Is This Kanetoshi?

[Bruce Pennington]

Still trying guys!  Please confirm mei for me!

 

[k morita]

Hi,

 

兼茂　Kaneshige.

[mecox]

Thanks Morita san.   Uncommon "shige".   He is:   “Kaneshige” (兼茂), real name Sakai Katsutoshi (酒井勝利),  (the F&G mei have  酒向)  born March 19 (or 15) 1906 (Meiji 19).  He was from Gifu, Seki-machi, Koze (?) and registered as a Seki swordsmith on Showa 16 (1941) April 4.  There is little info about him, but he worked as a guntō smith, apparently in the Nagoya Arsenal  ("na" stamp on @Bruce Pennington post).  But two oshigata from F&G 1983 have Seki stamp.  He is not listed in 1941 exhibition or 1942 banzuke, however, he is in the 1944 Army run exhibition.  This was in December and ranked by Rikugun Gunto Gijutsu Shorei Kai, and he is one of 4 to received Presidents Award (Kyoshinsha) for zoheito. 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks guys!  Shige was my initial thought, too, but after referencing the only Kaneshige examples I have on file, they all used the other kanji.  I didn't think of checking Sesko's book for this mei.

7 hours ago, mecox said:

But two oshigata from F&G 1983 have Seki stamp

This blade is July 1943 made, I should have posted that side.  The NA stamp dominated that year.  Just prior, 1942, the large Seki stamp was prominent.  So the F&G examples were likely from that year.