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Attention Mantetsu Owners: A Survey


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It could even be NU ヌ452, or 421. 

I have a ヌ433 on file, but no photos.  When I first started recording numbers, I kept them in a spiral notebook, no photos.  So it's even possible this is one I saw online and thought it was 433.  It's a 1940 number, but we'd sure appreciate pics of the mei and date too.  Standing by for any updated photos of that number.

 

Thanks @Stephen!

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  • 1 month later...
15 hours ago, Kiipu said:

南 did not start making a nakago appearance until the following 32nd フ series.

Good observation Thomas!  I had one listed in the chart, MA 538, as NAN-stamped, but after checking the files, I don't see it.  There is an odd stamp below the serial number that I must have mistaken for a NAN:

 

SC0065.3.JPG.3b1468712b1a38aceafbd313d0b00846.JPG

This one also has a very tiny star above the mei, which is quite peculiar:

SC0065.2.JPG.12b32393d2bc6099bb4abd1407a0e72f.JPG970280940_Screenshot2022-06-11063149.thumb.jpg.06a137d8f514064973b8e218d27636b5.jpg

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On 6/11/2022 at 8:30 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Good observation Thomas!  I had one listed in the chart, MA 538, as NAN-stamped, but after checking the files, I don't see it.  There is an odd stamp below the serial number that I must have mistaken for a NAN:

 

SC0065.3.JPG.3b1468712b1a38aceafbd313d0b00846.JPG

This one also has a very tiny star above the mei, which is quite peculiar:

 

Bruce

I know it's probably not, but the mark under the numbers is kind of like a 菅 inspection mark on some of Kokura Arsenal-made Type 30 bayonets.

 

WechatIMG4535.jpeg

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1 hour ago, matthewbrice said:

I have listed a rare Late War mounts Mantetsu.

Thanks Matt!  Looks like I have that one on file from a previous owner, but I appreciate the heads-up.

 

For anyone looking for something unique, I have over 300 Mantetsu on file, now, and only 6 of them are in this SMR Rinji-styled fittings.  I'd call that 'rare.' 

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On 6/10/2022 at 9:01 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Thanks John, didn't have that one! Interesting there is no "NAN" stamp.  Although, these can be struck lightly and hard to see.

 

Can someone quote the comment by the "W" stamp?  Just curious what they were saying here:

316686524_Screenshot2022-06-10065839.thumb.jpg.52b20b2a622dced945bb45cb7d895bdd.jpg

@Bruce Pennington Not sure if anyone answered your question on this. There is a tiny "W" in the polishers stripes, near the mune in the shinogi-ji. Can't say I've seen the W in that location before.

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/12/2019 at 8:46 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

 

 

post-3487-0-25177100-1568292373_thumb.jpg

Bruce
Found this 興南彩券(Konan Lottery Ticket)issued by Japanese Occupation Malaya(馬來軍政部 Malai Military Administration Department), sold between 1942-1945.   興南should be contraction of 振興南洋 Revitalize Nanyang region(Southeast Asia, including Malaya, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, etc).
It seems it's a part of the 興南一誠 movement.

 

興南彩券 a.jpg

興南彩券 b.jpg

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Hi, all!
 

Here is my contribution to this most informative thread. This is the only Mantetsu that I currently have in my collection.

Signed Mantetsu Kitae Tsukuru Kore.

Dated Spring 1944.

Nanman Arsenal mark on nakago.

Matching numbers (40) on all four seppa as well as the tsuba and nakago.

W mark on nakago.

Gilt copper fittings including both menuki.
Unknown mark on kashira.

Suguha hamon.


Any further information would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the low quality of the photographs. My phone camera isn't very good unfortunately!


Cheers!

312543479_440311688026890_5713510043021306274_n.jpg

312795562_793657815274760_6913428412832364671_n.jpg

312237947_805032224132615_296993755309876364_n.jpg

312515249_5578731368829732_1051823574912627684_n.jpg

296179437_649445719917079_9061250853299410233_n.jpg

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Welcome Zac!  Excellent presentation, thank you!

