WWII Naval Toyokawa blade in Shirasaya

[stevennorton]

I love Japanese swords and I have tried to read up a lot on them. But I'm still a newb in some aspects as some of this is hard to understand.

 

I bought this sword at a show and would like to find out more about it. From what I can research on it, it is a WWII stainless steel machine made blade. It has the Toyokawa naval stamp on it. It also is in a Shirasaya which I believe is for a blade to be stored in. Not actually used. Even though I have to admit I think it looks really neat.

 

From what I read online I saw that most Toyokawa stamped blades aren't signed. This one is, and I tried to find a picture of a signature like this one and I could not. I was curious if someone could tell me what it means.

 

Also why would the sword be in a Shirasaya and not regular military mounts? The blade looks to have been never used so maybe it wasn't? I am curious everyone's thoughts.

 

Also the Shirasaya is coming apart on the scabbard. It's only held together with a piece of tape. Otherwise it will separate in two halves. Do I just use a little bit of wood glue and rubber clamps to glue it back together or is something more acceptable than this since it is a Japanese sword?

 

I think I am going to get a sword display stand and put this up on the mantle. I think it is very neat looking!

 

 

Steve Norton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SwordGuyJoe]

I would guess nobushige, but someone will correct me if I'm wrong. A lot of these are signed as info.

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning Steve,

 

Please don't use any modern glue, the drying residues give of fumes which may stain the blade.

 

You can make Sokui (Rice glue) by boiling Rice (Try the stuff they erroneously call "Sushi Rice").

 

1 Boil Rice

 

2 Allow to cool

 

3 Get a plain wooden spatula and mash and mix, mash and mix a small amount of Rice on a neutral surface like thick glass.

(The rice is ready when it is a uniform sticky goo without any grits or lumps).

 

4 Apply to both surfaces trying to keep away from the interior edge.

 

5 Wrap paper around the assembled Saya (minus the blade) and wrap cord around and around the Saya to hold it firm.

 

6 Go read some good Sword books until dry....

 

 

Cheers

[k morita]

Hi,

清 重 作

The signature says "Made by Kiyoshige",not Nobushige.

[stevennorton]

Great! Thanks so much guys, you have helped me a lot!

 

I am curious if anyone knows when it would have been made? I'm sure it would have been right prior to WWII or done during WWII. And does anyone have an idea on why it was put in a Shirasaya? Was that common practice during WWII? I would have thought a machine made blade would have been installed in military mounts at the factory before it was shipped or picked up. I don't really see a reason a Shirasaya was made for it at all.

[runagmc]

Shirasaya are for when the sword is not being used...

[Brian]

Unusual to find shirasaya for the more mass produced swords. Mostly for the art swords. But there are no rules to say that an owner couldn't have one made if he was fond of his sword and wanted to display it properly. No way to know for sure, but since we know it is a mass produced stainless steel blade, and has an old shirasaya...the fact is proven that someone had it done.

 

Brian

[Gabriel L]

I think I am going to get a sword display stand and put this up on the mantle. I think it is very neat looking!

 

I agree Steve, it is neat looking even if it isn't a "real" sword in the nihonto craft/art sense. I would be happy to own that particular sword... it's a unique corner of gunto history, and someone obviously liked it enough to have shirasaya made for it. Maybe that's a little quirky, but it does seem pretty well made and attractive for a "metal tsunagi." It also scratches that collector's itch to have a representation of every textbook example!

 

Congrats,

—G.