Blade with WWII tsuba

[Hudson]

A friend is going to look at this blade tomorrow. Sorry these are only pictures from the seller. Sounds like maybe not in great shape and rest of the mountings are missing. Wondering if from the markings anyone can give me any more info on the blade - when it was made perhaps?

 

 

[mecox]

@Hudson    Pat,    well the mounts look to be shingunto.  Pics of nakago not too clear.

left one is date:   昭和康辰春　Showa kou tatsu haru       Showa year of dragon spring (1940).

right one is the  smith  .  Last two kanji are 作之　"saku kore"   made this.  I will look further into his name.

　

Edits now added. 

I added an example.   Well made swords, initially made in Manchuria, under Japanese supervision then later in Japan.   See the newer email by Kiipu

 

 

 

 

           

[Kiipu]

興亜一心と 満鐵作之　Kōa Isshin Mantetsu kore wo tsukuru.

昭和庚辰春?　1940 probably Spring?

[mecox]

Thanks Thomas, OK I was not thinking of them.  

[Hudson]

Thank you both for this information.

 

im saving the link to the sword index for my future reference. Very useful.

[mecox]

Pat, the NMB site also has a very effective search capability which is worth trying. 

[BANGBANGSAN]

8 hours ago, Kiipu said:

興亜一心と 満鐵作之　Kōa Isshin Mantetsu kore wo tsukuru.

昭和庚辰春?　1940 probably Spring?

@Bruce Pennington & @BANGBANGSAN

It is 昭和庚辰春 1940 Spring.

This Mantetsu was made in the year of the Dragon.

[Bruce Pennington]

Pat,

Please ask him for a photo of the back edge of the nakago (tang).  There will be a serial number there.

[Kiipu]

Pat, there is an article written by Bruce that is available for download that goes into more details.

South Manchurian Railway: The Mantetsu Blade