 

Your serila number - MO/モ 409 is the second series out of 5 for year 1944.  If the series were spread evenly over the year, and we don't know that they were, this would put your date in July through mid-September of '44.  I only have 4 '44s in the MO series, now:

104 Nan

228 Nan

409 Nan

799 Ren

 

Concerning the "W/M" stamp, yours is the latest so far, all 4 of the Nan-stamped '44s have the mark.  All the previous ones are in 1942/43.

 

From the photo, it looks like the same' is celluloid?  Mine is too, and it seems it was used fairly often on Mantetsu fittings.

 

On a "stamped numbers" note, yours is the first 1944 Mantetsu with the stamped numbers on the face of the nakago with matching numbers on fittings.  I believe these to be done by the fittings shop. 

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5 hours ago, ZedKopp said:

Hi, all!
 

Here is my contribution to this most informative thread. This is the only Mantetsu that I currently have in my collection.

Signed Mantetsu Kitae Tsukuru Kore.

Dated Spring 1944.

Nanman Arsenal mark on nakago.

Matching numbers (40) on all four seppa as well as the tsuba and nakago.

W mark on nakago.

Gilt copper fittings including both menuki.
Unknown mark on kashira.

Suguha hamon.


Any further information would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the low quality of the photographs. My phone camera isn't very good unfortunately!


Cheers!

 

 

 

296179437_649445719917079_9061250853299410233_n.jpg

Hey Zac
Can you show the other side of Kabutogane? There should be some shop mark on it. The side you are showing has 東 Tokyo First arsenal's mark. Thanks!

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Zac, this particular variant, the interim Type 100/98, was only made in two series, the 44th ヒ and 45th モ series.  It consists of a Type 100 blade fitted out as a Type 98.  It is an army contract blade that was made in Dairen, Kwantung Leased Territory, that was then sent to Tōkyō, Japan, to be finished.  Your sword is the last one known to have used the 南 inspection mark and also the last one to be finished in Japan.  After this, they switched to the 連 inspection mark and were finished in Manchuria.  Thanks for sharing your sword and may many more come your way.

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I hope it fits the topic. This Tanto is from 1936 made by Hisakatsu. Takeshima Hisakatsu was from 1938 on of the smiths who directed the production of koa isshin blades. The nakago mune of this Tanto is round and has a diagonal stroke like the koa isshin mantetsu swords. I find this very interesting.

Nakago-mune.png

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On 10/26/2022 at 1:48 AM, BANGBANGSAN said:

Hey Zac
Can you show the other side of Kabutogane? There should be some shop mark on it. The side you are showing has 東 Tokyo First arsenal's mark. Thanks!

 There are no markings on the other side as far as I can see.

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On 10/26/2022 at 10:25 AM, Kiipu said:

Zac, this particular variant, the interim Type 100/98, was only made in two series, the 44th ヒ and 45th モ series.  It consists of a Type 100 blade fitted out as a Type 98.  It is an army contract blade that was made in Dairen, Kwantung Leased Territory, that was then sent to Tōkyō, Japan, to be finished.  Your sword is the last one known to have used the 南 inspection mark and also the last one to be finished in Japan.  After this, they switched to the 連 inspection mark and were finished in Manchuria.  Thanks for sharing your sword and may many more come your way.

Thanks very much for the further info, mate! Much appreciated.

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2 hours ago, Itomagoi said:

The nakago mune of this Tanto is round and has a diagonal stroke like the koa isshin mantetsu swords. I find this very interesting.

Yes Peter, quite interesting!  I'll bet he should be given credit for adding that feature to Mantetsu blades, now that we see this.  I could add this tanto to the Mantetsu Article, under the small section about him, with the proposed idea.  What does everyone think? But it would be noted as unsubstantiated theory.

 

I checked the files for when the curved mune showed up on Mantetsu.  Initially, it was flat, and remained flat on all blades with English letter serial numbers (also these blades just have the SMR logo).  When the Koa Isshin logo appars in '39, the mune look mostly flat, but the edges are being rounded.  Then in 1940, it looks like the fully rounded mune become standard. 

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