Kiipu

Slightly better pictures can be found at the link below. "Help with Saya Stamp & Shoe Strings" https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/help-saya-stamp-shoe-strings-761543/

Below is my translation of the kanji characters identified by BangBangSan in post #5 above. Left Column Unreadable. Middle Column 特許出願中 = Tokkyo shutsugan-chū = Patent Applied for, Patent Pending. Right Column 久留米市西町花? = Kurume-shi Nishi Machi ??. "Kurume" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurume For the possible identification of the last two kanji characters in the right column, see the post below by SteveM.

I think in this case, 満鐵 is an abbreviation for 南満洲鉄道株式会社 Minamimanshū Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha [south Manchuria Railway Company (SMR)]. My translation of 満鐵鍛造之 would be "SMR forged this". 満鐵鍛造之 = Mantetsu tanzō kore (literal or Chinese reading) = South Manchuria Railway Company (SMR) forged this. 鐵 = 鉄. "South Manchuria Railway" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Manchuria_Railway

The translation of 満鐵鍛造之 was discussed over at the "War Relics Forum". See posts 63 to 68. Keep us posted on what you discover about this. "Attention Mantetsu Owners: A Survey/Study" http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/attention-mantetsu-owners-survey-study-715028-post2028469/#post2028469

A little known aspect of presentation Mantetsu swords is the box they came in. Only a handful exist. Below are links to two of them. Does anyone know of others? 満鉄太刀 http://ohmura-study.net/314.html "KANJI WRITTEN ON A SWORD BOX" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/13945-kanji-written-on-a-sword-box/ The sword that was in the box above. "koa isshin with the South Manchurian Railway Company logo" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/13946-koa-isshin-with-the-south-manchurian-railway-company-logo/

An article with illustrations of Bernhard Rogge's guntō can be found via the link below. 18. Captain Bernhard Rogge's Samurai Sword @ Maritime Museum Hamburg , Germany. https://monsun-uboats.blogspot.com/

Little is known about this company other than that the company name began with 水野 Mizuno. Below is a link to the only Japanese document that mentions this company as a maker of guntōs. 小作機第４７号　兵器製造設備能力ニ関スル件通牒　昭和１７年１０月７日　小倉陸軍造兵廠 https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/imageen_C14010934400?IS_KEY_S1=C14010934400&IS_KIND=SimpleSummary&IS_STYLE=eng&IS_TAG_S1=InfoSDU& As an aside, several swordsmiths during this time frame also had the last name of Mizuno but it is unknown if any of them were connected to the company above. As for the swords themselves, a good starting point is the post below. "Has anyone come across this Stamp before??" https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?297882-Has-anyone-come-across-this-Stamp-before

Is this the 1938 SMR, serial number N156, that you are talking about? "Rethinking the "Late War" or "Home Defense" Officer Gunto" http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/rethinking-late-war-home-defense-officer-gunto-717380/?highlight=Mantetsu

Just to clarify, is this the same sword that is depicted at the link below? "Mantetsu with attribution" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/4407-mantetsu-with-attribution/?hl=takanobu

The swordsmith stamp can be found at the link below. He is one of the few that used a stamp during this time frame. "Arsenal Stamps." http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5999-arsenal-stamps/page-14?do=findComment&comment=306510

Does your sword have any inspection marks on it? For a chart of the inspection marks used, see page 13 of the "Stamp 5.0" PDF. See link below. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5999-arsenal-stamps/page-16?do=findComment&comment=315240

Your sword pattern can be found in Stegel's "Type 95 NCO Patterns" Info-Graphic at the link below. "Questions about "late war", NCO swords" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/30395-questions-about-late-war-nco-swords/page-2?do=findComment&comment=311408

Ohmura sensei illustrates a mumei blade with possible Nan-Man Arsenal fittings. http://ohmura-study.net/754.html

Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal received 450 semi-finished blades and 50 finished military swords from Nan-Man per month. [More than likely the manufacturer of these blades and swords was Mantetsu.] The 450 semi-finished blades were then completed as swords by Tōkyō. Add the 450 completed swords by Tōkyō to the previous 50 finished swords received from Nan-Man and the Tōkyō total comes to 500 finished military swords per month. 500 swords per month times 12 months comes to 6,000 swords per year. 500 x 12 = 6,000

Fiscal year 1944 planned production of military Kōa Isshin-tō came to 6,000 swords. The monthly average was 450 semi-finished blades and 50 finished military swords. All were to go to Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal and Nan-Man Arsenal was responsible for arranging the transfer.

