george trotter

Hi Bruce...Just saw your comment on not having a pic of Munetoshi tang number 308. Here it is...this is my Type 98 mounted Munetoshi dated Sho 16 / 9 and tang tip numbered 308. This is before he went on to become a RJT. Hope this helps.

RIP Rich. Your life and contribution will always be appreciated by all of us on NMB. Warmest memories and thanks...

This might help. Oshigata is of Kasama Shigetsugu tanto with sunagashi (Nihonto Zukan by Tokuno p.167). Photo is of my blade by Tsukamoto Masakazu 1942. Masakazu was bro. to his teacher Tsukamoto Okimasa who was taught by Kasama Shigetsugu. It seems that Shigetsugu's style of sunagashi appears in the work of his student Okimasa and in the work of his student Masakazu. I don't know how many varieties of sand lines are in the classification sunagashi, but this style I show here is called sunagashi by Tokuno. Regards.

Thanks for your kind words Colin...glad to help. Like you I have had covid and like Stephen I have old-age knees and hip etc...that's life. You are lucky to find a star stamped RJT smith from Seki, they are not common (mostly showato from there). I too was lucky to find one Seki RJT blade - by Nakata Kanehide. Love the RJT smiths and their swords. Regards,

Hi Colin, I stand to be corrected (I have a bit of a struggle with the pics) but I think it says: Star stamp, Seki ju Takeyama Yoshinao saku (red paint 49). Date is Showa 20 year 2nd month (Feb 1945). Hope this helps, edit: everyone beat me...

Yes Bruce, common in both locations, even into the WWII period (don't know about post-war swords as I don't collect them).. I have 3 WWII blades with nagashi lines in both locations. Two are by Yamagami Munetoshi of Niigata and both have 7 nagashi lines under the habaki with 6 lines on the tip (one is private order Type 98 dated 1941 and the other is RS mounted with RJT star, dated 1943). My third one is private order RS by Tsukamoto Masakazu of Fukushima dated 1942 with 6 lines under the habaki and 6 on the tip. My other 6 WWII military gendaito don't have them. Hope this helps. Edit to add...in case some members have not seen these marks, the description 7 lines under the habaki means seven on each side...and 6 on the tip means 3 on each side of the ridge...just to be clear.

Yes, I read it the same way. Regards...

Nice work Bruce...looks like (in general) the split between Type 98 and RS with brown GUNZOKU tassel is about 50 / 50...with a few 'odds & ends'. Regards...

Many thanks Matt...too bad there was no additional history but I appreciate you trying, Warm regards, George.

Thanks guys...that helps.

Hi all, I am away from home so no books. I was asked by an elderly gentleman to translate these details in a navy capo. I can read the name NAKAMURA KATSUHARU and some of the faded numbers etc, but could you guys tell me what the printed boxes say and also what the faded numbers/months/years are? Thanks...

Hi again Matt, you said you would check with the person you bought this Kanehide sword from...just wondering if you got any feedback on this? Regards.

Interesting Bazza. First people of Japan....I've often wondered if they were the first people of western Canada also. In my young years 1969-1971 I spent some time in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia. I have to say that the graphic designs of the Haida people there are very similar to the Ainu. Also are their art, costumes and 'looks'. They are 'sea people' and have been there for some 12,000 years and are known for their seamanship, totems and wooden building designs. Just me thinking out loud, but wow...they look the same to me.

From the dates/numbers it looks like he was producing his 10 swords/month as required by the RJT scheme. I have seen these blue kanji/numbers on other RJT smith swords also...eg, Yamagami Munetoshi of Niigata - star 19/3 (all kanji TAI 78).

Hi Matt, thanks for your kind words. Yes, I was very lucky to get the exact right stuff to do a correct restoration of this hilt. All parts correct. In fact, I am sure the hilt I "raided" was from an identical style RS from Seki...only 'flaw' is a spot of paint we can see on the ito. And thanks for offering to check with the collector you got this from, I would appreciate any info you can dig up on this sword's history. Just on the saya colour, this one and all those others of this type from Seki I have seen are coloured what I would call "light khaki"....not "gray". Regards

Hi Matt, YES, that is the Kanehide I bought from you in 2012. And yes, it had no hilt binding or same when you sold it to me. I rebound it using original ito, same and menuki from a spare RS hilt I had found somewhere, so it is actually a totally correct WWII Seki RS binding. I took that photo of it to "commemorate" my one and only attempt at binding. Here is another pic of the finished job...turned out well I thought. I actually put that tassel on to "make it look good" for the photo, but later took the tassel off again as I didn't think it was "right". I still appreciate that sword...a good sword from a good maker. (and purchased from a good NMB member). Regards, PS the blue painted "ku 52" is not on the tang...can't remember if it was there when it arrived or whether it was partly worn off (except for the 'ku' over the kanji 'Seki'), and, the 52 being painted over the mei, I rubbed these off so the mei was easily readable?...anyway, it was a historical 'dumb' thing I did...live and learn eh!. PPS...for my file, do you remember who/where you got it from? Any WWII history?

Just in the interests of accuracy on sword fittings/tassels...I have to say that this sword had no tassel when I got it... I just put one on (briefly) for a photo. Sorry. BTW the balde is a star stamped example by Nakata Kanehide of Seki dated 1944...VERY good smith. I am just wondering out loud but probably? a gunzoku would not be able to buy a RJT blade from an Army Kokeisha store?...probably sales were limited to Army officers and not permitted to "attached" civilian type gunzoku officers (doctors, engineers, admin guys etc)....one for Bruce to investigate? Regards (sorry again I put a tassel on a sword without knowing what tassel it should be).

