Kiipu

Shamsy, I remember this thread about a reproduction. Noah, in answer to your question, yes they have been reproduced. Type 32 Ko, strange number and lack of markings. Is it a fake?

法政大學豫科 = Hōsei daigaku yoka = Hōsei University Preparatory Department.

Star stamped swords from Gifu Prefecture usually have two sets of painted numbers on them. As far as I can tell, one is the Nagoya Arsenal production number and the other is the koshirae subassembly number? Regardless of one's personal opinion, there does seem to be a pattern to these painted Nagoya RJT blades. The colors noted so far are red, green, and blue.

There are some booklets by Jan Culbertson about these Chinese swords for those interested. CHINESE SWORDS, Vol. II, Beiyang/Republican & Warlord

See also the thread by @estcrh below. A few books in Japanese on the subject of firearms.

The following list is in chronological order. Boxer, C. R. “Notes on Early European Military Influence in Japan (1543–1853).” The Transactions of The Asiatic Society of Japan, Second Series, Volume 8, 1931, pp. 67–93. Brown, Delmer M. “The Impact of Firearms on Japanese Warfare, 1543–98.” The Far Eastern Quarterly, Volume 7, No. 3, May 1948, pp. 236–253. Kimbrough, Robert E. “Japanese Firearms.” The Gun Collector, No. 33, September 1950, pp. 445–465. Thanks to @djealas it is available at the link below. looking for Sugawa's book: the Japanese Matchlock, Post #5 Waterhouse, D. B. “Fire-Arms in Japanese History: With Notes on a Japanese Wall Gun.” The British Museum Quarterly, Volume 27, Number 3–4, Winter 1963–64, pp. 94–99. Milward, Clement. “Some Unusual Japanese Firearms.” The Antique Collector, August 1964, pp. 148–153. Perrin, Noel. Giving Up the Gun: Japan's Reversion to the Sword, 1543–1879. David R. Godine, Publisher, Inc., 1979. Derby, Harry. “The Beginning — Matchlocks.” The Hand Cannons of Imperial Japan, Derby Publishing Company, 1981, pp. 4–9. Needham, Joseph, et al. Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic. Cambridge University Press, 1986. Part 7 of Volume 5 of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. Science and Civilisation in China Sugawa Shigeo 須川･薫雄. Nihon no hinawajū 日本の火縄銃. Sugawa Shigeo 須川薫雄, 1989. Sugawa Shigeo. The Japanese Matchlock: A Story of the Tanegashima. Sugawa Shigeo, 1991. A translation of Nihon no hinawajū 日本の火縄銃. Daehnhardt, Rainer. Espingarda Feiticeira: A introdução da Arma de Fogo pelos Portugueses no Extremo-Oriente [The Bewitched Gun: The Introduction of the Firearm in the Far East by the Portuguese]. Texto Editora, 1994. The book is written in both Portuguese and English. Lidin, Olof G. Tanegashima: The Arrival of Europe in Japan. NIAS Press, 2002. Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Monograph Series No. 90. Chase, Kenneth. “Korea and Japan.” Firearms: A Global History to 1700, Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp. 172–196. Ethridge, Charles E. Reinventing the Sword: A Cultural Comparison of the Development of the Sword in Response to the Advent of Firearms in Spain and Japan. 2007. Louisiana State University, Master’s thesis. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/3729/ Howell, David L. “The Social Life of Firearms in Tokugawa Japan.” Japanese Studies, Volume 29, No. 1, 2009, pp. 65–80. Allan, Francis C., Chip Goddard, Takehito Jimbo, Doss H. White, and Stanley Zielinski. Japanese Imported Arms of The Early Meiji Era. Francis C. Allan, 2011. Banzai Special Project No. 10. The coverage starts at about 1853 and thus does not depict the older Japanese firearms; however, it does show numerous examples of the the Meiji era registration numbers which are commonly seen on the older Japanese firearms. Lauro, Daniele. Displaying Authority: Guns, Political Legitimacy, and Martial Pageantry in Tokugawa Japan, 1600–1868. 2012. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Master’s thesis. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/n009w2390?locale=en Astroth, Alexander. “The Decline of Japanese Firearm Manufacturing and Proliferation in the Seventeenth Century.” The Age of Gunpowder: An Era of Technological, Tactical, Strategic, and Leadership Innovations, 2013, pp. 136–148. http://history.emory.edu/home/undergraduate/endeavors-journal/volume-5.html Pettersson, Jan. The Yonezawa Matchlock: Mighty Gun of the Uesugi Samurai. 2017. A New Book-Release! Kuba Takashi. “The Diffusion of Japanese Firearms in the Ming Dynasty at the End of the Sixteenth Century: From the Japanese Invasion of Korea to Yang Yinglong’s Revolt in Bozhou.” War and Trade in Maritime East Asia, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, pp. 197–219.

