Kiipu

In regards to the date, not sure what is going on with what I would guess is a ten 十. The four 二二 that follows is a variant rarely encountered. Oddities/rarities in datings Arsenal Stamps. Would appreciate your expertise please

徳島日本刀東神鍛錬所 東神正茂作 昭和二十年五月日 Serial number 170 https://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/k1022131034/ @mecox

The one on the left is 平.

Note how the crossguard markings are reversed on your two swords. Swords made at the very end are marked like the one with just an arsenal symbol and one inspection mark. Your Otsu looks to be dated 明四四 1911, reading from right to left?

Thanks Scogg. The drag thickness is 36mm and the scabbard throat is flat (versus having a lug). In my experience, the flat scabbard throat is more uncommon. You will learn more about why I asked these questions when you have a chance to read Nick's threads. As a general rule, the following blade and scabbard information is needed when reporting a Type 32. Blade Length (Version): 甲 Kō or 乙 Otsu. Serial Number: Sequential serial number starting at 1, stamped in Arabic numerals. Fullered: Yes or No. (FYI, all are fullered but I ask anyway.) Finish: White, Blued, Black oxide, Painted black, or ?. (They all started out as white.) Saya Serial Number: Original serial number, rematched SN, mismatch serial number, none, ?. Scabbard Throat: Extension lug, or Flat, or ?. Drag thickness: in millimeters. Finish: White, Blued, Black-oxide, Painted black, Chrome, Textered, or ?.

Can you measure the scabbard drag thickness for me? Also, does the scabbard throat have an extension lug or is it flat?

Also, the late Nick Komiya has some threads about the Type 32 Military Sword. How the Type 32 Sword was born & System Kaizen behind the Type 32 Gunto production of the 1930s

The early Otsu Type 32's were undated. Later on, a date was added above the arsenal symbol. The earliest dated 乙 [Otsu] I know of is serial number 66604, dated 明四〇 [1907]. Based upon the serial number of 63703, I would guess it was made sometime during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. As Bruce already indicated, the "stamps' are final inspection marks. One of which seen is 田.

It is a modern Chinese made sword. Nothing fake about it and not meant to deceive. A very nice gift indeed. 友澤作 = made by Yǒuzé. 利長磨 = polished by Lì zhǎng. 丙申年 = 2016. 己亥月 = November (more or less). Sources consulted in the translation above. An absolute beauty of a Longquan Katana. Sexagenary cycle

I had to dig into this one as I was puzzled by the first character. The last name Mori is a single character yet this has two characters preceding Kaneharu. I had to use this older NMB thread from 2012 to figure out what the first character was. Special thanks to @k morita for the character identification. Nantoka Kanenori Translation 関森兼治 = Seki Mori Kaneharu [with partial 昭 stamp above?] Old to New Looks more like the new version than the old one; however, .... 關 = 関 @mecox

The NMB thread linked to below will get you off to a good start. Shinobi Ana 忍び孔

An interesting spinoff of the Yamamoto dirks of World War II. If one is not familiar with these dirks, just do a search using the term "Yamamoto" on the forum. As an aside, the company logo on the reverse side belongs to Hōten Arsenal Co., Ltd. (1932-1945) 奉天造兵所株式會社. The company was located in Hōten/Mukden, Manchuria. Cross-Reference Tantō Made by Hōten?

In my opinion, it is a forged blade and not a factory made blade. However, evaluation is usually done in hand or by pictures of a blade in some sort of polish. The "Star" stamp did not show up at the Kokura forge until 1945. The blades made before then, such as 1944, did not have one. May to December 1944: No star stamp. February to May 1945: Star stamp.

The sword in the OP was made in an arsenal forge and not a factory. It is traditionally made as that was the purpose of the arsenal forges. Besides Kokura, Tōkyō 1st and Ōsaka 大阪陸軍造兵廠研究所軍刀鍛錬所 had arsenal forges. A zōhei-tō 造兵刀 [Arsenal Sword] is a wartime machine made blade just like a Type 95 blade.

Interesting comment about the second brother. （一）　初代「加藤良明」

Kabutogane The logo on the right is for Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal while the logo on the left is for the sword shop. 東 = Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal Supervisory Section 東京第一陸軍造兵廠監督課.

As an aside, Katō Jusaburō(?) 加藤･壽三郎 of Meguro-ku 目黒区, Tōkyō 東京, was using the mei of Masamitsu 正盛 in 1937. He could make five blades per month and had 2 apprentices. 壽 = 寿

Name of swordsmith: 吉道 Yoshimichi. Date made: 昭和十七年三月 1942 March.

To clarify, my comments above were about swords made in the early Shōwa 昭和 (1926-1945) era and not older swords repurposed for military use. On this forum, we tend to think more in terms of traditional Japanese sword craftsmanship versus the economical mass production of swords. If one keeps in mind the resurgence of interest in swords in the 1930s and 1940s, one can better understand the need for parts made in quantity (and not quality). I think one is either looking at high end blades and parts made by craftsmen for the wealthy or swords made on an assembly line for the working class with a modest income. In my opinion, these tsuba that are illustrated above and in the links are intended for the working class. Seki stamped Kanemori in handachi mounts on Yahoo Inherited Sword, looking for help Identifying maker.

No, gunzoku are civilians working for the military. They wore uniforms but with different rank insignia. Gunzoku Photograph

And all those swords depicted are actually civilian samurai-style swords pressed into military service. I would not venture so far as to say these crossguards are for gunzoku use only.

I have never seen any Japanese documentation that specified a gunzoku 軍属 pattern crossguard. I just assumed gunzoku used whatever crossguard that was readily available and economical at the sword fittings shops.

I think this is an early Shōwa 昭和 (1926-1945) era crossguard for civilian samurai-style swords. Many of which got drafted later on for the war effort.

The unidentified company logo on the crossguard consists of the kanji character 内 over 山. It could belong to a sword shop or a uniform store.

A more recent reproduction which is better made than some of the older Chinese reproductions. They caused a bit of confusion when first seen via photographs. Nco Shin Gunto - Real Or Rotter?