Shin Gunto Katana mei help needed

[Brian]

Hi all,
This is the second of 2 swords that someone brought to me for my opinion.
This one has mei and date. And a Seki stamp. 2 Mekugi ana too...not sure why. What really struck me about this sword was how well it is signed. The characters are small! Far smaller that usually signed, and so well done.
I'm curious who made this one. Nengo is also hopefully clear enough, and just as well carved, smaller than usual.
Appreciate any help.

Brian

[Ray Singer]

Side 1:

 

正真子福本兼宗__ - [SEKI] Shoshinshi Fukumoto Kanemune __

 

Side 2:

 

鈴木照雲郎需_作之 - Suzuki Shoun __ kore o saku

 

[Ray Singer]

Brian, this reference will be of interest as far as who Suzuki Shoun was.

 

 

[Brian]

You rock. Thanks Ray!

[SteveM]

正真子福本兼宗應

鈴木照雲師需謹而作之

 

Filling in blanks and one correction. 

And from Morita-san's earlier thread, I can say the translation is

 

Made by Fukumoto Kanemune at the request of master/sensei Suzuki Shōun

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Brian,

Does the blade appear to be traditionally made or not?  There is a faction that still believe that the Seki Guild stamp was not always one of the Army mandated stamps, but simply a Guild mark.  In fact, Ohmura states the guild was using the stamp before the law mandating stamps.  This stamp is way more precisely made than any I've seen.  Could this blade possibly be one of the pre-mandatory-stamp era and gendaito?

[Brian]

I'm in the camp that says Seki stamp = non-Gendaito. Might be forged and folded, but something would have been non-traditional.
Polish wasn't good enough to see details, I could just make out the shape of the hamon.

So what I'm getting from all of this is that Suzuki Shoun was a Tokyo sword dealer, and must have placed orders for swords with a few smiths, and had his name marked on them as per this one.
They would then have been private purchase for soldiers going to war. I'm guessing you chose your blade, and then decided what you wanted to spend on the fittings.

[Babu]

Brian you may do better in the Military swords if Japan section as many don't read this section they will be hugely helpful.