Help With Research On This Wwll Heirloom From My Father

[Brady]

Ray translated the tang writing for me recently to say " Noshu Seki Ju Kawashima Yoshimasa Saku" or in English "Made by the smith Kawashima Yoshimasa in Seki"

 

Here are pics of it and any help with origin, year made, what type of Japanese officer owned it, value...etc, would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[Ray Singer]

Hi Brady, am I seeing correctly that the nakago (tang) was at one point cut off and joined back together? It also appears that the habaki was soldered into the blade.

[SteveM]

I think also the smith is Yoshikane 

義包

 

See also 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/10933-yoshikane-mei-help-please/

[Brady]

As far as I know it is original condition and the tang was never removed or anything done to it.

The Habakkuk's is split and looks like a filler metal was used under it in the front and sloppily done on the tang where it was out of sight.....made them super fast in those days I was guessing.

Here are better pics;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brady]

[PNSSHOGUN]

Market value has been greatly diminished by that meddling, unfortunately. The only real value would be sentimental & family history related.  

[Ray Singer]

Careless mistake in my part, it's of course Yoshikane.

 

I think also the smith is Yoshikane 

義包

 

See also 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/10933-yoshikane-mei-help-please/

[Brady]

Seems that the blade was drawn and used a lot then and whoever owned it back then had someone repair it for him.

I do know that my father brought it home from WWll and never did anything to it.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Bruce Pennington]

All the Seppa are missing, which would make the handguard loose on the handle. It looks like someone created a wedge and soldered it in to hold the handguard firm.

[TETSUGENDO]

To understate the obvious.....this poor blade has had a very hard life!

 

-S-

[Brady]

I understand a little terminology, and now that Bruce said that, I get it now...

I wondered why there was only 1 "seppa" and it may be obvious to a lot of you but I now, better understand the blade's journey through this world to my hands.

[Bruce Pennington]

Brady,

 

Most of our blades' lives are a mystery. They come to us after passing through combat, surrender collections, and multiple owners. My dad's Mantetu came to me with seppa, the mekugi peg, and two saya (scabbard) parts missing! Dad claimed someone stole the parts looking for precious gems. But, since it was obvious when looking at the parts that there were no gems, I think it more likely they might have thought there was some real gold in them. But parts may simply get left off after dissassembly and re-assembly from many "Bubbas" over the years. I always take the time to find replacement parts for mine, and try to restore them as much as possible.