WW2 katana by yoshikane tuskuru Kore

[Swords]

Hi everyone I’m looking for information about this smith and the value also year it was made

he was a highly known uprising smith who took 5th seat in the sixth 1941 exhibition it has scuffs from usage but is unaltered condition with one very tiny nick which is hard to find  I’m having problems loading pictures can’t even get one

 

[Swords]

What can anyone tell me Taiguchi yoshikane tuskuru Kore it should be accurate?

[DTM72]

Steve,

 

Please follow the link below. There are 3 smiths from that time period using that name...none of which signed with the name you suggested. Doesn't mean your signature translation is not correct, just means it does not match known examples.

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/oshigata/index.htm

 

Asking for the value of the sword, well...that is a wide open subject. Depends on the overall condition, the mounts, what is known of the smith and his work....gendaito, showato....so many ways the value can go.

 

Loading pics can be a great help with getting the answers you seek.

[Swords]

Here’s as many pictures I can get there are scuffs because of this the hamon isn’t clear through out other than that it’s ok 

Noshu Taniguchi YoshikaneTsukuru Kore

i wrote in wrong earlier 

 

[SteveM]

濃洲住谷口義包鍛之

Nōshū-jū Taniguchi Yoshikane kitau kore

 

It means Taniguchi Yoshikane of Noshu province made this. Noshu is a location that corresponds roughly to Gifu Prefecture in Japan today. 

 

 

[Swords]

Here’s as many pictures I can get there are scuffs because of this the hamon isn’t clear through out other than that it’s ok 

Noshu Taniguchi YoshikaneTsukuru Kore

i wrote in wrong earlier 

 

hi thanks for your help I added 2 more pictures I was curious if he won 5th seat as noted again other than scuffs the blade is clean trying to get a value since I’m looking to sell it

 

Steve thanks for the feedback 

[Swords]

Hi since this blade has scuffs and the hamon is obscured but it’s a clean blade just one tiny nick I’m thinking if getting it polished by woody if I can’t sell it I would be into it 2300 but if it looks good and removed the nick I don’t know if the sword would be worth 2300 however it is a traditional made who took 5th seat 

 

steve

 

[SteveM]

Well, him and a bunch of other smiths took the the 5th Seat, so I don't think it is a powerful selling point. He seems like a reasonably obscure WW2 smith. Even in excellent condition you have to wonder how much the sword would be worth when you can already buy papered antique swords for a couple of thousand dollars. I mean, if the sword was recently bought/sold for around $2300, would a polish turn it into a $4000 or $5000 sword?

I don't think there would be a market for this sword at that price, so I'd say sell it as is. 

 

 

[Swords]

I paid 1300 I can get it polished about 1000

i would be  at about 2300 give or take

a traditional swords can sell that much so I think it would be that bad 

5th seat is last place how ever everyone under him went home with no seat no pin intended 

Its  a nice looking hamon now and maybe worth it 

[PNSSHOGUN]

This forum isn't about wheeling and dealing, we aren't a financial advisory board so please stop treating it like one.

[Swords]

Sorry am new to the forum will use the correct one next time 

 

Steve 

[Swords]

Hi I have a question regarding this sword when it was made also decided to keep it!! 

 Since it took 5 th seat in the 1941 exhibition I’m guessing it was made earlier 1941  or was it a different sword ? Also I know 5th seat isn’t ist 2 nd 3rd or 4th but I would think the rest went home with no seat !!
Any help would be appreciated 

 

steve

[francois2605]

Do you know this page listing WW2 swordsmiths ? Yours is listed

[Swords]

 

 

I highlighted in yellow pages  223 in book of John slough see description above 

[Ed Harbulak]

Steve, unless your sword has a date on it, you really don't know in what year it was made other than sometime during WWII. Nor do you have any idea if your sword was the one Yoshikane entered in the 1941 competition. He may have entered more than one and presumably the blade or blades he did enter were made before the 1941 competition. Yours could have been made as late as 1945 and that's about the best you can say about your particular sword. More important than the date, is the workmanship and condition of the sword. It does look like a nice one so enjoy it for the workmanship and the history it has.

[Swords]

No date but  because of the long signature name where it was made it as noted in book of John Slough 5th seat etc that would have  been enough information plus the seller is well known in the sword world

[Swords]

Hi everyone based on the book  of John slough page 223  dose anyone  know if my sword was one  he entered in the competition if so was made in earlier 1941 prior to the exhibition ?

Since 250 persons entered the competition 

 I counted 29 5th seat how many others was there that didn’t receive any thing or went home with out any recognition?  Any help would be appreciated 

 

steve

[Geraint]

Dear Steve.

 

You are chasing the wrong rabbit.  As Ed says there is no way to know if this sword had anything to do with the competition.  Out of 250 smiths all were ranked and fifth seat is the lowest.  The smiths subsequently went on to war time production and produced large numbers of swords between them.  We are talking about the smith here, not this specific sword.   

As you say you are now intending to keep it then have it properly polished and enjoy it for what it is.  It may be the spring board into an abiding passion.

 

All the best.

[Swords]

So all 250 were ranked Wasnt there others that didn’t make it??   They had to be picked some way I would think?

