John C

Does it have a star stamp on the nakago? Yes = could be gendaito; no = then probably not (though could still be if done early enough). Also, look for the tell-tale signs of oil quenching (as opposed to water quenching). A thin dark line at the hamon, dark "bursts" coming from the valleys of the hamon, and a lack of any real nie or nioi. John C.

Ed: Just for further information on the stamp, the following excerpt is from Bruce Pennington's Stamp document (which you can find in downloads) John C. Seki stamps are seen in two sizes, 5mm(large) and 3mm(small). The earliest large Seki seen, so far, is 1940, so there are both Showa and Seki stamped blades found in 1940- 1942. The stamp was a commercial one, like the Showa, used by the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association. In 1943, the large Seki rapidly tapered off. Most dated stamped blades that year bore the “Na” of the Nagoya Army Arsenal. At the same time, the first signs of the small Seki began. The Seki Supervisory Unit of the Nagoya Army Arsenal began using the stamp on accepted blades and used it through the end of the war.

Paul: Not sure if this helps, however the "no" is usually only spoken, not written. So you normally will not find a "no" kanji within the mei. John C.

Seems as if the latch would only be useful in protecting the inside of the scabbard when the sword was drawn. Did they remove the blade from the scabbard while crossing rivers to protect it? (Kind of like a soldier holding his rifle above his head?) John C.

Hey @Bruce Pennington: One more question. Do we have any examples of the sticker mentioned in the article? Should be a Japan Sword Company logo or something like that. John C.

I wasn't specifically either. I just think there are separate "camps" when it comes to collecting Nihonto. I have a decent Nobuyoshi from around 1690, which is papered. Since it was made in a time of relative peace, I view that sword as more of a "collectable", or study piece if you will, than anything of historical value. Conversely, I also have a type 95 that has relatively little intrinsic value. It may even have a bit of battle damage. But if that sword could talk... John C.

Adam: I think there are two separate issues. Your title referenced sending the sword to shinsa; one object of which is to determine a ranking based on the quality of the sword. As an average quality mass-produced sword, the answer would probably be no. I think this is where there may be a perceived dislike toward kizuuchimono. But if you are talking about an historical object, then by all means preserve it and study it for what it is. John C.

Mickie: I'm not one of the translators, who I am sure will be along shortly, however I can tell you that is going to be one heck of a blade if it is in good shape. I am waiting myself to find out what it says! John C.

Hey @Bruce Pennington: Do we have any examples of the 1,200 tanto that were produced? John C.

Jason: Unfortunately, no one here can help you do that. The folks on this site are educated collectors, not an official governing body like the NBTHK or the NTHK. We can give you our opinions based on having researched and discussed swords. But we cannot "testify" to what is true and what is not. None of us saw this sword being built. Unless you find a mark that says "Made in Japan or China" you are kind of stuck if the seller won't work with you. But just so you know, we have all been there...some of us more often that we would like to admit. As I have often said in other threads, do not look at this as having been ripped off. You either pay for a decent Japanese sword, or you pay for an education on what NOT to buy. Now you are better educated and you still may have a decent blade...wherever it was made. John C.

As has been noted in Bruce Pennington's article, we know there were originally 8,000 swords ordered by the PX, of which 2,600 were originally delivered. Production was halted for a time due to red tape until the remaining swords were allowed to be sold again starting in 1949. It even specified the retail price of 10 dollars and wholesale of 6.50. So why might the sword look old? It is still 70 to 80 years old and probably has been handled and played with quite a bit. It is also possible some unscrupulous dealers artificially "age" their swords and call it a kai-gunto to increase profit. John C.

Fantastic! Thank you very much! John C.

The paperwork looks like it could be an old registration certificate. John C.

Very interesting. As a martial artist (American Kenpo 37 years), the movements remind me of many of our knife attacks and defenses. The speed is understandable...what we would call "technique" speed (just going through the movements slowly to show each one clearly). John C.

Is he holding his boys day sword? John C.

Excellent read. Could you please post page 46 or is it just ads? John C.

The symbol to the right looks like the "Ho" stamp of the 1st Arsenal, Kokura army arsenal. John C.

I assume you mean unproven theories? There are many theories in different fields of study that are proven and cited by scholars routinely. That isn't so much group-think as stating what has been accepted to be true. John C.

Steve: I think the kanji on the left in the first picture "up water" means tap water. John C.

The star would indicate a blade made by an RJT smith, which would probably mean it is a "gendaito" as opposed to a machine made blade (showato). At first glance, it appears to be a showato, however there were a couple of smiths named Kanemasa who made both gendaito and showato blades. John C.

What's interesting about the category is that it is a combination of both social sciences and physical sciences. In terms of archeology, a social science, we infer certain things based on commonalities within discoveries. We can only examine an ancient society through the interpretation of artifacts. Metallurgy, in contrast, is a physical science whereby artifacts can be examined under a microscope in "real time" with known properties and chemical reactions. John C.

Ed: Is there a star stamp under the tsuba or habaki? John C.

Simon: Is that a General's tassel? If so, and the story about Iwo Jima is true, could that have belonged to Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi or Lt. Gen. Sadasue? John C.

Clive: My guess on this part of the question would be a "drift", which is a hardened steel punch of sorts. Usually a drift is tapered while a punch would be straight. The drift could easily be hammered through the hot, soft steel prior to quenching. Some of the swordsmiths and blacksmiths on the forum could tell you much more about it. John C.

David: Like all swords, depends on condition and originality of parts. There are some versions that may be a bit special (with different hamon or with tassel). But recent sales are realizing 18-23 hundred for decent examples. Just a few months ago they were bringing more. They pop up fairly regularly so I suggest learning what to look for in a decent example before buying. John C.