Kiipu

Thank you for the correction. Same characters 関町, but different prefecture 三重県! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seki,_Mie

Possibly the Ministry of the Interior 内務省 police reports can pin down his exact location? "Family or short blades as Gunto" https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/family-short-blades-gunto-688110-post1879455/#post1879455

The table of contents for 関市史, published 1967, can be seen at the link below. The 関刀剣株式會社 is listed in the section starting at page 591. This is the very same book that started the 昭 within a sakura and 関 inspection marks debacle. https://www.library.pref.gifu.lg.jp/gifuken-mokuji/seki/seki.htm The 甲 that appears in the address is correct. Other sword companies in Seki also have this character as part of the address. A 1938 drawing of Seki-chō that appears in 関町郷土誌 can be seen below. Edit: Deleted the drawing.

The Seki Tōken KK trademark as seen in the OP, which is between the light fixture and 社會式株剣刀関 on the front of the building, can be more clearly seen at the link below. "Arsenal Stamps." https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5999-arsenal-stamps/?do=findComment&comment=76461

The 関刀剣株式會社 is the only sword company listed on the page. This page merely lists the civilian factories making items for Nagoya Army Arsenal. The reason Seki Tōken KK is listed is because they made Type 95 Military Swords 九五式軍刀 for Nagoya. Hope this helps in your studies. bangbangsan-page.pdf

Can not help with the first part but the second part is not so hard. As of August 1945, Japanese army records give the address as 岐阜縣武儀郡関町甲一三〇. Thank you for your help with Mizuno. Much appreciated.

Excellent research SteveM!

We are not talking about the same thing, 1942 versus 1943. I have no information on the subject of 1943 kabutogane markings. Maybe Bruce knows more about it but I do not recall him gathering that type of information.

Yours has the army contract markings of Mantetsu Tanzo Kore and not the commercial marking of 興亜一心. Only the army contract swords dated 1942 have the combination of 興亜一心, M, and 東. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/?do=findComment&comment=321678

The combination only shows up on some 1942 Mantetsu blades. I have posted in the past about this. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/26165-attention-mantetsu-owners-a-survey/?do=findComment&comment=311598

Nothing wrong with the lack of markings on the nakago. The blade is coming from a Seki made Type 95 Military Sword, serial number 関213182. The handle should be made of wood and the handle fittings of iron as Bruce indicated in post #20. If possible, can you post a picture of the scabbard mouth opening (鯉口 koiguchi)? There could be some markings in that location.

Army contract blade even though civilian marked. This is indicated by the M on the lower obverse side of the the nakago. Check the kabutogane for a possible 東 inspection mark. ク = KU = 28th series.

Neil, AKA IJASwords, there is something wrong with your private mail. Edit: FYI, it is up and running fine now.

The address is the same for both the advertisement and the Iida patent. So they are related. The company name in the advertisement is Iida Shop Unlimited Partnership 合名会社･飯田商店. The translation of the latch can be found at the thread below. "Iida Kunitaro Gunto Koshirae - Help" https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18110-iida-kunitaro-gunto-koshirae-help/ I am sure SteveM and BangBangSan will be along shortly to fill in some more gaps.

A Sadaroku kokuin can be found at the link below along with a translation by Morita san. "What Exactly Is A Kokuin On A Gunto?" https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21000-what-exactly-is-a-kokuin-on-a-gunto/

The company name from the advertisement is below. 若瀬軍刀製作所 = Wakase Guntō Seisaku-jo = Wakase Military Sword Workshop. The thread below as previously indicated has several pictures of the patented Wakase scabbard drag. "Show Us Your High Class Gunto" https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18610-show-us-your-high-class-gunto/

Sladen, Douglas. The Japs at Home. 5th edition. London: Ward, Lock & Bowden, Limited, 1895. Page 255. "Miniature Japanese Army Parade Sword" https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/miniature-Japanese-army-parade-sword-300106/

Looks like a 36th series, army contract blade. If you acquire it, double-check the date side and see if it has an M inspection mark. The M can be found toward the top or bottom of the nakago and sometimes both locations will have one.

Sorry, according to Nick the logo was used by Matsuya, a department store, and not a sword maker. "Matsuyama Factory Banners - Need Help Translating!" https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/matsuyama-factory-banners-need-help-translating-749404/#post2098918

Just to make sure everyone is aware of this recent revelation by Nick, Type 100 Officer's Swords were inspected from the beginning in 1940. This is the reason we are seeing inspection marks on this sword so early and not on Type 98s. It may be necessary to separate Type 98 and Type 100 markings for this reason. "Legally rebutting the existence of a Type 3 Army Officer's Sword" https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/legally-rebutting-existence-type-3-army-officers-sword-708745-post2095801/#post2095801

Looks like a Gifu stamp to me. "Kiyotsugu Reference / Info" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18858-kiyotsugu-reference-info/

A cursory search yields that this is common knowledge among officer gunto collectors that they are marked like this. "Nagamitsu Type44 Mounting. New Today !" http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18659-nagamitsu-type44-mounting-new-today/

Thank you very much for sharing this information! All that I knew came from one Chinese webpage. As this is getting off topic, I will sign off on the matter. 65type-cavalry-sword-baidu.pdf

If these are serial numbers, then they start at 1 and will go to three, four, or five digits. It looks like four digits in this case. After finishing the initial range of numbers starting with 1, they would start using a katakana prefix that follows the iroha poem order. In the West, we call these prefixes series marks. 1 to XXXX イ1 to イXXXX ロ1 to ロXXXX Something similar happened with Mantetsu swords except they did not use the no prefix series that started at 1.

We have been looking for you BangBangSan! Do you happen to have the history on these? https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/f216/short-development-history-type-95-gunto-676112-post2097693/#post2097693