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Found 22 results

  1. From what I have understood, Amahide(天秀), whose civilian name was Fukumoto Hideyoshi (福本秀吉), had a workshop or factory where several gunsmiths were at work so that there is little chance that this blade, although signed with his name, was by his hand. I would say this sword exhibits typical Showa-to characteristics save for the mon which was affixed to its tsuka and the rather elaborate sarute. One of the eight seppa is missing and the saya was rather badly damaged at some point. The Seki stamp is clearly visible, so there is no doubt this is not a gendai-to. I would tend to think the ito is not the WW2 original one but would need the opinion of the more knowledgeable forum members to confirm that. Other than that, I would be interested to know whether the number (?) painted in yellow on the nakago does tally with the numbered parts of the koshirae. My first impression is that it doesn't, so maybe the koshirae is not quite original to the blade.
  2. Considering parting ways with my showato. It is immaculately well polished and has an impressively deep sori (~1.7cm) for its relatively short 64.4cm nagasa. The gunome midare hamon is prominent and has many ashi. The nakago is unmarked and the sword is in shirasaya with a copper habaki. I am considering parting with it simply to clear space in my collection and humbly offer this as an inexpensive entry point to the study and collection of Japanese swords. Though showato are not considered nihonto proper, they are Japanese swords in the literal sense and, I feel, an excellent “jumping off point” to begin one’s sword journey. The sword was purchased from Aoi Art and will ship in its sword bag with an Aoi Art estimation paper and a whole oshigata. Asking 1200 USD shipped in the US, price is negotiable. Including the oshigata and full scan image here, with photos by me to come below.
  3. Hello all! first post. I’ve been hanging out on a few Facebook pages for Nihonto and get great advice. Ray singer has been particularly helpful. Recently, I’ve gotten a interesting sword from a local to me auction. I’ve gotten opinions of everything from 1500s to oil quenched showato. I’m happy with whatever it is but being a newbie… I’m trying to understand what I have. I bought several books from Martin sesko but I’m still learning. There are no stamps anywhere on the blade whatsoever. Like I said you may have seen this on FB, but I’m posting here in hopes the images upload in higher quality. Thank you for your time.
  4. Could someone please help me with more info on this sword
  5. Hello all! I just purchased my 1st Type 3 "Late War" Officers Shin Gunto for my personal collection. This is a pretty nice piece. It was claimed to be "unmolested" and "as found", after receiving it I believe it. It had the original mekugi in it that I'm 99.9% confident had never been removed since the swords assembly. So after removing them and inspecting the tang I was greeted by a nice surprise of kangi (both sides) and arsenal stamps. So I've been trying to decipher the markings and I could use some help. I think I might be close on the date but the "math" doesn't add up, so I'm not understanding something correctly. On the other side of the tang I have not been able to translate the markings. It has two Gifu-in-sakura stamps and a painted serial number ( 396...if I translated correctly). I believe the date to say Showa 20th year, 5th month...but the 20th year of showa would be 1946 and that's after the war so I'm guessing I'm missing something. Thank you!
  6. It's a small blade just under 24 inches. Appears to be monosteel, basic gunome hamon (likely oil heat treated), can't find a stamp except a small black dot at the bottom of the nakago, which might not mean anything. Can't find any numbers on the fittings either, if that matters. Has two hangers and a stingray skin saya. There is some kind of writing on the nakago. I want to learn more about it. I'm looking to hear what others have to say.
  7. I have enough RS (type 3) mounts to compare subtle differences in the casting of the hangers. Pictured are a number of varieties, some with subtle differences, that have come from different molds. There are some obvious differences in the up-market varieties, even then, there are differences in detail.
  8. Pardon me in advance for not knowing the terminology as of yet. My Mother cleaning out my Fathers items since passing away. He had this stashed in the gun cabinet; apparently this was from a great uncle (of mine) who was in the Pacific theater. Do not know the dates. I am fairly confident this is a stamped showato, but any more information would be appreciated. IMG_6024.HEIC IMG_6025.HEIC
  9. Hi, Can someone identify the first kanji in this MEI please? It is dated 1944. HAMON is TOGARI. Polish is NOT high quality, but is in good condition. Full disclosure: It is going up for auction soon. Thanks in advance, Pete
  10. ChrisW

