george trotter

Yes, Nishi. Probably an inspection/production mark. I had a look through the 'Nihon Token Shoko Meikan' of 1942 (edit/addition since first post) and saw a half dozen Nishi-something names but only one person with the name NISHI alone. He was in Osaka and listed as a togishi (polisher)...he's on page 277 . His personal fore-name is Hiroshi. Not saying this is the guy who stamped the 'nishi' mark on the tang, but he does fit the circumstances, a polisher named Nishi, puts his "company" mark on the tang of a sword he has just finished polishing....? Maybe if you tell us the blade maker name / location etc we could get a bit more of a clue? Regards,

Nice sword, nice patriotic phrase...sorry I can't add to the translation...that is definitely Morita san/Moriyama san task. I do have two swords with sayings on them...not death poems though, more 'optimistic' in tone...might be of interest. 1. Gendaito by unknown smith Seisui of Tokyo dated 12th Jan 1944. In Rinji mounts. LH column in sosho script says " Ippo susumrte tsuki, ippo susumite tatsu" (one step forward thrust, one step forward slash). Might be a kata from a sword fighting school. 2. Privately ordered Gendaito by RJT smith Okishiba Yoshisada of Osaka. Slogan is "Jin Chu Ho Koku" (loyalty, patriotism). A fairly common saying...I have seen it on Meiji era tangs/flags etc.

Just deleted...was off topic. Regards,

Thanks for the link Trystan...unfortunately that cover is not the right type I want for my scabbard, so I'll keep looking. I think I have dealt with this seller before...years ago...everything went OK if I remember correctly (i think). Regards,

Bruce, I just was joking...meaning I noticed in skimming through the old 80s books I referred to, I noticed a considerable number of "uncertainties" that existed then have now been explained...the biggest mystery (for me) was the true facts on the Rinji Seishiki, and that was solved by Nick Komiya...but there is always room for update books on things such as mon/ribbons/combat covers/Mantetsu/showato/ NCO swords etc etc and their correct titles, as they would "correct" the continued use of such "outdated" names as Late 44, NLF, etc etc, but you are talking "a big project!...have we NMB grandfathers got enough years left?...in fact, all of the corrections I can think of came through warrelics and NMB didn't they...probably the two most reliable sites in their fields....probably easier to continue to rely on these? Regards,

The first blade looks to me like a greatly shortened old blade. The paint marks on the tang say 57. The name plate on the pommel are in katakana script for foreign words and seem to be a name I - Tsu - Ma (Itsuma) or maybe I'MA (the tsu being an abbreviation sign so that the name is said IMA instead of IiTsuMa...hope that makes sense. Regards,

Wow...at last...another Rinji with a mon. Very nice too (Seki - metal scabbard?)! This is the first seen since that one with an anchor in a circle turned up. Well, confirmation, they are out there! (some more pics of fittings and blade? This'll be good info for that gunto variations book you should be writing Bruce!! ha ha. (Not to hijack this thread), but I was looking through Fuller & Gregory 1980s books (hard cover - on Mil swords etc and wow...how much we have learned since then...so much new / corrected info....just take the Rinji itself...we now know what it is. Regards,