The translation you are asking about was done by Nick Komiya and you will need to contact him in regards to it. http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/very-unusual-konan-essei-mantetsu-713654-post1911277/#post1911277 The translation that I did of the same document can be found at the links below. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/page-13?do=findComment&comment=311787 http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/page-13?do=findComment&comment=312437 See also my reply to your previous inquiry about the matter at hand. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/page-13?do=findComment&comment=312670 As of April 1944, army contract Mantetsu (SMR) swords and blades were being forwarded to Japan. My opinion is that sometime after April 1944, this practice stopped and Nan-Man Army Arsenal took over the assembly of the army contract blades. Keep in mind that Manchukuo, more specifically Nan-Man, did not have the sword making resources or the personnel that Japan had, and came up with a design that fitted the available machinery and the experience level of the workers. The end result is a sword assembled from a Type 100 blade fitted to Nan-Man's own unique design of fittings. Or in other words, a collector's dream come true! As an aside, both editions of F&G and Dawson illustrate and to some degree describe this sword design. 1986, MSoJ, page 44, Army Shin-Guntō Home Defence Pattern. 1996, SoIJ, page 55, Late War Officer's Shin-guntō. 1996, JM&CS&D, pages 81-82, 1945 pattern Army (Officers) Home Defence sword. 2007, SoIJ, pages 180-181, Late-War Army Sword for Officers.

In April 1945, Nan-Man Army Arsenal 南滿陸軍造兵廠 was renamed Kwantung Army Arsenal 関東軍造兵廠 and placed under the control of the Kwantung Army 関東軍. Prior to this transfer, the arsenal was under the control of Army Ordnance Administration Headquarters 陸軍兵器行政本部 located in Tōkyō. "Kwantung Army" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwantung_Army

Thank you for looking into this. So the highest army contract Mantetsu 満鐵鍛造之 with a M partial inspection stamp is ユ 二〇九 [YU 209] and the lowest without an M inspection mark is メ 八七 [ME 87]. As an aside, the M partial inspection stamp appears on the obverse side of the nakago. Is this correct?

Type 100 Officer's Contingency Sword It just refers to the year they were introduced by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The design began in 1938 and was finished in 1940. The IJA used Type 100 for items introduced in 1940 while the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) used Type 0. Keep in mind though, at the end of the day it just another collector term just like Type 94 (IJA), 97 (IJN), and 98 (IJA). "Introduction of the Type 94 Gunto" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29659-introduction-of-the-type-94-gunto/ It is my opinion that the blades were made by SMR and the assembly and polishing was done by Nan-Man Army Arsenal. By far the best photo-essay of a likely Nan-Man Army Arsenal assembled Type 100 Contingency Sword can be found at the link below. "One Of The Rarest Imperial Japanese Late Type 44 Gunto" https://www.artswords.com/one_of_the_rarest_imperial_japanese_late_type_44_gunto_090718.htm For those that are hopelessly lost as to what is being discussed, read the posts between 402 and 411 in this thread. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/page-14?do=findComment&comment=315715

It is the first ヱ WE that I am aware of. Just to clarify, are there any M partial inspection marks on the nakago? If so, what side?

Early Chinese Republican 18-point star?

Does the kabuto-gane have a 東 inspection mark? If so, what side? ノ = NO.

Yes it is.

Found one similar but it is Japanese. Will do better next time! 天 皇 御 服 改 正・大 元 帥 佩 刀 http://ohmura-study.net/282.html

Found a June 1945 star stamp blade. Judging by the nakago, possibly a Type 100 blade fitted out as a Type 95. http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/bought-type-95-nco-sword-20-years-ago-real-535815-post1406527/#post1406527