As for the the sword I bought it from the president of sword society and  was told it was made earlier 1941 or earlier   I don’t like to point fingers but who do I believe ? 
 

Steve
 

[Swords]

 Thanks for your feedback  What I’m confused

Who came up with number 250 did they just show up

and everyone got a seat?  Or were there more than 250 to begin with? Any one have additional information to add 

 

 

[Swords]

I took a picture of page one can’t see the top but explains if I reading it correctly 400 smiths began but 250 were given 7 different levels from special honor 1-5 seats  but 150 were not

but I might be wrong 

 

steve

 

 

[Swords]

Hi everyone Im I provided information about the 1941 exhibition I know there were 250 smiths that were ranked 7 categories My question is how many total were there to begin with? To me it looks like 400  Minus 250 = 150?

Any feedback would be helpful I took a picture of the top of page 1 for reference 

 

steve

 

 

 

[SteveM]

Hello Steve,

You are asking for information that isn't available to us, as far as I know. There is no resource that tells us how many swords or how many smiths entered into the 1941 competition. The "tosho banzuke" ranking published by Kurihara Hikosaburo in 1942 is a list he himself devised whereby he groups the swordsmiths into general rankings which mirror the sumo wrestler rankings. (The word "banzuke" is taken from the sumo rankings). Its like ranking the swordsmiths in terms of "heavyweight", "middleweight", etc... Only instead of weight, the criteria is "quality", so already you can see it is a subjective ranking system. I couldn't find Yoshikane anywhere in this list. 

https://www.tsuruginoya.com/infomation/data/iretsu-seidai

 

The "6th Shinsaku Nihonto Danrenkai" in 1941 is something completely separate from the banzuke mentioned above.  Again, no idea how many smiths or how many swords were entered. 

 

You've got a nice Yoshikane sword from the WW2 era, maybe worth around $1k, as that is what a lot of these swords tend to sell for. This value really doesn't change if we discover 300 or 500 people entered the 1941 contest. The things that will influence its value are its quality, its condition, and the condition of any fittings it comes with. As Geraint says above, trying to pin down the specifics of this 5th Seat is indeed "chasing the wrong rabbit". 

 

 

[Swords]

If you can find a nice one for 1k I would probably buy it!

Maybe not In your information but it’s listed 5th seat in book of John slough not the best but it wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t 

so call me crazy I had it polished 

Since it had some scuffs scratches and nick

So once it’s all done I’ve spent 2200 total incld the sword  I see traditional swords in that price range or more but mine should look pretty nice once it’s done

and I’m sure It will sell for more than 1000 

 

steve

 

[Swords]

I put pictures up before but here that they are again book of John slough page 223!

 

 

[SteveM]

Yes, that information from John Slough's book is the same information that you've shown before and its just a repeat of the information available from Japanese sources. It just tells us what we already know: Yoshikane was awarded 5th Seat (Rising Swordsmith) in 1941. It doesn't tell us anything about how large the field was, or how many entries Yoshikane had to submit to get that rank. 

 

 

[IJASWORDS]

Steve, how can you be sure your sword was traditionally made? Swordsmiths of this era, even highly ranked ones made various grades from "special orders" through to common or garden "knockouts" for the war. 

Forget about the signature or any competitions the swordsmith may have entered, it is about your INDIVIDUAL sword! 

If you are buying a sword, its all about the blade you are considering. A word of warning to the new collector, many WW2 swords, because they were souvenirs or bought relatively inexpensively, have been subject to "backyard" polishing, sharpening etc, and the original sword's geometry may be irretrievably damaged beyond restoration. So without a close examination in the hand, who knows if your sword is good or not. 

My advice, keep this one as is as a piece of militaria until you learn more about the subject.     

[Swords]

Ok firstly I know I was repeating because I was wanting to get additional info some one might know  or to help clarify 

2nd I bought the sword from Brian Quinn who is the president of Japanese for United States so I have to believe he sold me a traditional sword as described and not a cheap knockoff !! 
 

steve

 

[IJASWORDS]

Steve, Steve, Steve.... please read the posts a bit more carefully. I didn't use the term "cheap knockoff!!" I said knockout. This term describes a sword that was made in volume and with less care than a special order during the war. A cheap knockoff refers to a fake, WHICH YOURS IS NOT! 

All the answers you are looking for are in the replies from members far clever than I. 

Probably 90% of what you are asking is probably a click away on GOOGLE anyway, your learn more by doing your own research. And read a bit more attentively please. 

[Swords]

Sorry about the knock out Didn’t have my glasses one Yes I have done research and couldn’t find much about this smith 

As far as the 1941 exhibition I was trying to make sense of how many persons attended

I know 250 were in classified however the top paragraph of the info states there were reported 400 gunto toshas Dose that mean there were 400 total that attended and 250 made the 7 rankings? If so that would mean 150 went home! That’s what I was trying to explain! 

You are correct that 90% is on the internet however it’s nice to get opinions of others that are far more knowledgeable than I

I just get a little testy when I hear so many negatives without having all the facts!
As I said I purchased my sword from Brian Quinn and would hope it’s traditional per his description when I bought it! One thing that I was perplexed about was this sword supposedly was made 1941 or earlier but now I hear because there were many made it would be hard to say this was

 

steve