Hi Guys... Thanks Chris....hope you find one for me. Bruce...Both...hilt fittings and binding is unique and saya are high quality even though some (like mine) are plain with combat covers. So...I am talking about these high-quality mountings as a whole which are different to the factory-made Seki metal scabbard types (which hold showato/1 button and RJT gendaito/2 buttons) and the all-lacquered (red/brown and dark brown) high quality 2 button types (probably private shops) usually seen which hold private order gendaito and RJT gendaito from makers from many areas of Japan. This type I show here (2 buttons) is different from both the other Seki type and private lacquered type seen. These have a cloth/canvas-like 'same' on the hilt, good quality binding and fittings and seem to be found (a) with lacquered wooden scabbards with black metal fittings, and (b) in the 'plain' painted (sort of thin lacquer) with no scabbard fittings other than the saya-guchi as shown here. Obviously they were intended to have a combat cover with hanger fitted also but with mine the scabbard cover / hanger is missing. They seem to be seen about equally in each type - and mounts quality is high and blades always seem to be RJT (but I haven't seen many of them). I was just asking for smith/location/date so I can get an idea of the area these fittings makers serviced in WWII. From the few I have seen, the dates seem all to be 1944 and the smiths come from the Osaka/Hyogo/Kyoto area...mine being from Fushimi in Kyoto. I tend to think that the this mountings company was only in Osaka area but serviced surrounding areas. Just thought a list of smiths/dates with (hopefully) their prefecture location on swords in these fitting would "paint a picture" of the area these fittings covered and the type/quality of the blades. All I have seen have this type/colour of hilt binding - they seem to be a third "type" of Rinji Seishiki mount which Ohmura does not? show - wonder if any hilts are lacquered and maybe some members have pics of the lacquered/metal fittings scabbards... (heres' a pic of another like mine (seems to have a scabbard cover and hanger), but some had the lacquered/iron fittings scabbards). Lots of fun...

Hi Dave, sorry, I haven't taken any pics of the other side and the sword is packed away right now...I will get a pic in due course. And Chris, yes...still looking for that canvas cover and hamger.

Hi all, I have a late WWII RJT blade in one of those high-quality Rinji mounts which are relatively unknown. Mine is plain scabbard, not fancy lacquered but plainer, probably had a leather combat cover/hanger which is now lost. This type seems to be as much as the properly lacquered scabbard with metal hanger/kojiri type is seen (which is not that often). Mine is by Takashima Kunihide of Fushimi in Kyoto.and is dated 8/1944. Of the few of this type I have seen, all are on blades from the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area, so was wondering if this was the "area type'...if so, these are better quality than other private order Rinji IMHO. Just thought I'd ask any member who has one what the details are of smith location date Hope I haven't asked this before... Regards,

Just get back to members...I emailed a week ago to a Seki contact about the building...so far no response. I will let you know if I hear anything...or not. Thanks all for your assistance here. Regards,

Yes, that is nice, I like it. Must be a Navy smith...maybe that's why he doesn't get a mention in the WWII army listings. Here is page 771 from Toko Taikan (maybe you've already seen it)...but it has a bit of info. Have fun,

Maybe a few more photos? Looks good...nice 'handwriting'. Military mounts? Regards

Just thinking out loud...since this is a "samurai" mounted sword (is it signed/dated?) with a name and address without any military ID markings, could it be one of the thousands of civilian owned swords the allies forced to be handed in to local police stations starting in 1946...and became one of those picked out by an allied occupation soldier from the pile at the local police station...I.e. not a "surrendered" war sword? Probably the Kato family still talk about how the family sword was stolen by the allies.

Very nice Brian! You did a nice job of cleaning....Seems like you removed every bit of "gunk" on it....was it just an alcohol rub-down with paper/cloth, then a drying off with paper/cloth, then a couple of uchikos and wipe-offs with paper/cloth? Turned out very nice. Regards,

Brian, looks like you have found an Amachi gendaito. There were 3 brothers?: eldest? Masatsune middle? Kanenaga youngest? or son? Yoshimasa. All made Seki showato and these are seen with nakirishi mei signatures, but I seem to remember reading that all were trained gendaitosho and also made gendaito, or put it this way...I definitely remember seeing each smith's swords with nakirishimei by Seki gunto cutter but ALSO self cut high quality mei...like yours. I had one by in the 1980s (when Steven was a boy) by Kanenaga so did some research (not much). Here is a page of that research with the 3 mei. At least it is a start...I think you will find heaps of info/pics/mei etc with on-line search etc. Oh, edit to add...two of the Amachi swords I had in hand had identical mounts to yours...probably had an "in house" mounter.

