Kamigumi with star stamp, dated Feb., 1943 shinogi-zukuri shape, WWll made blade.

[Swords]

Hi y’all saw this sword that it’s star stamped 

and nice hamon got my attention Although the scabbard has a makeover not sure if that affects value The wrapping looks cut or missing a piece but if that’s important 

[uwe]

What exactly would you like to know, Steve?

[Bruce Pennington]

Got that one on file from a post by Ray Singer, August last year.  The smith is translated wrong.  Should be "Kiyokuni".

[uwe]

“神國” looks Kamikuni to me, Bruce?!

[Nobody]

9 hours ago, uwe said:

“神國” looks Kamikuni to me, Bruce?!

 

It also reads Kiyokuni when it is a person's name.

[uwe]

Thanks a lot for the clarification Moriyama San!

 

I couldn'd find another reading and found a supposed backup at the "Japaneseswordindex" page. Please see below....

 

The following swordsmiths are considered to be members of the
Ikkansai group.  The first 5 mainline smiths usually included
'Ikkansai' in their signatures.

1.  Shigetoshi (繁寿)

     1.1.  Masatoshi (正寿) / Masafusa (正房)

          1.1.1. Motohiro (基広)

               1.1.1.1.  Masamoto (正基)

          1.1.2.  Shigetsugu (繁継) / Masateru (正輝)
    
               1.1.2.1.  Toshihiro (寿広) / Yasuhiro (靖広) /
Kunimori (国護)

                    1.1.2.1.1.  Tsunatoshi (恒寿) / Toshimune
(寿宗)
           
                    1.1.2.1.2.  Uju (宇寿)
          
                    1.1.2.1.3.  Kamikuni (神国)
          
                    1.1.2.1.4.  Chikafusa (親房)
          
                    1.1.2.1.5.  Mitsuhiro (光広)
          
                    1.1.2.1.6.  ? (林幸太郎)
          
                    1.1.2.1.7.  Masatoshi (正寿) / Hiromoto
(広元)
                    
                    1.1.2.1.8.  Mitsuyasu (光保) **
          
               1.1.2.2.  Shigemasa (繁正) / (繁政)
          
                    1.1.2.2.1.  Masayuki (政幸)
          
                    1.1.2.2.2.  Masatsune (正恒)

                    1.1.2.2.3.  Ichibun (一文)
           
               1.1.2.3.  Masataka (正尊) / Noriaki (徳顕)
          
               1.1.2.4.  Okimasa (起正)
     
                    1.1.2.4.1.  Masaaki (正和)

                    1.1.2.4.2.  Kiyoaki (清和)
          
                    1.1.2.4.3.  Masasumi (正澄)
          
                    1.1.2.4.4.  Yoshiaki (喜昭) / Masamitsu
(正光)
           
                    1.1.2.4.5./1.1.2.1.7.  Masatoshi (正寿) /
Hiromoto (広元)

[Swords]

Firstly I would like to apologize for taking so long to get back I had shoulder replacement no fun especially at 71!

was asked by uwe what exactly I would like to know?
thanks guys for Getting the correct smith’s name I’m concerned concerned that the saya  was restored and painted

The blade looks almost too nice to be original polish?  All it all is it worthy to spend a good chunk of money for repaint and possibly other Being  star stamped is a plus

 

 

[waljamada]

This blade ended up going for quite an affordable price for a star stamped gendai.  The koshirae did look quite nice and maybe or maybe not had some restoration.  I believe those textured sayas are wood so curious if thats the case here.  Also curious what it looks like in hand as I can't tell how the polish is.  It's either nice with just a choji oil layer on it or someone did something that dulled the hada with something done to bring out hamon.  Or just bad photography. Or it's just an old ww2 era polish....all the "or"s are what make me curious.

[k morita]

Hi,
According to Honma's Meikan.
The mei reads Kiyokuni(also Kamikuni).
Worked in Tokyo and Nagano prefecture.real name was SAKURAI  Saiji.
RJT smith.

[vajo]

The koshirae should be a Type3 not Type98.

The new mekugi ana was drilled trough the mei. 

[Bruce Pennington]

On 5/23/2022 at 6:37 AM, vajo said:

Type3 not Type98.

You got me to digging into the files.  I was surprised at the numbers of RJT blades in Type 98 fittings.  My impression was that the vast majority of them were in RS fittings.  While the majority are in RS, there are more Type 98s than I had expected.  Most in 98 fittings were clearly made for this, with only 1 mekugi ana.  I did find one other blade, like this one with an extra hole drilled to accommodate the 98 fittings.  All 3 holes looked equally rusted like it was done during the war, not post-war. 

Can't tell on the OP blade, since the nakago was cleaned, if it was done during or after the war.  But after seeing the other one, I suspect it is possible the original owner might have wanted the RJT blade but didn't want RS fittings and had a shop re-fit to Type 98.  Of course, it could have been done yesterday too, though.

[PNSSHOGUN]

The seller is known to amateur polish and mess around with the mounts, please don't spread false hope when this is almost certainly a post war bubba job. Just note the seller as a charlatan and move on.

[Bruce Pennington]

4 minutes ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

this is almost certainly a post war bubba job.

Equally possible John!  I was just sharing facts as I have them.  All else is speculation, including mine.

[Bruce Pennington]

I am truly 'nobody' in this topic, but in trying to decide what English version of this name to use in my files, I took a look a Marcus Sesko's list.  He doesn't show any, not one, smith name using "神" as Kiyo.  But he does have 3 smiths on his list under "Kami" with that kanji:

KAMI (神)
KAMIAKI (神見) → SHINKEN (神見)
KAMITSUGU (神次) → SHINJI (神次)
KAMIYOSHI (神吉), this name is found in the meikan records with as “province and active period unknown”

 

For now, unless someone has a good argument otherwise, I think I'll list him as "Kamikuni".  And I am certainly open to discussion on it!

[Bruce Pennington]

And yet, the plot thickens: