Hand Forged Katana? Mayegawa Or Maegawa Kanetsugu?

[brechindave]

Hello, I wondered what people thought of this sword. Is it hand forged? Is there hada? Is the hamon water tempered? I think I see nie, but I'm a novice. Have I got the tang translation correct?

 

Seeing as finding out anything concrete about the swordsmith is difficult, I was curious how people would rate the sword itself. Hard to do using my limited pictures, I know.

 

Tang:  Seki ju Mayegawa Kanetsugu saku kore

Tang: Seki Arsenal stamp

 

Or Maegawa Kanetsugu?

 

Any ideas what the paint on the tang is?

 

I found this online, but don't have the book to check further: Kanetsugu kan 2726/2727? 

 

Kan 2714 seems to be imai kanetsugu, who I assume is a different swordsmith, his signature looks different in Slough p71.

 

imai kanetsugu  - Hawley Kan 2714 and Toko Taikan p.95, Slough P.71

 

I found a source that says there's information on Mayegawa Kanetsugu in "A Guide to Showa Swordsmiths" by Fuller & Gregory - oshigata numbers 35 & 36. Could anyone send me a copy of these pages?

 

I found the following information. Does anyone have these books to check the leads further? (I've ordered Kapp and Yoshihara's).

 

"There are not many KANETSUGU listed in Fuller & Gregory's index though. Mayegawa KANETSUGU is shown working from 1940 through to 1945, so encompassing the period. Other Kanetsugu's listed use a different kanji for "Tsugu", so I discount them.

In "Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths, From 1868 to the Present", (2002) Kapp & Yoshihara, p212 & 213, they list 209 smiths working in Seki in 1944. Only two KANETSUGU of which only one has the correct second kanji."

 

"Finally, in "An oshigata book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868-1945" (2001) John Slough, p71, he shows a star stamped gendaito by Imai KANETSUGU (correct kanji), which got me thinking. It is dated 1944 AND dated January (ichi gatsu) like Maux's sword. Further challenging the dating myth! I am not convinced it's the same smith, but I'll add it to the mix. He was a Rikugun Jumai Tosho, so unlikely to have produced a Showato (non traditional sword). 

However, the most interesting thing I found as a footnote in Slough's book on the page concerning Imai KANETSUGU was the following snippet, "Some Showa period swords with the mei KANETSUGU were in fact signed by Kiribuchi Kanetomo". 

Further research needed!"

 

 

[Brian]

Well, with the Seki stamp, you already know it's a Showato. It's oil quenched and acid enhanced.

[brechindave]

I thought that hand forged blades made with foreign steel were also stamped.

[Geraint]

Hi Dave(?)

 

I'll leave the stamp question for others but a couple of things that might help.  First have a look here, http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/nihonto.htm In the right hand side of the page you will find extensive indexes which might help.

 

It's easy to start seeing things in a hamon like this but comparing it to traditional blades is usually revealing.  Have a look at the oshigata and photographs of this one,http://www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2015/15946-2.jpg

 

If you look inside the hadori and compare with the oshigata you should start seeing nie, they are visible to the naked eye as discrete particles.   On a sword in polish if you have to start struggling to see them then chances are they are not there.  Your sword is a nice example of what it is but Brian immediately identified the hamon and it is pretty typical for Showato.  

 

Hope this helps.

 

All the best

[Bruce Pennington]

From Kapp & Yoshihara, "Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths", "The Japanese military authorities became concerned about the difficulty of distinguishing between traditional swords and Showa-to, and decided in 1937 that all non-tamahagane blades were to be stamped on their tangs to indicate that they were not traditional blades. This was fully implemented in 1940."

and

From Fuller & Gregory, "Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks," "Neither the 'Sho' or 'Seki' stamps indicate the method of blade manufacture, only that they are not tamahagane gendaito."

 

So this blade may have been handmade, just not using tamahagane.

[brechindave]

I'd just like to thank everyone for their contributions. I'll accept it's an oil tempered blade.