Undated gendaito

[w.y.chan]

Hi All,

Can anyone elaborate why some early gendaitos particularly pre WW2 ones has no dates?

Some of these blades are really good quality sometime just a simple two character mei. Are these stock blades the smith kept aside ready made and when an order comes in they add the rest in?

[cabowen]

There can be many reasons:

 

Many of these early 20th century blades were made for the military and usually smiths were paid by the blade. Cutting a mei takes time. Time that could be spent making the next blade.

 

Some blades might not have been up to the smith's standards and went out unsigned.

 

Some smiths have rather large piles of uncompleted blades in their shop when they die or retire and these can reach the market unsigned.

 

Sometimes blades were ordered unsigned so that fake names could be added.

[w.y.chan]

Thanks Chris.

I was curios why some pre WW2 swords even though were high quality by the smith's own standard were signed but without date or other "fanfare" inscriptions usually associated with it being special. In WW2 even machine made gunto has dates and occassionally extra inscriptions added for something slightly special. It almost feels as though the smith had them signed but left spaces for something else to add when the sword get sold to the new owner.

[cabowen]

See my first explanation above....

[takakage]

I have read that some unsigned blades of hokke saburo nobufusa were found in a wharehouse....

[SwordGuyJoe]

That is correct