Me again. Thanks Trystan, I have this list and it refers to those smiths who became gunto makers in Seki in WWII...pretty sure these smiths were not RJT, just "Seki smiths"? As promised Bruce, I had a look through my 'Nihon Toko Meikan' again and while it mentions many smiths who were RJT, it rarely gives the date/year they started. I did find one however...p.160, smith name NIWA Kanenobu of Gifu born Meiji 36 (1903). It says that in "Showa 15 (1940) at the Kokura Arsenal No. 1 he became Jumei tosho". I am no expert but it it seems that as I said, maybe those smiths working under the Army at their arsenal forges were the first to become RJT (maybe even had their tangs stamped with the Army star? - I also think Kanenobu tang would have the 'ko - ho' stamps). As the demand for swords grew and the Yasukuni could not keep up, in 1941 the call went out from the army to begin the RJT scheme and from late 1941 - early 1942 it was established. I know that the establishment of RJT schemes in various prefectures was not "all at once". The Yamagami brothers in Niigata starting as RJT in Sho 14 and another of my smiths Tsukamoto Masakazu of Fukushima starting in late 1942/early 1943. I suppose in reality this issue is not that important, just of interest that the "rolling out" of the RJT scheme is "staggered" across Japan - probably due to sorting out details for the supply of tamahagane, mounting shops, local supplied charcoal and shipping details etc, etc. As it stands, on this TINY amount of info, it seems that the arsenal smiths would be more likely to have early start dates as they already had guaranteed supply of army-owned materials to the arsenals. Lots of fun,

Thanks guys. Yes Bruce, putting it on your list and keeping our eyes open for an actual signed/dated/star stamped example is probably the only thing we can do about this so far (unless someone finds some more actual reference to it somewhere - I will keep browsing and see if I can find any more references). In the meantime, I hope we get a bit of feedback from the RJT knowledgeable...might be a good conversation. I know that of my 4 star stamped blades 1 is dated 1943 and 3 are dated 1944 so well into the RJT period we know of, and of my 3 blades by smiths who are known RJT (but no star), 1 is undated, 1 is Sept 1941 and 1 is April 1942, so presumably they were not yet RJT at those dates. So this statement I posted regarding Hidehiro translates as " #3 Showa 14 nen 6 gatsu Rikugun no Jumei Tosho to naru." (1939 June, Army no Certified Swordsmith became) is so far the earliest RJT start date I have seen mentioned - and - it only refers to this one smith Hidehiro, it is not saying that this 1939 year start refers to the whole RJT scheme across Japan. I suppose only the seeing of an actual tang with a name, a 1939/1940/1941 date and star stamp will confirm an early start year (for some smiths only?), and so far we have not seen one. Regards,

Hi Bruce, that image of Muto Hidehiro with the statement that he began as a RJT in Sho 14/6 (June 1939) is from Ono, 'Gendai Toko Meikan' 1971 p.100 (look at image page and read column #3 (this is the earliest RJT start date I have seen). I posted it as I thought it might be worth a chat with the RJT knowledgeable on the start date of scheme. Just my "feeling" on this is that maybe thoise smiths who were closely linked to Army swordmaking were the first to be offered a RJT position...or maybe Ono has made an error? I will have a look at my other books and if it says anything further I will let you know. Regards, I had a quick look through my books and while all mention Hidehiro was RJT only the page I posted gives a start date....sorry. This is maybe a question that needs looking at by RJT specialists...

Hi Bruce, I also found a RJT star stamped Muto Hidehiro rubbing with KOKI date 2/1943. This has the ko ho marks on mune. (wish I still had that sword - sold it c.1982 and the buyer "polished" it himself - ruined!!!!). Hope this is of use for your records. Regards PS, I just added in the note on Hidehiro - column 3 says he became a RIKUGUN no JUMEI TOSHO in Sho 14/ 6 (June 1939). Not sure about RJT start dates, maybe they mean he started doing work for the Army in that year (a mystery of the RJT scheme for you to solve Bruce - whoohahaha).

Hi Bruce, I found a Mantetsu rubbing in my "box of odds and ends" - forgot I had it. Tang is dated 1941 spring and has the mune mark/no of RE 71. I can't find very many of this RE on your list, so may be of interest? Regards,

Hi Nicholas, Yes gendaito by a good smith. Muto (Hideyoshi) Hidehiro of Fukuoka. Dated KOKI 2602 year (1942). Born Meiji 24 (1891) died Showa 46 (10 Mar 1971). Regards,

Hi Bruce, A friend picked up this Mantetsu blade (no fittings). Here are the markings for your records. Mune 'U' 704 dated spring 1942. Hope this is of use, Regards

Brian, My book 'Nihonto Meikan' by Homma and Ishii 1975 shows in the index of titles (shogo) on p.16 (1539) has 9 smiths who used the this shogo. 2 from Showa, 2 from Meiji and 5 from earlier. This list gives the page number where you can read about the smith, his work etc. (has no images). I would send you the references but my computer is causing problems with images right now so I can't copy the pages for you. Maybe someone who has this book can help you? Regards...