Maker Mark Question Shin Gunto

[Kwakernaak]

Hi Gents,

 

I recently purchased this shin Gunto. It shows its age, and the blade has some graying, but still sharp as a razor. Also a very nice hamoon which is difficult to capture on camera.

I just started collecting so I am trying to learn as fast as I can. I thought I would be able to find some reference in the sword smith book of John Slough, but I cannot make head nor tales of this signature. I recognize some letters, but that is where it stops. I asked a Japanese friend to look at it, but she was not able to read it as she said this is an old style text??? Inside of the leather cover it is marked Tanigawa..this is likely to be the original owner.

 

Can anybody help me identify the maker? Must be one of the showa makers..

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Peter Jan Kwakernaak

[Stephen]

maybe a Nobumitsu?

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/nobumit4.jpg

[SteveM]

濃州関住福田祐光

 

Nōshū Seki-jū Fukuda Sukemitsu

 

Not so much an old style of text, but a bit cryptic if you are unused to sword signatures. The 州 is written as three katanas (刀) which is a stylistic variation. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Peter,

 

The small stamp near the tsuba (handguard) is the "Showa" stamp. Controversy still exists as to it's meaning, but the general consensus is it was put on mass produced military swords that were not made in the traditional manner. It depends upon the blade, though, as there are examples of swords with the stamp that were papered at Shinsa as traditional.