Scogg

My thinking was that the more modern gimei and explicit intention to deceive makes this one dangerous, and worthy of the fake section. Not your everyday gimei. -Sam

Hi Shane, @shanel82 welcome to the forum! Well done on the photo and orienting it correctly on a dark background. That helps legibility a lot. I am going to relocate your post to the "translation assistance" section, becasue I think you will get a faster reply there. Is there anything on the other side of the nakago? All the best, -Sam

Hi Joshua, and fellow Oregonian. While it's not specifically Japanese focused, you might be interested in the following Portland militaria events. http://www.oregonarmscollectors.com/gun-shows.html Lots of good guys with knowledge about guns and other various militaria. I often see Japanese bayonets there. I won't be at the January event, but I will be at the following February event. If you'd like, feel free to send me a message and I can bring along a book that covers some bayonet and stamp information. Best of luck, -Sam

Being a diagnosed dyslexic myself, makes this stuff pretty challenging. Even keeping word order and spelling straight in English can be rough. I usually reread my posts 5-10 times before I finally catch mistakes that other people notice almost immediately. Sometimes I don't even see those mistakes until I leave and come back with a fresh perspective. It gets even harder when kanji are involved, especially counting strokes. A lot of that comes from just not being familiar with another language, but it still takes a fair amount of effort. I've done it before, but I don’t really like using dyslexia as an excuse, because it’s just part of my everyday life. It’s very common, and most people who have it don’t even know, and those who do, often don't lean on it like an ailment. I literally don't even know what it's like to NOT have dyslexia . As I understand it, there's varying levels severity with dyslexia, so I must have the more common mild version... So it may be the cause for mistakes in spelling here and there, but it's typically no biggie. It makes me a slower and more careful learner, and I think that's a good thing. I even read slowly, which is how I was flagged to then be diagnosed while I was in school. I still have to google MENUKI and MEKUGI half the time, so I don't mix them up -Sam

A big part of me really wants to take some soft-metal jewelry classes, and try my hand at habaki making.

Good question Jean. This pattern of the Type 95 is secured with a barrel nut where the sarute is located. On later patterns, they added a mekugi in the more traditional location. Nice looking Pattern1 Copper hilt type 95. For those who may not know, they made less than 7000 of this pattern, making them pretty rare. Best of luck with the sale, -Sam

Hi @Nazar, very shiny! Yes, unfortunately this is a fake. The biggest tell aside from the brass tsuka; is the bohi terminating early. Also the stamps are oversized and incorrect. Among other incorrect fetures. I have personally never seen a genuine Type 95 with anything carved on the habaki. If one does exist, it would have been done after manufacture. All the best, -Sam

Hi @Bendy, Unfortunately this sword is a fake, and not made in Japan. https://www.jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html Thanks to @Bugyotsuji's translation in the other thread before it was split, he stated: "Ishii Tarō 石井太郎 A random name added for decoration I would guess." When I split the thread, many of the comments did not carry over unfortunately, but this basically sums it up. Apologies for the bad news, -Sam In an attempt to clean things up for now, i've hidden the posts on the Mantetsu thread. Apologies @Hector @Bruce Pennington . Maybe Brian can merge them here in time.

Steve, this resource is only worth getting if you actually intend to use it. To be blunt, your forum history shows a consistent pattern of ignoring recommended materials and coming back to have the same information spelled out for you. At this point, it comes across less like you’re here to learn and more like you’re here to avoid learning, by outsourcing the effort to others. If that doesn’t change, there’s no reason to believe these books will be any different from the resources you’ve already ignored. I genuinely hope that pattern changes, but only you know your true motivations. -Sam

That’s one of the three books. The links provided above by eternal newbie have all the books. There’s three links there for three books

These links to the hard copy books are great, and I prefer hard-copy material myself. That being said, the Ebook is awesome for it's accessibility. It's very convenient to be able to type in keywords. The link for the ebook (containing the material of all three hardcover books) is below: https://www.lulu.com/shop/markus-sesko/e-swordsmiths-of-Japan/ebook/product-22166224.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqeQBaThZ2o0X085aNFYw5Y1q5GldfPJ53UVvmFiQ0_z2vRxLxn&page=1&pageSize=4

Spotted on Facebook this week. This pattern1 copper hilt Type 95 once appeared on an Australian list from Donald Barnes over 20 years ago; and is also listed in Jim Dawsons Cyclopedia. In all sources, the 501 number forward the habaki is noted. What makes this one extra interesting, is that it’s the highest serial number pattern1 that I have on file. Obviously, there are probably higher serial numbers out there, but this is the latest that I've ever personally seen and cataloged. Pretty cool to see it surface again. Sharing is caring! Seasons greetings, -Sam Copper tsuka pattern 1 Type 95. Serial number matching saya 6561 , with 501 forward the habaki: (Not my photos)

