gunto mei help please

[markc]

hi just joined this forum

i have just purchased this sword which i would describe in near perfect condition, the date inscription i think reads 1944? cant' be sure. i would much appreciate help please in the translation of mei thank you.

thanks again

mark casey

[saipan59]

Maybe it's just me, but I can only see the pictures in thumbnail-size...

 

Pete

[John A Stuart]

Hi Mark, It is too small of a picture to see anything. Maybe if you photohost it the mei may be read. John

[markc]

sorry uploaded the wrong pics

thanks markc

[Jean]

Yoshinori

[markc]

thank you jean,

 

markc

[SwordGuyJoe]

From your original post:

 

hi just joined this forum

i have just purchased this sword which i would describe in near perfect condition, the date inscription i think reads 1944? cant' be sure. i would much appreciate help please in the translation of mei thank you.

thanks again

mark casey

 

Could you please post the inscription on the other side of the nakago for date translation? You could even give it a shot yourself (http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/kanji/nengo.htm). Also, Jean is right on the translation and the star stamp indicates that your blade was made by a Rikugun Jumei Tosho (http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/gendai2.htm). If you knew this, I apologize for telling you something you already know.

[markc]

thank you joe for your comments and assistance, i have uploaded the date side of the nakago for you to have a look at

thanks

markc

[Nobody]

Full translation for the mei and date:

 

春日製造所義則作 – Kasuga Seizosho (= workshop), Yoshinori made

昭和二十年五月 – Showa 20th year (= 1945), May

[markc]

thank you for your reply, i would never have got that one right as i was just looking for first and last names in the mei

thanks

markc

[Bruce Pennington]

Sorry to ressurect this thread, but I have this RJT smith in my charts as working at the Kasuga Shrine with is in Nara; but I also have him from Oita - 260 miles apart.  Any help, guys?  @mecox or anyone?  Thanks!

[mecox]

Hello Bruce, I found this smith in my Fukuoka paper:  

YOSHINORI (義則). Oita. Mei: “Kasuga Seizōjō Yoshinori saku” 春日製造所義則作. Family name Okimoto (沖本) worked as guntō smith. 1942 Banzuke: Ryōkō no Retsu (Ge Saku) (7/7).                                                                                                           

He looks to be from Fukuoka, and late war worked in the Kasuga arsenal "factory" set up at Kasuga, near Fukuoka City (western Kyushu).  The blade example is dated May, 1945.  But he must be working before then as is in 1942 Kurihara ranking.

Records show that due to bombing,  the Kasuga factory was relocated in April-May 1945 to Hita in Oita Pref in eastern Kyushu.  So likely he worked there also.

But I note that Sesko lists him from Osaka. 

[Bruce Pennington]

15 hours ago, mecox said:

I found this smith in my Fukuoka paper:

Thanks Mal, I see I mixed the Kosuga shrine up with the forge in Fukuoka.  I'll correct my chart.