DaveM4P99

Thanks Mark! Here is the thread - page 4 for before and after pics. Page 1 for the blade's WWII capture history. Really cool story in my opinion. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8968&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45 Dave

Thanks for all your help Chris...I am glad I am finding out more regarding the smith. Very interesting! -Dave

Wow thanks for the insight Chris!!! Yes I saw the style of that Sandai mei, and it looks spot on to mine. Also - I found the blade that belongs to the photo of the "Sandai" mei you posted above... http://www.samurai-gallary.com/z001.htm The blade even LOOKS just like mine, in shape/geometry (I think), and hamon style is the same, maybe even Hada, but I can't tell... HOW do you know 3rd gen died young and left few works??? Just from Fujishiro? Does the fact that 3rd gen Ujishige (Sandai) died young and made few blades make them more valuable? I see he was a Chujosaku...above average smith? The one on the page above is selling for 1.9million Yen...$24,000 Can that be right???????????????????????????????

Well I am no expert, but your's looks like a WWII blade as well.

You are going to try to return the sword to its original Japanese owner??? May I ask, why? Most mei signatures don't tell who owned the blade...only who MADE the blade. I would love to find out more about the Japanese officer who owned my blade when it was captured from him...and how long it was in his family (it's an old blade)... But I think finding that info is close to impossible.

So...here is what I could find regarding Fujishiro pg. 203: I assume there is a photo (Plate I) with a mei matching mine exactly on that page in Fujishiro? Anywhere I could find it for comparison? NY Public Library maybe?

Here is the website I found the blade on in case anyone is wondering...THIRD blade down: http://www.japanszwaard.nl/uk/zwaarden-consignatie.html Hmmm...So whoever made this blade, almost definitely made mine. But we still don't know which generation made either of them... Member "mdiddy" said a while ago that he thought it was 3rd generation Ujishige... So according to his source, my mei looks like the one on pg. 203 of Fujishiro...and that smith worked around 1780...

Hi all...so I think I found an exact Mei match to the blade I own... Banshu Tegarayama Fujiwara Ujishige. My blade's nakago is on the left, the one I found online with NBTHK papers is on the right, for easier comparison: The blade's NBTKH papers...Can anyone tell me what it says, and if my blade was made by the same smith?? THANKS! Research is fun, even if I don't know what I am really doing. :D

OR...It could even be made by this Ujishige...the mei matches exactly to my blade...EXACTLY Third one down on this page: http://www.japanszwaard.nl/uk/zwaarden-consignatie.html Same exact mei..."Banshu Tegarayama Fujiwara Ujishige" But this blades papers put its date around the LATE 1600s! I am confused.

OK according to this geneology chart: http://books.google.com/books?id=cH-8BYsgGgIC&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=tegarayama+ujishige&source=bl&ots=l4RMCbQ0p5&sig=Fo2GNSjfsCc5Hee_3Ay492k87mo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SW8hT5jaEIHi0gGO8tTICA&sqi=2&ved=0CHgQ6AEwCQ#... 4th generation Ujishige and the noted/famous smith Masashige were the same person, he just changed his name...but signed Ujishige early in his career. So my blade COULD be made by Masashige, when he was signing Ujishige, and could be worth quite a bit of money, no?...BUT, the hamon of my blade is not his style...if that matters...and mdiddy says the mei style is different too... So if it is indeed 3rd generation Tegaryama Ujishige...then that geneology chart says that 3rd generation was active around 1716-1736...BUT then the chart goes right to 4th generation in the late 1700s/early 1800s...looks like the dates are wrong...too long of a time period between 3rd and 4th generations, no? NOW this link: http://books.google.com/books?id=zPyswmGDBFkC&pg=PA290&dq=tegarayama+ujishige&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Q3EhT6HjJaTw0gGW0N3cCA&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=tegarayama%20ujishige&f=false says that 3rd gen Ujishige was the ELDER brother of Masashige...WHICH MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE date wise... And this link: http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/M998_T5920_PUP_E.htm says that 4th gen Ujishige was the NEPHEW of Masashige...I DON'T think that can be right...so disregard that I think. Then again, this link: http://nihontoclub.com/smiths/UJI164 has 3rd gen as early 1700s... But the same nihonto club site...this link has 3rd gen Ujishige as LATE 1700s...http://nihontoclub.com/smiths/UJI171 So who the hell do I have here? haha. When did 3rd gen Ujishige work???