Ahem indeed!! (I am naughty pushing work onto you Bruce...I'll try to be good ha ha). Yes John, another heavy chain hanger added on to the OA weight would wear you down by gin & tonic time in the evening for sure. I know half of what we've noted is probably just everyday variation, and maybe the sword authorities didn't really have time to push hard on "details", but one thing that has come out of these Type Rinji chats is that, although they are "generally" less attractive than high class Type 98 mounts, there certainly is interest. The pics subnitted show some nice swords...those 5 of yours Chris...fantastiv, especially the mounts on #3...love the colour and texture. Here's my "one-off" private order Rinji (for the umteenth time). Love the private order Rinji. (62.1 cm). Regards,

Lots of interesting info coming in - will need Bruce to figure it all out... Anyway, I just weighed the RJT Kanehide sword in steel scabbard Seki type Rinji mounts in OP pic (with 2 buttons/dust cover seppa). Weighed complete is 4.165 pounds or 1.889212 kg...call it 1.9 kg...... I told you it was heavy. Neil san, I bet that RJT Kaneyoshi 67.5 cm of yours in the same steel scabbard Rinji mounts (2 buttons/dust cover seppa) is about 2+ kg. Must have been hard work to cart around all day.

Thanks Neil...The RJT Kaneyoshi 67.5 cm is on left? (2 buttons). The Yoshitada 69.0 cm showato? is on the right? Wow, that is one long blade in a steel scabbard Rinji type...must be a heavy sword! I know that my 62.5 cm RJT Kanehide blade in steel scabbard Rinji Type (OP pic) is the heaviest sword / mounts combo I have. I', 6'2" (188 cm) and I'd hate to have to lug it around all day hanging from my belt. As John says...be good to see the same makers' blades in Type 98 mounts for comparison...but in reality, I think we are seeing that the variations in pre-Rinji blades is simply continuing into the Type Rinji group also...as Chris says...big soldier big sword - little soldier little sword Regards,

Oh I saw this after I posted the previous just now. Your list of steel scabbard Seki-made mounts seems to show that my 62 cm Kanehide blade may just be an oddity. Yours all (both showato and gendaito) seem "normal" 25-26 inch (64-66.5 cm) lengths. Thanks for this info Brandon, I think you have answered the question....that no, there was no rigid "rule" on shortened blades in the Seki Rinji system, or if there was no-one obeyed it, and it sure seems, from my 69.5 cm blade above in OP, that the private order wood scabbard type Rinji also did what they liked! Good info... Regards,

Hi Neil, Are any of these in the light tan steel scabbard Seki-made mounts?

Yes...doesn't exist under its original location name might explain why we can't get the google search to work. But, maybe the building still stands in its area, and now ALL we need to find is a 1940s-2004 period map that shows where Mugi-gun used to cover...I guess unless we find such a map and compare it to the present area we'll never know if it still stands. Thanks for your efforts everyone...I will try to find a pre-2005 map of the area and if I find it I'll let you know. Regards,

Yes Peter that is him. He is RJT listed as living in Fushimi Ward Kyoto, which is quite a large ward, about the southern third of Kyoto city. The thing I was trying to find out was, as I don't have his exact address,, did he live and work in his own forge say in Fushimi itself near Fushimi Station, or work at the Fushimi Inari Shrine Sword Forge which is about 4-5 km away towards Kyoto itself. I just thought that as Inari Shrine had a sword forge, maybe he worked there (that would be great to know). My attempts to ask Fushimi Inari Shrine who worked there in WWII just didn't get any answers. Just though a "well connected" NMB member (like Markus?) might be able to find out... Thanks guys, Edit to add...I think Kunihide was only working in WWII. All 5 of his swords I have seen were all 1944 and all RJT star (one removed for NTHK papering). Pretty sure he didn't work after WWII. He was a good smith, but maybe only trained - worked say 1935-1945, so not well known.

Well, almost 2 years have passed since this post began and I did try to contact the Fushimi Inari people but no luck...sorry I've taken so long to report back to members . About all I can say is ... if anyone knows anyone in Kyoto or lives there themselves, maybe they could take the pics from this post and ask the management there personally? I don't expect to ever find out about the forge at Fushimi Inari Shrine, or if Takashima Kunihide worked there...but it would be nice to know. Thanks all, sorry this thread did not lead anywhere. Regards,

BTW, I thought I should give you the address in English as given here by Thomas. (If I am wrong please correct me (Morita san?). It is Gifu ken Mugi gun Seki cho ko 130