KaneYoshi with kokuin

[Cuirassier]

Can anyone say if this is Yoshida Kaneyoshi please?

I can see no evidence he had a kokuin

Any input gratefully received


 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Mark,

I'm not saying it isn't, but a long time ago I had a gunto signed (Sho stamp) Yoshida Kaneyoshi - just a four kanji signature: 吉田兼吉 

 

Sorry, I don't have any pictures. If I remember correctly the "da" kanji was quite stylised - more of a circle with an X within it - so quite a different signature to this one, but that mean something or nothing...

 

 

[Kiipu]

Help! Trystan, Bruce, Mal, and Jean.

@BANGBANGSAN

[ROKUJURO]

I am not of great help in the field of militaria, sorry!

[Bruce Pennington]

Man, they made a mess of that stamp, but it's this one, the top one.  Not a kokuin at all, but a registration number and statement about using the kobuse method:

 

I haven't made an effort to track how many smiths used the stamp, but there are more than a couple with it.  Can't tell you if the Kaneyoshi is who you are speaking of.

Though, after checking the 4 of his I have on file, there seem to be a variety of mei - 3 and 5 kanji.  

[Kiipu]

2 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

I am not of great help in the field of militaria, sorry!

 

Was on cell phone and wanted to flag the thread for later research.  My question is this.  Was the indentation done by the swordsith while the steel was hot or was it done after the blade was finished?

[ROKUJURO]

Oh, you mean the big stamp Thomas? In mass production, that is done with a punching machine when the steel is red-hot. 

[Kiipu]

正真甲伏鍛兼吉作 = shōshin kōbuse kitae Kaneyoshi saku

 

Jean, you are correct. I was asking about the big stamp.

 

Bruce, take a look at this sword. Similar beginning in the mei but note the additional stamps.

Translation Needed

[Kiipu]

9 hours ago, Cuirassier said:

Can anyone say if this is Yoshida Kaneyoshi please?

 

Is this sword currently in Japan or did it recently come from Japan?  Bruce is correct that this is a patent marking and I think it was removed for some reason.

[Bruce Pennington]

3 hours ago, Kiipu said:

Bruce, take a look at this sword. Similar beginning in the mei but note the additional stamps.

Translation Needed

Yes, that Masafusa has the "Shingane Iri" or Genuine Core Steel stamp on the other side.  A bit unusual to see them on opposite side, but I think I've seen it done that way before.  I'm starting a file for these to get the variations and smiths using them.  

 

I think you are right about someone destroying that stamp.

[Kiipu]

The following swordsmiths used this combination of patent & 眞金入 stamps.

正房 Masafusa [by far the the most common]

兼重 Kaneshige

[Bruce Pennington]

Well that solves one of my questions!

[Kiipu]

I only have one 兼重 Kaneshige recorded.  The same sword on three different occasions.

NMB James 2008-0411

NMB Chriso 2010-0724

NMB Chriso 2022-1002

[Bruce Pennington]

Mark,

Another Kaneyoshi, same mei, posted here (also has the registration stamp, faintly seen at bottom) Kaigunto mounts.

 

[Kiipu]

That is actually a different Kaneyoshi 包義.

[Bruce Pennington]

@Kiipu 

Check out this "Kuni(?)yoshi" on this Wehrmacht-awards thread.  It's in grass script and no one was totally sure it is "Kuni".   But it's got both stamps, so I'd appreciate your opinion on the mei.

 

Update: SteveM also thought it was "Kunimichi":

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Mark, my apologies for running all over the place on your thread! But thanks for this opportunity!

 

@Kiipu

After saying that I also thought this stamp was possibly destroyed, I found one almost as bad.  So maybe it's a case of using too much force?

 

[Kiipu]

1 hour ago, Bruce Pennington said:

So maybe it's a case of using too much force?

 

OK, I can go along with that.  I will add Kaneyoshi 兼吉 to my list.

[Bruce Pennington]

5 hours ago, Kiipu said:

I only have one 兼重 Kaneshige recorded.  The same sword on three different occasions.

NMB James 2008-0411

NMB Chriso 2010-0724

NMB Chriso 2022-1002

I found this one, Thomas, but it only has the registration/kabuse stamp.  I don't see the Shingane iri stamp.

So far, I've found 8 Kaneshige with the registration stamp and no Shigane iri stamp.  

 

I'm still in the search, but so far I've only found the Shigane iri stamp on Masafusa (4) and that one Kunimichi.