So...there are two swords I found for comparison in my first post... And doing more research on the Tegarayama Ujishige smiths... member "mdiddy" gave this insight: So he says 3rd gen Ujishige (according to his source, was in Harima around 1780)...so 3rd gen Ujishige...not 4th gen, since 4th gen Ujishige became Masashige, and had a different mei style...OK understood... And in this book, it says that 3rd gen Ujishige was actually Masashige's older brother: http://books.google.com/books?id=zPyswmGDBFkC&pg=PA290&dq=tegarayama+ujishige&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oc4PT4fOEoPY0QGe4qSLAw&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=tegarayama%20ujishige&f=false However, this source says that 3rd gen Ujishige was the FATHER, no? And he worked around 1716-1736. Source: Genealogies and Schools of Japanese Swordsmiths: Mit Deutscher Einleitung http://books.google.com/books?id=cH-8BYsgGgIC&pg=PA111&dq=tegarayama+ujishige&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xc0PT4eSHOn40gHqsdm5Aw&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=tegarayama%20ujishige&f=false So THAT geneology chart shows "Ujishige 3" as the FATHER of both younger Ujishiges...and "Ujishige 4" (supposedly the eldest son) as working around 1789-1801...so it looks like HE was the older brother of Masashige, no? According to that geneology chart? So any thoughts? Who was the real 3rd gen Ujishige? Early 1700s smith and the father of Masashige and Ujishige 4?? Or late 1700s/early 1800s smith and the older BROTHER of Masashige who worked around the same time? Or am I missing something? Thanks! Dave

Thanks chris! Yes the translation I got a while ago was banshu tegarayama fujiwara ujishige. But what generation? I am seeing a few..and some conflicting dates for the generations I have researched. Any help appreciated. Dave

Hi all. I have some questions regarding the translation of this mei... Here is a photo of the nakago/mei... A photo of the whole blade, so you can see the shape/geometry And check out these links...similar mei, and this one looks like an EXACT match: http://www.japanszwaard.nl/zc3.html Third one down: http://www.japanszwaard.nl/uk/zwaarden-consignatie.html And this one has a VERY similar mei as well...and is selling for 1.9 million yen?!?!? The hamon, hada, and general shape/style of the blade (to my untrained eye) look very similar to mine, no? : http://www.samurai-gallary.com/z001.htm Can anyone tell me what smith made mine? I am having trouble finding info about him...how accomplished he was...his main years of activity...etc. Thanks! Dave

Thanks for the link! So $75 on that site...the ebay listing is less. Plus the ebay ones look a little more "worn" and may fit the look my old WWII fittings a little better. What do you think? -Dave

Hi All...Where is a good place to buy WWII era shin gunto style Menukis? I am looking to have my Wakizashi remounted from the ground up...I have all the fittings, except 2 Menuki. Like these... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Original-Japanese-Sword-Katana-Gunto-Menuki-Copper-/140676956309?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c1000095 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sword-Shin-Gunto-Type-94-Tsuka-Menuki-/280807182308?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4161698fe4 Or are those links above good examples that I should look into buying? Thanks! -Dave

Thanks Louis! Glad the restoration is appreciated by some! I will post more pics when I get the Tsuka rebuilt completely in my existing shin-gunto WWII style mounts! Sounds like you Canucks up North are getting quite the storms! I am from Upstate NY (Rochester area) and am in NYC pretty often for work as well...not much snow in Rochester, and none in NYC. We get our fair share of blizzards in upstate NY, but nothing compared to you guys who are practically on the north pole! Keep warm!

Haha I never thought about that chris...what if tegarayama ujishige was a complete ass? Might change my thoughts on the blade. Haha. Anyway...thanks all. And either way, the blade will be well taken care of for at least the next few generations. At least.

Awesome thanks! Nice pics. I love the style of tsuka and fittings.

Thanks Brian...I think that sums up both sides of the argument nicely. I mean, if this was a $15,000 blade made by some highly ranked smith, I would have definitely looked into spending the money for a "certified" polisher...but for this particular case of preservation, I think I did just fine...and I think it came out quite well. As always, I look forward to any other comments, and appreciate all of the info.

Wow that is an old blade, no? I'd love to see pictures.

Interesting! Thanks for the info!

Interesting info on the tiny scratches that can be left after polish. I'd like to see photo examples of a blade that doesn't have those horizontal scratches when seen under a bright flash (but not too bright of a flash that over-exposes the area). Thanks for the comments all.

Can anyone read Sanskrit to confirm that this is the same blade??

Curran - Sorry about that...I figured that since my username had my real name in it, that it didn't matter! Haha. I do have an apartment in NYC, in the Murray Hill area (20s on 3rd avenue) but have a house upstate as well. But - I will be in NYC that entire week/weekend. Anyway, YES I would love to come to the Jan 22nd NYC meeting! Can you give me the time and location?? I am keeping the blade VERY well protected, since I have no shirasaya. Should I bring it to the club meeting? Wrapped up and safe ofcourse. I am a NYC gun owner, so I could wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in one of my many gun cases for safe travel. I would definitely be interested in your thoughts on my newly polished blade...fittings etc. Look forward to meeting on Sunday if I can make it! -Dave P.

The UK needs to lighten up on gun control and sword/knife control. It does nothing to prevent violent crime. I remember reading an article from the UK about how some guy found a single .22 caliber shell on the ground outside his london building...and it shut down the entire block for a few hours whole the police and bomb squad cleared the area and searched for more "dangerous" materials. If they ever saw my ammo or weapons/gun collection, they would crap themselves. Glad I live in a free country. Anyway, If I ever buy another blade, I will check this Aoi place first!