for?

HI Chris...you have already answered my question ...AKIHISA was working in Niigata (His RJT swords mounted in Tokyo?). So, to try to see if those 'dome-head' hangers were made/used in a specific area of Japan, we have got: my Shigekuni...unknown smith/location unknown Chris' Akihisa in Niigata Mark's mumei..maker/location unknown Neil's Kanesane..don't know who he is or where he worked (Seki Asano Kanezane?)...Neil? So...If Seki swords and Niigata swords are turning up with these hangers, I'd say it was a more central mounting company who made/used them?

Hi Mark and Chris....can you (and Neil) tell me your blade maker's name and location please...it might lead to a source area for these 'dome-head' hangers. Thanks,