Help with translation

[Bradenrn]

Inherited sword from my grandfather. Any help with translation would be appreciated. Both sides are marked. 
 

[Ray Singer]

Please see below. 

 

https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/koa.htm

[Tcat]

Nice. This is a WWII era sword, upper pic sig reads "Koa Isshin Mantetsu Kin Saku" meaning Asia one heart - made of mantetsu,  then on the other side the date reads Showa Mizunoe-Uma Haru - spring 1942.

[Bradenrn]

Thanks for all the help. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Brden,

 

I would appreciate a picture of the full serial number on the back edge of the tang, please! 

Good reference for sword care: Sword Care Guide

 

Here’s a more comprehensive Mantetsu article: South Manchurian Railway - Mantetsu

[Bradenrn]

Hey Bruce, 

Thanks for the article. Here is a better image. Looks like 144? Sword is in relatively good shape. Tsuka is intact with only a small crack in the ray skin. I’m missing the mekugi. Only thing broken is the (chuso) the lock for the saya. Not sure there is a lot of resources in Ohio but happy I found this forum. Trying to decide if I want to try to repair myself or see if there is someone close to me to help restore. 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks for the added photos, Braden!  Your gunto is full of stuff that I track!

Serial number is "NO 474" on the mune (back edge of nakago).  That "144" is probably put there by a fittings shop.  Are the other fittings, tsuba, seppe, etc, stamped with the number?

 

The "W" is a mid-way inspection mark found on several blades of 1942 and '43.

 

The 2 stamps on the kabutogane are unknown shop stamps - @Kiipu.  Thomas may correct me, but I don't think we've seen those before.  The single one on the other side is the inspector mark of the Tokyo 1st Army Arsenal.

[Kiipu]

Kabutogane

The logo on the right is for Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal while the logo on the left is for the sword shop.

東 = Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal Supervisory Section 東京第一陸軍造兵廠監督課.

[Bruce Pennington]

Just now, Kiipu said:

on the right is for Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal

I see it now.  The edges between the star points seem more rounded on this one, which threw me off.  Here's have they "normally" look:

[Bradenrn]

On 5/27/2025 at 12:50 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Thanks for the added photos, Braden!  Your gunto is full of stuff that I track!

Serial number is "NO 474" on the mune (back edge of nakago).  That "144" is probably put there by a fittings shop.  Are the other fittings, tsuba, seppe, etc, stamped with the number?

 

The "W" is a mid-way inspection mark found on several blades of 1942 and '43.

 

The 2 stamps on the kabutogane are unknown shop stamps - @Kiipu.  Thomas may correct me, but I don't think we've seen those before.  The single one on the other side is the inspector mark of the Tokyo 1st Army Arsenal.

Yes all the fittings have the 144 on them. They also have a stamp next to the number.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Braden. In charting the stamped numbers on blades the practice started in the second half of 1941 on RJT blades and they all fit a distinct pattern through the years to 1945. On non-RJT blades. They also fit a pattern and begin in 1942. The pattern is different than  RJT blades, in fact opposite, But the fact that they distinctly fit a pattern rather than be randomly placed around the nakago, implies to me that it was a regulated army practice, not just sword shops. You will see stamped numbers on navy blades, but they are pretty random on placement, implying to me again that this time it is sword shops, doing it on navy blades. Now, it could be the navy doing it and they just didn’t have an organized system, but at least for the army stamped numbers. It is very organized.

 

I personally believe that the sword shops just piggybacked onto the numbers that were already there and used them on their fittings.