Help with Gendai-to Mei

[Jesper]

Hi all,

I have a question about a Shin-Gunto with late 1944 mounting I picked up a few days ago. I do not collect Shin-Gunto and know next to nothing about them, but it seems to be a traditionally made blade signed Seki MitsuNobu with a star stamp. There are also some other very small stamps which I cannot identify.

 

The blade is in need of a polish, but the Hamon seems to be small Gunome with a lot of Ashi. The Boshi is not visible.

 

However, the date on the Tang is strange. I translate it as Showa Ni-ju-ichi Nen San Gatsu Hi, a day in March 1946 (Showa 21). 1946 is after WWII, where no swords were made. It is not the traditional kanji for 20 (i.e. 2 and 10), but the one shown in B.W.Robinson, The Arts of the Japanese Sword, page 89. Am I reading the date wrong?

One side of the Tang has written ”143” with black paint. The other side has some painted Kanji I cannot identify.

Any help is much appriciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

Jesper

 

 

 

 

[saipan59]

You're reading the year-number wrong - it is 20, not 21 (using the old-style kanji, as you mentioned).

 

Pete

[saipan59]

...and, Robinson's book is wrong - he shows the NiJuu kanji missing the bottom horizontal stroke.

 

Pete

[Jesper]

Now it makes sense. :D

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Jesper