It is an encircled イ . ㋑

On both swords, it looks like a 京 and not a 東. If this is an army inspection mark, which it appears to be, then it belonged to the following organization. 陸軍兵器行政本部造兵部板橋監督班 Rikugun Heiki Gyōsei Honbu Zōheibu 陸軍兵器行政本部造兵部 Production Department of Army Ordnance Administration Headquarters. Itabashi Kantoku Han 板橋監督班 Itabashi Supervisory Unit = 京.

Hi Noah, I do have some questions for you in regards to your sword. Is this a parade sword 指揮刀 or a combat sword? Secondly, is the scabbard finish nickel or chrome?

Thanks Chris. This dōjō made swords for private purchase such as yours and also made Type 100 blades for the Ōsaka Arsenal. The Ōsaka Arsenal serialized the contract blades on the nakago mune. I think this numbering is by smith or company and not by location/prefecture. However, at the end of the day, my opinion means little more than anyone else's, so take it with a grain of salt. Thanks for sharing your sword with the rest of us.

Is there a number stamped on the nakago mune or top edge of the tang?

Your sword was assembled by Suya under Kokura Army Arsenal control. This is based upon swords in the surrounding serial number range. The final inspection & acceptance was performed by Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal and that is the 東 that Rob alluded to on the blade.

Could it be a part of the scabbard retention system used by the navy? Launch documentation for the 1937 introduction of the new Navy Gunto, Post #34

Sometimes you are not alone. I initially thought it was a 〇 (zero)!

I think this is 七四七七 as the initial character has an upward swing in the upper left corner. Compare it to the bottom character. What do you think? 七四七七 = 7477.

This is a reproduction and the blade is probably the same as used on the reproduction Type 95s. I would be interested in what @Shamsy thinks of the blade.

Noah, below is a link to a hybrid Japanese/Chinese sword. See picture number 4. Note the sakura with engraved Chinese flags above. Thought you would enjoy seeing something like this. is this a chinese sword (now with blade pictures), Post #46

Thanks Hamish, I stand corrected. My father always said I was hopeless but not helpless.

Obverse 宇都宮中尉 = Utsunomiya chūi = Lieutenant Utsunomiya. 明治廿四年八月 = August 1891. Inventory/Issue No. 4/59. Reverse 小銃兼正 Shōjū Kanemasa = Rifle Kanemasa. The second column seems to start with a variant of 赠 or 贈 which means "gift." ？木内？羽日士官 @BANGBANGSAN & @SteveM

The sword in post #18 is a Chinese Nationalist era sword and the other one in post #23 has a plum blossom and not a cherry blossom. All this information can be found in the reference books that should be read & consulted.

Like you, I remembered it, but apparently did not download an image of it. It took awhile, but below is the link. Help identify writing and info on sword

Hi Tom, as Chris implied, a postwar souvenir sword. There is an article about them that you can see at the link below. All the best and Happy New Year to you and yours. The Mysterious Naval Landing Forces Sword

Welcome to the forum Ryo. I ran across your father's sword over at GBF and have the number down as 5/95 as shown in the list above. The 小銃 is probably referring to the location, in this case the Rifle Factory of Tōkyō Artillery Arsenal. Our Murata Collection so far! Rifles and a rare sword!

The sword is kosher if in the 67,000 range. The mekugi nut looks like it is put on backward though. As for the lack of a visible blade inspection mark, sometimes they are stamped far to the right of the serial number on Tōkyō's.

Looks like Satō san must have owned more than one sword. Please help identify this sword