    Unknown Gunto

    Hey guys! Been a while since I posted any new finds of mine, I have quite a few that are sitting on my back-catalogue of things to post! I will get to them all eventually... Anyways, today's item that I am putting out there for opinions and discussion is my most recent acquisition. I picked it up from a certain auction site from a seller who was selling a memento of his father's time in the service. His father was in the USAAF (airforce) and was a crew member aboard a B25 and he picked this thing up sometime during the war. Upon return, he did not talk about his time in the service nor did he specifically mention where/when he obtained this blade. It is in fairly solid shape and besides the mekugi-pin and one of the tassels on the portopee is entirely intact. What drew me to this blade is its rather interesting hamon style which is reminiscent of older swords and the pierced tsuba (indicative of earlier war models). This blade however appears to be very much WWII due to the lack of oxidation on the nakago. Its measurements are: Overall length 36 3/4". Nagasa is 27". My asks are as follows: What smith made this blade? Is this a gendaito or showato? I couldn't find any seki or other stamping upon it, just the two kanji. The nagako is also SUPER bright in the seller's photos, I will try to get a true-color picture of it in daylight. What style is this blade's hamon trying to imitate? I picked this up for $600. I wonder how well I did? Thanks guys! P.S. The photos in blue are the sellers, the crappy ones are mine.
  11. Greetings. This will be my first actual post on NMB other than replying in some threads. Here goes. In 2016, I purchased my first "Nihonto". I put the word "Nihonto" in quotes because the mei on my sword bears the name of a smith held in low regard (at least it would seem so from other posts on NMB), Hattori Masahiro. From what I know of this smith, he mostly produced WWII Gunto/Showato during WWII. That said, he also produced medium grade Gendaito, presumably (by me) mostly pre-war. I've only found limited information on Hattori Masahiro, and cannot find an example of his mei that is executed as it appears on my sword, although this one is very close, the third character from the top appears differently, and I'm no expert. At the time I purchased my sword, I had no reason to doubt I was purchasing a traditionally made Gendaito. I purchased the sword from a Japanese sword shop, and it shipped from Japan. I communicated with the vendor via phone and email. I did ask if this sword was traditionally made and if Tamahagane was used (rather than imported steel). I was told it was Tamahagane and traditionally made. Here is a link to the archived listing of the sword I purchased. Although I have no reason to doubt it's traditionally made, the hada is very fine and difficult to see unless viewed very close under led lighting. I would expect the grain to be more "loose" if Tamahagane was used (see the attached hada photo to see what I mean). I know I have no art sword. I only care about the form, construction, and to know if it is a Nihonto/Gendaito. I only question this because of the repeated references to other swords made by Hattori Masahiro that look similar to mine as being "Showato" regardless whether they were traditionally made (Gendaito) or produced for the war. I understand that Showato or Gendaito literally have no bearing on a sword's method of construction, but as they are used among collectors, "Showato" is used to denote modern swords that are not traditionally made. In that context is how I would welcome any opinions on whether my Masahiro is "Showato" or "Gendaito". I also welcome any opinions regarding my Masahiro's construction (Tamahagane or imported steel), the era the sword was made, pre-war, wartime, or post-war. Thanks for taking the time to look. -Jason Edit: In case it helps, I have some more pics from the seller that aren't archived. I made sure to download all pics at time of purchase. I believe the Tsuba and Habaki depicted are original. Obviously all the remaining Koshirae are newly produced. I also found another phone pic showing the full blade, although I doubt it shows any detail that hasn't already been shown. Edit2: Added attached image of original vendor data that is not shown in archived link.
  12. Rei Sinn

