Looking for more information about this sword

[Inakamerika]

Hi everyone, first post. My friend has this sword and asked me to find out some info on it since I can speak Japanese and read the mei on it.

I already have images hosted here, since some are quite large.

 

So far I have been able to figure out this info, thanks to people on other sites who know more about swords than I do:

 

(February 1944) Omote (front): 正則 Masanori

 

Ura (back): 昭和十九年十一月 Shōwa jūkyūnen jūichigatsu (Shōwa 19th year, 11th month = November 1944).

If there is a small cherry blossom stamp with "sho" in the center, it is a Showa stamp and is definitely an arsenal sword. If there is a Seki stamp 関 , then it it's from the Seki arsenal in Gifu, and may be gendaito, but is very likely still an arsenal made sword. Can't see either of them from the images, but the presence or lack of any stamp doesn't confirm or deny anything of real merit

Can't seem to find a sakura or a Seki stamp.

 

is the 二九八 on the Tsuba just a note for fitting/serial number? Also can anyone comment on the (AFAIK) unique woven scabbard covering (possibly rattan?). I'm in OR, where would be a good place to take this for more IRL info?

[cisco-san]

Hi,

 

This is probably your smith (from Markus book):

Masanori (正則), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – „Masanori“ (正則), civilian name „Noro Eikichi“ (野呂栄吉), born January 10th 1926, he worked as guntō smith