Help with date please

[drb 1643]

I think it’s Meiji December 1st but I can’t figure out the year. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 Thanks again,

Tom

[mecox]

Tom , date Meiji 26 year 12 month 1st day.   1 December 1893.   Less common 20 is "niju"  廿 

stamps of "O" and "331"

 

[drb 1643]

Thanks very much Mal. It was the niju that I couldn’t recognize.

I sincerely appreciate your help.

Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

Tom, is this in army fittings? Why would there be stamped numbers on a blade from the 1800s?  

[PNSSHOGUN]

Swords by Kanemasa (Baron Murata Tsuneyoshi's Tosho name) can sometimes be found with stamped numbers from this period. 

[mecox]

@drb 1643   Tom, yes be interested to know the smith and see mei  and mounts.

[drb 1643]

Yes, it’s a Kanemasa. If I get a chance I’ll take and post some pictures later today. 
Thanks guys,

Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

Oh!  Yes, I have 8 Kanemasa blades with numbers from 1889 to 1893.  Mostly Murata-to in kyugunto fittings.  I had this one in the chart, but didn't have photos for some reason.

The larger number is a "5" 

5

331

[drb 1643]

Ok here’s some crappy pictures of the koshirae, blade and Mei.

[Bruce Pennington]

Excellent, thanks, Tom!

[mecox]

Tom, this is rather interesting due to the  timeframe.   

Your mei is:    Muratato Kanemasa    村田刀　兼正

 

Sesko lists:     

MURATA (村田) → TSUNEYOSHI (経芳), Meiji (明治, 1868-1912), Tōkyō.

TSUNEYOSHI (経芳), Meiji (明治, 1868-1912), Tōkyō – “Murata Tsuneyoshi” (村田経芳), real name Murata Tsuneyoshi (村田経芳), he was born on the tenth day of the sixth month Tenpō nine (天保, 1838) as son of the Satsuma-samurai Murata Ransai Tsunenori (村田蘭斎経徳), he was the best marksman of the fief and fought among others also in the Boshin War (1868/69), 1871 he was as Imperial bodyguard sent to Tōkyō and was later promoted to a infantry captain, in 1875 he was sent to France and to other European states to improve Japanese firearms which resulted in the promotion to a major and the post of instructor at the Toyama Military Academy (陸軍戸山学校), 1880 he was involved in the development of the first Japanese-designed rifle, after that he was made head of the imperial artillery weapons factory and became a member of the Japanese Upper House, in 1890 he was promoted to the rank of a major general and six years later – in 1896 – he was elevated to the rank of a baron due to his merits in the Boshin War and the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, besides of that, he was also active as swordsmith and the army produced the Murata-tō (村田刀) swords named after him, for the latter, not only tamahagane but also western steel was processed and they were widely used during the Sino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese War from 1894-95 and 1904-05 respectively, he died on February 9th 1910 of a lung disease.

KANEMASA (兼正), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tōkyō – “Shōjū Kanemasa” (小銃兼正), “Kanemasa” (兼正), real name Murata Tsuneyoshi (村田経芳), he worked for the Akabane Arsenal (赤羽造兵廠)

[Bruce Pennington]

29 minutes ago, mecox said:

Akabane Arsenal (赤羽造兵廠)

Sheesh!  The story grows.  So, what/where was the Akabane Arsenal?  Online searches are all focused on the post-war confiscation of swords.  I cannot find anything on the Akabane Arsenal of the 1800s.  

@Kiipu @mecox

[mecox]

Bruce, some background

Tokyo First Army Arsenal Jujo Factory

Tokyo Daiichi Army Arsenal - Wikipedia

6: Development as a "military capital" and after ~ Oji Takinogawa | Konomachi Archives | If you want to buy or sell real estate, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Real Estate

"Army Ordnance Supply Depot Ruins, Inatsuke Shooting Range Ruins" Walking around the battle sites of Nishigaoka, Kita-ku

[mecox]

Example sword:    Yahoo!オークション - 村田刀 小銃兼正銘 長さ70cm 小烏丸造り 明治24...

 

                       

[mecox]

@Bruce Pennington    from Chris Bowen "Tokyo Kindai Tosho"  (1867-1945) lists:

XIII.  Tokyo Dai Ichi Rikugun Zoheisho (東京第一陸軍造兵廠)
These smiths made swords at the Imperial Army's arsenal factory
in Akabane, Tokyo (1943-45).  These swords are usually inscribed
'Tokyo Dai Ichi Rikugun Zoheisho'.  Others may have also worked
here on a part-time basis.

     1.  Nobutaka (宣威) 

     2.  Kanemasa (兼正)

     3.  Katsunobu (勝信)

     4.  Morikuni (守国)

[drb 1643]

Thanks very much Mal, this is great information!

Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Mal.  So, it became the Tokyo 1st Army Arsenal after 1940, if I read it right.