    Unique

    I apologize if I'm posting this in the wrong forum section. I was wondering what this is and particularly what the age of the sword is. There are two distinct types of temper lines on the blade, which seem unusual to me. The nagasa measures 26 inches and the length 34 inches. Thanks guys!
  13. Here is my very first Japanese sword : a gunto made by Toshimasa (a Seki swordsmith) in 1940. I bought it from another NMB member, so the sword, although never shown in its entirety, has already been documented to some extent on here. The company grade tassel is a personal addition to the sword, as it came with an NCO leather tassel (most likely a Chinese copy) when I received it. The tsuka-ito shows signs of intensive use and wear and is partly frayed. The kabuto-gane is deprived of the usual cherry blossoms and leaves decoration - a cheaper model? The tsuba is not of the usual army type either.
  14. Hi all, I am getting back to my first love, WWII Japanese swords. I already have two semi-traditionally mage officers Gunto's. My question is what would a nice quality (Showa) Gendaito in type 1 or two gunto mounts run (low to reasonably high quality, not associated with a famous person..just a nicely well taken care of gendai?) Here are a couple of pics of showa semi-traditiopnally made guntos, but now I need a gandaito!
  15. Is there any conclusive document or knowledge available about this period of Arsenal blades commonly seen in combat versions of Kyu Gunto and other swords of this period? The only information I have found is on Murata-To, but the scope of that process is unknown as they are usually associated with the Kogasa-Maru style blades or signed blades made by General Murata himself. I ask because some of these blades are a step above what we normally see in arsenal blades made during WW2, the one I have could be mistaken for Nihonto until looked at closely. The sword is tempered with etched hamon and NOT a parade style blade. I have seen a few other examples with similar quality and pattern blades so I wonder if other members here have Kyu Gunto with these Arsenal blades and have any further information at hand. One detail I have noted is very similar Horimono on all of these blades. Here's an almost identical blade but clearly handmade with real hamon: http://www.artswords.com/a_nice_katana_mounted_in_Imperial_Japanese_kyu_Gunto_Mounts_042508.htm
  16. Hi all I've just found this forum and it's excellent, so I thought I'd just introduce myself and say hello from Scotland, the actual place where the sun don't shine. I'm a middle aged guy from Glasgow with a general interest in history and culture - visiting Japan for the first time later this year, which has been a long held ambition of mine. A few years ago, I inherited a Japanese military sword from my late father who served in India, Burma and Malaya during WW2. It has been kept in various cupboards for pretty much the last 70 years and I thought it was about high time that I started to do some research on it. From the research I've been doing online, it looks every inch to be a shin gunto, but I was just wondering if anyone would be able to tell how and maybe even where it was made, e.g. machine made, or partially hand forged, etc. It's got a hamon, but not much evidence of hada and stamps on each side of the tang, although they're pretty difficult to make out. I've posted a few pics here (sorry about the quality). If anyone would be happy to take a look, that would be brilliant. Thanks and all the best Jim
  17. Hello all, Just a short one, I'm looking at this sword in the next few days & it will be in hand for better pics to be posted soon. In advance, I'll apologize for these pics, they've all i got so far untill i get to it. Please if anyone has any comments or suggestions on it Thanks ps.The Tsuka Has not been ever removed Cheers Mark
  18. Hi All, I have been asked to carve a Bokuto from a war capture sword. This sword was obtained directly from the returned soldier who obtained it, so I believe it is genuine. I think it is by Ido Hidetoshi, who worked out of Seki Before and into WW2. It has an interesting shape, and is between a Wakisashi and Katana in length, but perhaps with the shape of a Katate Uchi(?). From the various Bokuto I have carved from it in Australian hardwoods, it handles and feels balanced as a one haded sword I will post initial pics, if more are required (perhaps the full tang?) forgive me, I will take and post them as soon as possible. All the best, and thanks in advance, Stu Smith
  19. Hello all, Can someone or anyone please tell me a little about this addition 2 b!? Problem is that all i have is his description/photos of sword thats it. It's in transit at the moment. and I'll post better when in hand.ta
  20. All, It dawned on me, since the Japanese Sword Index is now maintained by the NMB, that we could now expand/update the oshigata database to include more examples of existing smiths as well as add some that are missing. This site was vital for me as a new collector, when I had a rather paltry book collection - mainly Slough's, and I still occasionally visit it when trying to help newer members here quickly/when mobile. I think it would be excellent if we could update this site and that it would be beneficial not just for us, but for others in the community that are looking for information on Showa era smiths. Is there any support or willingness to take on this update? I would be happy to assist in anyway possible.
  21. Hello Gents, I have recently been looking at Koshirae in more detail and have come across a few Tsuka where Samegawa has not been used, they all just happen to be in Gunto mounts. The first couple of pics could either be low quality same or another material, The second pic comes from a Amahide blade on the UK to-ken society sword register. Finally the last couple of pics come from a Tsuka currently for sale on Ebay. What is the material used, it is described as doe skin or leather? and is it only used on Gunto, maybe because of a war time material shortage? Does anyone else have examples of this to share? Regards, Adam
  22. After some consideration and a large amount of emails/phone calls regarding my participation on here it has become apparent that a little perspective on my thoughts of the future of Nihonto as an art form (shinsakuto) and what I feel may seriously affect its continued survival especially outside of Japan. Disclaimer: this is just an opinion based on my observations so chances are some might disagree. Working outside of Japan as a craftsman means that I see more oddities and questionable swords on a regular basis than most, some are obviously not Nihonto and some just leave us stumped. While it would be ideal to just see true quality Nihonto all the time the truth is outside of Japan it isnt always going to be likely . Instead I on a daily basis get emails with very unresearched questions and often aggressive attitudes with pictures of all sorts. . . I have also learnt that there are no definites only educated guesses. . . not every odd looking blade is a "chinese fake"! So by default I can now recognise the fakes etc relatively easy but no I dont know much on the paul chen, hanwei or what ever brand of who made what, when etc. . . . just not my thing I am however seeing some impressive fakes and they are only going to get better. . . and I would prefer to be on the top of the game. Now if you collect Koto blades chances are you are not going to have to worry to much about said issue but Gendai or even shinshinto then could be an issue as for shinsakuto . . most definately It seems (going by memory of past threads) that this topic stirs a lot of emotions and the kind gentle folk sometimes become obnoxious bakemono . The problem is real and it is not going away so without civil discussion and shared information it will continue its cancerous spread through the gates of ignorance (i should stop watching "the Tick"). I like many others like quality shinsakuto (maybe its all those years bladesmithing) they, if nurtured will one day become historical art pieces. . . I for one would hope that I have facilitated in that journey during my time in this hobby. Just some thoughts to ponder so please be nice. . I have the Flu Kam One of my favourite Shinsakuto. . probably the best example from Hidehisa
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