Cuirassier

Thanks James, and that is a useful reference page for sure. Of my photos, the second one shows some of the first kanji to be a angled right leg meeting a vertical shaft and a cross bar (sorry to use such western terms). Any one else agree? So Tenei (1110) or Taiei (1521); I suspect the later for Bizen Kuni? 天永 Tenei 1110 元永 Genei 1118 寿永 Juei 1182 建永 Kenei 1206 文永 Bunei 1264 貞永 Jôei 1232 康永 Kôei 1342 応永 Ôei 1394 大永 Taiei 1521

Sorry to stand alone in the crowd, but I am 100% certain that this is an authentic NCO shin gunto. If it were a fake, there would be identical examples from Chinese sellers. Show me one! I would love to know that you are all correct, as I could then make myself immune to them. But, when you look for Chinese seller examples, make sure what they are selling conforms to the following tests (which the cited US seller offering on eBay does); 1) The sarute loop should rest upon the ridges of the kabuto-kane (pommel cap); fakes extend past this (the US ebay example is correct). 2) The arsenal stamps are correct - you debate they are too newly struck, but they are correct (often the arsenal stamp opn the blade is the wrong way up, but the US eBay seller example is correct). 3) The bohi groove should not be too far from the habaki; the US seller example is the correct distance. Again, I am certain the cited eBay NCO shin gunto is 100% authentic, albeit someone has painted the tsuka. :-)

Sorry, but it is an authentic NCO gunto. Maybe someone has painted it an odd colour. If it claims to be a real copper hilted NCO gunto, you can see the aluminium coming through and the drag / chape is wrong for a copper hilt. The knot band (sarute / lanyward loop) is right, the (kokura arsenal) markings are right, the bohi / blade groove is not too far from the habaki. It is authentic, but not copper hilted.

And finally, there is a Mon on the kabuto-gane - I can not find it in my pages of Mons - if there are any Mon experts here...... :-)

And blade photos (gunto fittings nowhere to be seen)

Here is the date part (please, pretty please)

Hi Guys I thought it best to post these under the translation section. This started life on the Military Gunto Section; http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17902-double-bohi-shin-gunto-tachi-a-very-unusual-ww2-sword/?p=185028 To my disgrace, I did not see the beauty or special / rare form of blade. There are some mei photos still on the original thread. But I hope it is in order posting these here. The mei is beyond me (actually, I have an idea but I do not want to make a fool of myself again / dream too much). So, here they are;

more photos (sorry, I got mysql errors when I tried before)

OK, if it is OK with the moderators, I will post the images of the mei and date inscriptions, plus photos of the blade alone on the translation page? Sorry, I am ashamed to admit I viewed this with some scepticism originally. Now, it has really grown on me! So here are the shin gunto photos along with a mon (will also post the mon on the translation section with the mei) Sorry, but I like guntos!

Thanks John But I was thinking of sending it to Tony Norman in the UK; he said they now have a papering / verification service in the UK? I am worried about sending it to Japan as it is in gunto mounts, so I can not send it in these correct? And, I know many nihonto collectors will hate me for this; but I like gunto mounts, especially when they are a special build. Also, if it is a valuable blade by Chogi himself (OK, slim chance, but still a chance), it will be seized as a Japanese national treasure, right? OK, so I will simply take a number of extra photos to try and determine who the smith was / what the date is.

Bizen-no-Kuni Osafune? I need to carefully work on the nakago and see what I can get out of it. Wishful thinking, of course, but this is beginning to sound like the Chogi school?

Guys, thank you, very much. Could it be Bizen Osafune Nagamori? I think I need to get this blade to Tony Norman for a polish, and also maybe certification?

Some extra photos. Anyone able to narrow it down (as to which ietsugu it was? - there were not many, and even fewer signed simply "ietsugu"). Hamon Naka-sugu ha ? In which case, I am having trouble reconciling this with any of the provinces for any of the ietsugu smiths who signed simply "ietsugu"

Thanks guys. The rust / corrosion (now removed) I believe is recent, but maybe the blade is older than I think. Do these photos help? Thanks Mark

Wow, thank you both. I guess I need to take photos of the entire blade. It is a slender elegant blade. Can you tell anything from the tang / nakago (apart from the obivous). As there were not many smiths called ietsugu

Any help greatly appreciated. So, I bought this sword........................ It is a shin gunto, with a very unusual and somewhat impressive blade. The tang has corroded to the point the kanji are illegible to me (anyone fancy having a go; perfect, thanks). I can see some strokes on what I presume to be the date inscription, and these are clearly barbed shinshinto. At first I was sure the blade is shinto, but now I am not sure. I presume this is Shobu-Zukuri kissaki? The upper most section appears to have its own hamon! I guess I should have taken more photos, and can add some later. But hopefully these will do for the blade itself. Thanks in mounting anticipation Mark

Hi Guys I think this is Mune Tsugu. Am I right? (If not, I would appreciate to know what it actually is). :-) Mark

Thanks Steve - appreciated

Hi Guys I have been battering my head over this one. A Wo motte Kanezane, but the two preceeding characters to Kanezane I simply can not determine. I have tried checking the various and many signatures used by Kanezane and his smiths, but no joy. And the closest I can come to is Mune or Kei then Kiku Wo motte ? ? Kanezane kin saku Any help, please?

Thanks Joe But there is no doubt in my mind, it is not gendaito, unfortunately.

Hi Joe Ueno Yoshioki is spot on, thank you; I found a match in an earlier thread here. The "interesting" or rather strange thing is there is no Seki stamp. Again, thank you.

Hello Guys I tend to buy guntos and with that, every so often I get a Gendito or older whose mei taxes me. I actually have a formula I use with the reference books I have, but this one has beaten me. Clearly shinshinto by the style, the best I can do is Kokuki Mitsuoki, but I am sure that is wrong. It is a wakizashi from a gunto (no Seki or other stamps); the blade has not been cared for but has definate Gendaito characteristics. My methodology is to go through "Modern Japanese Swordsmiths" first, to try and find the two (last) name characters; sometimes / often I get lucky, and find the maker. If that fails, I use "The Arts of the Japanese Sword" to try and identify the characters, then use nohonto smith database sites and general Google searches to try and find the smith. All this has failed in this case. Please, put me out of my misery! Cheers in advance Mark

No, I am now sure it is Yasumitsu, I suppose 3rd generation; http://nihontoclub.com/smiths/YAS849

Hello Ian Thank you very much. I can see it now, of course. I was so sure 1504 was wrong.

Thank you; you beat me to it. I originally also thought Yasumitsu (see my original post) but am now having doubts.