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Attention Mantetsu Owners: A Survey


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Hey Bruce, here's another, can you translate? 

Neil, good buddy, I'm getting old!  Any way you can get a more clear picture of that serial number?  Especially that kanji at the top?

 

It's obviously a Koa Isshin - Mantetsu made this; Spring 1943  Serial #  ? 304.  But there are a couple of kanji that COULD fit that image, but it's mighty blurred.

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After your sketch, Neil, I agree with "Shi" シ.  It was possible it was TSU   ツ or SO   ソ, but both of them are 1942 numbers.  And while anamolies exists, they are rare.  I'm putting this down as a Shi, unless someone puts up a good arguement for something else.

 

Thanks Neil, it's been added.

 

post-3487-0-58923700-1580996664_thumb.jpg

 

It's been 2 months since I posted the Mantetsu Study document.  In that 2 months we've added 13 serial numbers and have made several corrections to existing kanji/serial numbers after a thorough review by Thomas (thanks Thomas!!!).  So I've attached the latest version of it for those interested.

 

mantetsu serial numbers (1).pdf

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Mantetsu Yearly Serial Number Prefixes                                            

昭和丁丑 1937: Unknown.

昭和戊寅 1938: CN.

昭和己卯 1939: NVW,  イ, ロ, ハ, ニ, ホ.

昭和庚辰 1940: ホ, ヘ, , チ, リ, ヌ, ル, ヲ.

昭和辛巳 1941: ワ, カ, ヨ, タ, レ, ソ, ツ, ネ, ナ.

昭和壬午 1942: ラ, ム, ウ, ヰ, ノ, オ, ク, ヤ.

昭和癸未 1943: マ, ケ, フ, コ, エ, テ, ア, サ, キ, ユ, メ, ミ, シ, ヱ, ヒ.

昭和甲申 1944: ヒ, モ, セ, ス, (イ).

昭和乙酉 1945: .                                                                               

Purple = English letters.

Black = Katakana.

Red = Hiragana.

 

Note how similar some of the characters are to one another.  For example, ソ and ツ in 1941.

Edited by Kiipu
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  • 3 weeks later...

I didn't realize they preceded the numbers with the Iroha sequence similar to what they did with type 14 Nambus. They would stamp serial numbers up to 99,999 and change the Iroha character then start over. Maybe to keep the enemy from knowing their production figures?

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Bruce, here is another one that I just picked up. It needs the front seppa that is missing.

Tom

Tom, thanks for the blade info! Spring 1944; SE 1029.

 

I have some spare seppa. If you want to PM me your mailing address, I'll send them to you. Use what you want and send the rest back to me.

 

post-3487-0-31679400-1583093549_thumb.jpg

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Bruce, my Spring 1944, has mune stamp SE2340. Also with a Dairen Stamp. Does this mean a definite sequence of numbers of manufacture by each factory?

 

  

+1,I would like to know that as well, my two: セ 1066 & 2575.

Well, maybe you guys can help me figure this out, because just looking at the '44 Se line, it's mixed. I don't now what it means. If you have any thoughts, I'm all ears. The green highlights are "Nan" stamp and the blue are "Ren".

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The green highlights are "Nan" stamp and the blue are "Ren".

 

I think Bruce is testing me!  "Green" is 連 and "Blue" is unknown.

Stamped on  the reverse side with 連: セ 一〇二九, セ 一〇六六, セ 一一四三, セ 一三一〇.

Stamped on the obverse side with 連工: セ 二四三〇 and セ 二五七五.

 

 

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I think Bruce is testing me!  "Green" is 連 and "Blue" is unknown.

Stamped on  the reverse side with 連: セ 一〇二九, セ 一〇六六, セ 一一四三, セ 一三一〇.

Stamped on the obverse side with 連工: セ 二四三〇 and セ 二五七五.

Ok, "Grasshoppahh" you snathced the rock! You are free to wander the desert southwest of the mid-1800's USA@!

 

Oy vey! I guess I had been sampling the Nikka Whiskey when I posted that!

 

Soooo... yes considering the "unknowns" MAY be Ren-stamped blades as well, then I suspect these blades were all made in sequence by the same factory.

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Thought I would put up a few pics of my Winter 1938 Mantetsu, Bruce already has the numbers. I guess this is fully Chinese made due to the uncommon Manchurian Railway stamp. This is an early made example. Has very visible hada, and nice Hamon. 

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昭和壬午秋 ヤ 七三六

http://ohmura-study.net/712.html

 

And now four 1942 dated Mantetsu 興亜一心 blades stamped with an M partial inspection stamp along with a 東 stamped kabutogane is known.  The latest one is also stamped with the symbols for 東京第一陸軍造兵廠 [Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal] and 株式會社中野商店 [KK Nakano Shōten] on the other side of the kabuogane as well! See list below.

1. 昭和壬午春 ウ   二〇

2. 昭和壬午春 ノ  四三〇

3. 昭和壬午春 ヤ  七三六

4. 昭和壬午春 ヤ 一〇四八

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Edited by Kiipu
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