Needing To Translate And Identify A (Ww2 Era?) Nihonto

[CuriousSwordsman]

Hello all,

 

I recently came into possession of a possibly genuine WW2 Japanese sword. It has some identifying characters on the tang that I have not been able to match with anything I’ve found online, so I created this account in hopes that someone more knowledgeable can help me pin down some info on what I have. Thanks in advance and let me know if more pictures are necessary.

[DGARBUTT]

Signed Noshu Ju Kanehisa, which means made by Kanehisa, residing in Seki.  The star stamp mans that this is handmade sword, otherwise known as a gendai.  Nice find, absolutely genuine

[PNSSHOGUN]

The star stamp indicates it was made by a Rokugun Jumei Tosho smith which indicates a certain level of quality and definitely handmade Gendaito. There is plenty of information on the RJT and often smiths from the program will have more information than others available if you do some digging.

 

https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/gendai2.htm

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5678-rikugun-jumei-tosho-manufacturing-specifications/

[CuriousSwordsman]

Thank you both for the information.

[cisco-san]

Hi,

 

I think this is your smith (from Markus book):

KANEHISA (兼久), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanehisa” (兼久), real name Niwa Kihachi (丹羽喜八), his family name Niwa is sometimes also quoted with the characters (丹波), born December 6th 1908, younger brother of Murayama Kanetoshi (村山兼俊), he worked as a rikugun-jumei-tōshō and died January 1st 1989, jōkō no retsu (Akihide), Third Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)