Can anyone help identify this sword?

[Bogie243]

Hello all!

 

My grandfather collected Japanese swords and most were unfortunately sold off after his death. Recently when moving, we found a some more in the basement, and I was wondering if anyone could help identify this one in particular. 

 

In this lot, there were two swords that I thought were shin gunto (one which definitely is), but this one is I can't find anything about because the ornament on the hilt seems atypical compared to all of the others I've seen, and the inscription seems to be potentially be jibberish. I read simplified Chinese so I am able to identify at least some kanji usually, but these are lost on me. I'm wondering if this particular sword is authentic. 

 

I'll also attach the other shin gunto, which looks to have mei inscribed potentially saying something about 中國 (China), but I'm not fully able to interpret the rest because I don't speak Japanese and am not familiar with all traditional characters.

 

Thanks a lot in advance, I'm sorry if any of my terminology is off!

[Bogie243]

Other sword

[Bogie243]

Other sword mei

[WulinRuilong]

First one：服部正廣（Hattori Masahiro）

Second one：Not 中國, but 越中國（Etsu-chuu no kuni）. Can't recognize other words.

[Bogie243]

4 minutes ago, WulinRuilong said:

Not 中國, but 越中國（Etchūnokuni）. Can't recognize other words.

In reference to the Etchū Province that existed from 701 AD to 1871? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etchū_Province

 

What could be the significance of this being inscribed on a blade from World War 2? Is this an older ancestral blade that was made in this province and later attached to a World War 2 officer's shin gunto hilt?

[WulinRuilong]

1 minute ago, Bogie243 said:

What could be the significance of this being inscribed on a blade from World War 2?

Many swordsmiths prefer to use old province name rather than use modern name.

[SteveM]

First one is 服部正広 (Hattori Masahiro) a well-known WW2 smith. 

[Bogie243]

7 minutes ago, SteveM said:

First one is 服部正広 (Hattori Masahiro) a well-known WW2 smith. 

 

19 minutes ago, WulinRuilong said:

First one：服部正廣（Hattori Masahiro）

Second one：Not 中國, but 越中國（Etsu-chuu no kuni）. Can't recognize other words.

 

Thank you so much! 

 

Any ideas on the differences between the first gunto and others? I can't find any other examples of menuki or tsuba that look like this. Am I perhaps misidentifying it as gunto when it is a civilian sword?

[Bogie243]

Additionally, what else should I look for to identify these?

[mecox]

Jarett, Hattori Masahiro here page 30:  

 

[Bogie243]

6 minutes ago, mecox said:

Jarett, Hattori Masahiro here page 30:  

 

Wonderful source, thank you!

 

I'm going to try and see if I can get better photos of the etchūnokuni sword. 

[Bogie243]

Here is another photo of the characters that come after 越中國 on the 2nd sword. 4th character from body may be 佳 and the one below it 羊 if I am able to see it any clearer in person. 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Jarrett,

 

I can't read it, but it looks like an older blade to me. Please don't "clean" the NAKAGO because the patina might be important to judge the era. Be patient until an expert has had a closer look at this blade. There might be someone from the NMB around your place in Ohio.

[Nobody]

If I take a shot in the dark,

越中國松倉住義武 - Ecchu no kuni Matsukura ju Yoshitake???

 

 

[Bogie243]

24 minutes ago, Nobody said:

If I take a shot in the dark,

越中國松倉住義武 - Ecchu no kuni Matsukura ju Yoshitake???

 

 

 

Wow, honestly I think that may be it! 

 

Do you know of any swordsmiths by those names?

[Bazza]

On the Nihonto Club website there is a smith:

MAS17

Masaaki

Higo

Tensho (1573-1592)

肥後國松倉住日本一正明

higo kuni matsukura ju nihon ichi masaaki   https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?type=All&mei_op=contains&mei=matsukura   BaZZa.

[Bogie243]

21 minutes ago, Bogie243 said:

Matsukura

 

22 minutes ago, Bazza said:

(1573-1592)

Could this be in reference to this castle that existed in the Etchū Province at around this time period????

 

 

[Bogie243]

1 hour ago, Nobody said:

Yoshitake

Does anyone perhaps know of a Yoshitake that existed in this time period?