Tang stamp on a Kai-Gunto

[Mark C]

Hi All,

 

Got a Kai gunto with the pictures stamp on the bottom of the Nakago.

 

The is also the number 647 stamped into the nakago which happens to match all the fittings that also have 647 stamped into them.

 

Has anyone seen a stamp like this before?

 

Thanks in anticipation

 

Regards

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, Mark C said:

number 647 stamped

Mark,

I have seen that stamp only once before, and for the life of me, cannot find where I've filed it.  Yours has more detail, though, so I'll start a file with it.  Don't know what it is, but being at the end of the nakago, my personal feeling is that it is a shop stamp of the whomever did the fittings.

 

I don't see your 647 in my chart.  Can you post photos of the full nakago, both sides, and an overall shot of the sword?

[Mark C]

Thanks Bruce,

 

I also thought about a fittings shop especially as the other fittings (tsuba, seppa etc) have 647.

 

I noticed while taking the photos the marks on the oppersite side of the nakago (Not sure how I missed them before )

 

The tang 647 has been struck lightly I think.

 

Regards

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Mark!  I have 22 stainless blades with numbers, now, all mumei except one.  The hash marks are often modified Roman numerals.  Not sure if that's what yours are as the numbers don't match the rest.  

 

Update: Browsing through those blades, I found the other square stamp.  I seems to be different.  Posted by @Butch, mumei blade, number 366

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Also interesting, the nakago shape is identical to yours, though I haven't surveyed other stainless blades to see if there is much variation.  But the numbers were stamped differently, while the square is located exactly the same.

 

[Mark C]

Very interesting Bruce,

 

My one is a big chunky blade with a nagasa of 25 3/4"

 

Width at Machi - 1 3/8"

width at yokoti - 1"

 

I manage to get a good close-up picture of the square using an ear wax removal camara.

 

If you need any other info, let me know.

 

All the best

[Bruce Pennington]

4 hours ago, Mark C said:

an ear wax removal camara

OK, that was too much information already! Ha!

 

Seriously, that’s a great photograph. Thank you.