nightkid

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. It turns out the Navy-marked dagger I found is a Meiji period piece. I apologize for not including enough photos earlier to show you the details properly.

I apologize for the late response. First of all, thank you for sharing such valuable materials. Looking at the photos provided by others above, I wondered if the lack of mark quality was due to a different production line or simply a lack of engraving skill. However, after seeing the General’s sword you shared, I realize that the quality of the mark and the level of craftsmanship should be viewed separately. I am also considering whether the mark on the Meiji-era tsuba I brought was engraved so clearly because it was produced in collaboration with a naval arsenal. Additionally, it was great to see the history and evolution of Suya Shoten. Thank you for your help.

Thank you, sir. The Chinese mark you mentioned is very interesting. The depth and style of the strike seem very similar to the crude mark I found. It could be a significant clue.

I found this photo of a Suya Shoten mark on the Warrelics forum. (If there is any issue with using a photo from another site, please let me know and I will delete it. I apologize in advance.) I’m trying to understand a specific situation. This picture shows a crude, low-quality mark on a high-quality naval dirk. In my opinion, the dirk is a high-end piece because it features a sharkskin saya and elaborate carvings. However, I have also seen the Suya Shoten mark in great quality on high-end Meiji 1st style naval dirks. Why is this phenomenon happening? Is it possible that Suya Shoten had many different factory lines and didn’t manage the quality of the markings across all of them equally? Or was there a specific reason for this change in marking quality over time?

thank you sir. that seppa has number 17 and the tsuba also has same stroke star stamp and number 17 and katakana マ and ホ. i think katakana can be inspection stamps. i really excited to your picture whick has numbering 18. thank you for sharing your knowledge.

hello sir! thank you for answering! i saw this gunto seppa and this one has star stamp on it. i look around stamp dicuss forum but i still can't find any information but this writing may be the answer. so this can be made by heijo arsenal? i really appreciate your answer.

is there any possibility that these stamps can marked on type 98 gunto's tsuba and seppa?

i found that my gunto's all seppa and tsuba engraved 'オセ'. i hope to find information about this and it can help to make archive. thank you and have a nice day.