Great eye @Curran, yes it was a marvelous brass tsuba; and if I remember correctly, early edo period. It was overlooked by most because of all the blades, but it really was something special. I have not focused on tsuba very much, otherwise I’d have retained more information about it. A high class piece, no doubt. We’d love to have you, and I hope you have a safe and easy move out here! It’s a wonderful place to be. Let me know when you’ve settled in. Would be great to put face to name -Sam

It does not appear Japanese to me. Even in the very unlikely event that it was once Nihonto, one has to ask why someone would alter it so drastically; especially in a way that closely resembles common Chinese reproductions. Even amateur or at home restorations typically don’t replicate the consistent features seen on Chinese forgeries like the nakago and mei. I apologize for any bluntness, but that is my honest assessment. Best regards, -Sam

I’ve had this hanger for a couple years and photographed it more than once. Didn’t notice the numbers until I brought it out to compare with Hectors . I find it interesting that in our small sample size, so many have just 4 digits. -Sam

Makes sense about the baggies, good call. How fascinating about the 7’s! And what a coincidence at that! I wonder the significance. Thanks for sharing, -Sam

Hi @Darren20, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what you have is not a genuine Japanese sword. It is a fake; likely made in China. https://www.jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html Best regards, -Sam

I can understand Hamfish’s initial skepticism, because everything looks so pristine. The zip lock baggies add to that “brand new” look. If this is all genuine, it’s a seriously awesome haul!! Congrats! I have that same model hanger chain. Mine is much more used and abused, but it looks identical to yours as far as I can tell. Down to some pretty subtle features. Curious, does yours have any 0000 marks inside the clip? -Sam

It is considered unethical to polish a nihonto unless one is a properly trained togishi within the Japanese tradition. General metalworking experience, even decades of it, does not qualify someone to work on a Japanese sword. Polishing a nihonto without that training risks permanently destroying historical, cultural, and artistic value that cannot be restored. The steel itself is fundamentally different. Nihonto are made from tamahagane derived from iron sand, and it behaves unlike other modern steels or metals. Its structure, layering, and heat treatment require specialized knowledge developed through years of apprenticeship; not transferable from other forms of metalwork. Here on the Nihonto Message Board we are dedicated to the study and preservation of Japanese swords; and DIY polishing is entirely opposite of those goals. I hope this clarifies things. Sincerely, -Sam

Obligatory disclaimer: Only a highly qualified togishi should be tasked with polishing genuine Japanese swords. Any attempt to polish yourself at home, will likely cause more harm than good. It's better to leave them in poor condition, then it is to attempt any unqualified polishing. I agree with Chris (Vajo), that tsuba looks promising. -Sam

Hi @Sable, and welcome to the forum! Sorry for the late response about your saber, I wanted to refer to my book from Jim Dawson “Swords of Imperial Japan 1868-1945 Cyclopedia Edition”. It looks like you have some really interesting swords there. I’d love to see more of that type 98 too, in another thread maybe. Your parade saber indeed appears to be a Type 19 General Grade Kyu-Gunto. What differentiates the general grade from the field grade is the hawksbill turtle shell handle. In Dawsons book he notes that they exhibit high quality workmanship, and often have some additions. Like a mon or etching on the blade. They're pretty desirable to collectors, so congrats on being given one! I’ve never seen on in-hand personally. Does it have any stamps in the brass area, around where the blade enters the handle? Is there anything decorative etched on the blade? Thanks for sharing, -Sam

Maybe it will “chip” off with a bit of carefully applied force. Im thinking the corner of a block of wood, at a less than 45 degree angle, and some light tapping. Although, before I would try anything, I would try to at least speak to a togishi about it beforehand. I would hate to negatively impact the sword in any way. A blemish caused by my hand would bother me way more than a gimei kinpun mei Sincerely, -Sam

My instinct leans toward Sue-Seki or Sue-Bizen. Both possibilities share characteristics with your blade, particularly the nakago and nakago-jiri (end of the nakago)

Hard to tell how large or small it is. I was thinking obidome, too. I once bought an item listed as an obidome that turned out to be a repurposed kashira https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/46031-shakudo-nanako-obidome/

Thank you so much Moriyama-san! Very much appreciated for the updated translation. Very interesting. When Ray helped me earlier with translation, he was working with much worse photos (my fault). Very cool for me to have a date on the polish. 1976 makes sense to me considering the state of Nihonto in Japan, as I understand it, in the 1950s versus the 1970s Sincerely, -Sam