Help identifying sword taken to US after WW2

[marked-content]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking for assistance identifying the smith and origin of a sword that has been in my family since 1945 and was only recently taken apart. 
The sword was taken home by my grandfather who served aboard the USS Missouri, and as the story goes he received it as a gift on September 2nd after it was handed to the US by a Japanese officer. 
There are photos and more to support how the sword got in his hands, but I no nothing of the sword's history before that day and I'd love to learn more about it, clean it up, and display it as the work of art that it is. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

[ROKUJURO]

Mark,
 

welcome on board the NMB!

Your sword is signed KANETAKA, who may have been the worker or smith who made it. The photos are not good enough to guess if this is a machine made blade or a traditionally hand-made (water-quenched) one.

Good focus would be necessary to see details, and a dark room, light from the side and a dark background would help a lot.  

[mecox]

Mark, good looking sword and in original state.  A good smith from Seki working from pre-war.

兼高 Kanetaka (松田 高市 Matsuda Takaichi)
Born: Meiji 44 (1911) September 16;   registered as a Seki smith: Showa 14 (1939) October 26.
Lived in 1937 at Bugi-gun, Seki-machi, Aza naka-machi.    In 1939 at Seki-machi, Naka-machi.    History: trained from Taisho 13 (1924) under Kojima Kanetoki (Kanemichi).  Became independent (completed traing) Showa 5 (1930) May.
Example mei:    Kanetaka 兼高
Noshu Seki ju Matsuda Kanetaka saku 濃州関住松田兼高作

For context of his work  see Downloads at top of NMB page and find paper on Gifu Swordsmiths

[Bruce Pennington]

The sword style is the Type 98 Japanese officer sword (gunto).  You can read up on these on Ohmura's site: Swords of the Imperial Japanese Military

[marked-content]

On 10/21/2025 at 6:08 PM, mecox said:

Mark, good looking sword and in original state.  A good smith from Seki working from pre-war.

兼高 Kanetaka (松田 高市 Matsuda Takaichi)
Born: Meiji 44 (1911) September 16;   registered as a Seki smith: Showa 14 (1939) October 26.
Lived in 1937 at Bugi-gun, Seki-machi, Aza naka-machi.    In 1939 at Seki-machi, Naka-machi.    History: trained from Taisho 13 (1924) under Kojima Kanetoki (Kanemichi).  Became independent (completed traing) Showa 5 (1930) May.
Example mei:    Kanetaka 兼高
Noshu Seki ju Matsuda Kanetaka saku 濃州関住松田兼高作

For context of his work  see Downloads at top of NMB page and find paper on Gifu Swordsmiths

This is awesome information. Thanks so much! 

I downloaded the doc and read through it, but while Matsuda Takaichi is listed, it doesn't appear to show much information on him. Any ideas on where I can learn a bit more about him, his style or skill level?

[mecox]

Mark, not much info found on 松田 兼高   ( note there are several other Kanetaka).  He does not appear to have entered many exhibitions, and is not in the 1942 ranking.   He was a senior smith in Seki.  Born 1911 and independent (finished training) in 1930 is age 19.   Seems this training was in the Nippon Tanren Juku and under Kojima Kanetoki (Kanemichi).  Early registered in Seki in October 1939. So he would have been producing pre-war and the SHO stamps are from 1939? to 1942?    Seki stamp is around 1943.

He was a member of Seki Token Kaji Association ("swordsmiths") in 1940.  Not found any info from late war, did he stop working for some reason?

Here's some examples of yours:  

[1.  Japanese Sword Index, Stein:  SHO stamp]     [2. Meirin Sangyo:  Noshu Matsuda Kanetaka saku    has SEKI stamp plus kokuin hot stamp, 68.4 cm / 1.6 cm ] 

[3. Ikeda Art:   Matsuda Kanetaka   71.2 cm  1.8 cm   SHO stamp  long blade, may be custom]         [4.  Yahoo Auction:   Noshu Seki ju Matsuda Kanetaka  saku    SHO stamp].

 

 

                                              

 

[marked-content]

On 10/23/2025 at 9:42 PM, mecox said:

Mark, not much info found on 松田 兼高   ( note there are several other Kanetaka).  He does not appear to have entered many exhibitions, and is not in the 1942 ranking.   He was a senior smith in Seki.  Born 1911 and independent (finished training) in 1930 is age 19.   Seems this training was in the Nippon Tanren Juku and under Kojima Kanetoki (Kanemichi).  Early registered in Seki in October 1939. So he would have been producing pre-war and the SHO stamps are from 1939? to 1942?    Seki stamp is around 1943.

He was a member of Seki Token Kaji Association ("swordsmiths") in 1940.  Not found any info from late war, did he stop working for some reason?

Here's some examples of yours:  

[1.  Japanese Sword Index, Stein:  SHO stamp]     [2. Meirin Sangyo:  Noshu Matsuda Kanetaka saku    has SEKI stamp plus kokuin hot stamp, 68.4 cm / 1.6 cm ] 

[3. Ikeda Art:   Matsuda Kanetaka   71.2 cm  1.8 cm   SHO stamp  long blade, may be custom]         [4.  Yahoo Auction:   Noshu Seki ju Matsuda Kanetaka  saku    SHO stamp].

 

 

                                              

 

Amazing. Thank you!

[marked-content]

On 10/21/2025 at 6:07 PM, ROKUJURO said:

Mark,
 

welcome on board the NMB!

Your sword is signed KANETAKA, who may have been the worker or smith who made it. The photos are not good enough to guess if this is a machine made blade or a traditionally hand-made (water-quenched) one.

Good focus would be necessary to see details, and a dark room, light from the side and a dark background would help a lot.  

Adding some more photos here to see if we can identify the blade temper type: