Tsuka/tsuba translation

[Nicholas]

I’m interested in the translation of the kanji on the tsuka and tsuba of another type 98 for my notes.

[Ray Singer]

For the stamp on the shingunto tsuba, please see below for Suya Shoten. The tsuka seems to read Hayashi in hiragana. 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=suya+shoten+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za&client=ms-android-google&sca_esv=222871bd45365459&sxsrf=AE3TifMiJeYb1k-5UqaiFE7lny_S50Oacw%3A1754252573974&ei=HcWPaMSVO5GUwbkPi4jD8AY&oq=suya+shoten+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIiRzdXlhIHNob3RlbiBzaXRlOnd3dy5taWxpdGFyaWEuY28uemFIwUhQ9w5YokZwBHgAkAEAmAFuoAG3CKoBBDEwLjK4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgB5wEsgcAuAcAwgcAyAcA&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

[Nicholas]

Thanks @Ray Singer. I know about the Suya company. I’m more interested in the kanji scratched into the tsuba on the left side of the picture.

[Bugyotsuji]

Hayashi is written in hiragana. The scratched letters on the left of the photo are katakana, not kanji.

Possibly サカベ… (Sakabe)

[Nicholas]

@Bugyotsuji thank you. Any ideas on why this is written. Numbers are usually used for assembly right.

[Bugyotsuji]

Ideas, yes, but nothing definitive. It looks like a name, possibly the shop or person who placed the order, and the artisan needs to know the phonetic pronunciation more than the actual kanji.  In a hidden position, katakana is simpler and easier to scratch/inscribe; if written in kanji, there would be a problem as to how exactly to read it later without offending the person of that name.(?)