Arsenal Stamps.

[mecox]

"Noshu Seki ju Amahide saku"    but very poorly cut, although they had a production line and various mei.  The two Sho/sakura stamps are interesting.  The gunto mounts looks like a budget variety.

[RobCarter3]

3 hours ago, Kiipu said:

An anchor-in-circle Type 97 with a stamp on the bottom of the hilt.  Very interesting.

WW2 Japanese Type 97 Navy Officer Sword T97 Katana Naval Arsenal Stamp WWII

This was my sword, posted here. I sold it in October or November. It looks like it’s already changed hands at least once since. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Thomas!  They both look to be in late-war fittings, although that kai has an upgraded saya.  Can't imagine paying for saya upgrade, yet still having that icky tsuka.

[Bruce Pennington]

Stamps of the Japanese Sword, March 2025 Annual Updated version available.  Stamps of the Japanese Sword; March 2025

 

Changes:

- Navy section re-written to discuss the discoveries about the Circled Anchor stamp.
- Kao: a few additions of both Kokuin (hot stamp) and Kakihan (inscribed)
- Cut Test Kao: added examples of stamped mei of Hakudo
- Began a section of Appraiser Kao
- Unknowns: Added a few unknown fittings stamps, like the small star and others
- Type 19 Shop stamps: one new one added

 

Enjoy!

[PNSSHOGUN]

Kai Gunto with TEC stamp on one Seppa: https://www.samuraishokai.jp/sword/25122.html

[Bruce Pennington]

That's 3 with signed blades, now.  Maybe if we get enough of them, we might narrow down an area where this shop operated.

But not there, yet:

 

Hidetoshi - Tottori prefecture

Kaneoto - Gifu

Tsuguhiro - won't help, this was an Edo era blade

[Bruce Pennington]

Something new has popped up over on this Wehrmacht-awards Thread. (page 2 of the thread).  Bob, "Bobl" posted this kaigunto tsuba marked with 

軍刀報國第四
Gunto Hokoku No. 4
Military Sword to Serve the Nation, No. 4

 

 

According to Akira Komiya, it was either marked on a sword that had been bought up in the drive to acquire civil swords for the war, called "軍刀報國, “Serve the Country with Military Swords”  or the gunto was "acquired with public donations for issuing to the mass produced reserve officers after the government cancelled the deferral of military service granted to college students and students in other institutions of higher education in October, 1943. .. The navy called weapons acquired by donated funds as 報國号, Houkoku-gou, “Serve the Country”. In the army, such equipment acquired by donated funds were called 愛國号, Aikoku-go, “Love of Country”.

 

I've added it to the next Stamps doc.

[Bruce Pennington]

An update: Bob powdered the tsuba, same writing on both sides and got the full number:

 

軍刀報國第四二六号
Guntou Houkoku Dai Yon-hyaku nijū-roku Dai
"Serve the Country with Military Swords" No. 426

 

Confirmation from Akira Komiya:

"Yes, the numbering combined with Houkoku clearly makes it a sword paid for by donations to the navy. Probably intended to go to the first round of newly drafted reserve officers?

Although you may have already seen it, here is a link to a famous wartime newsreel on the sending off of the first round of college students joining the military held in October, 1943: https://www2.nhk.or.jp/school/watch/...05402860_00000"

[Scogg]

Here’s a head scratcher. Is this two stamps ontop of each other? 
 

Found on Reddit, on a Japanese saber known as “Taiwan sword for sonin level officials” in Dawsons. 

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, Scogg said:

a head scratcher

Thanks, Sam, haven't seen that one.  We should be able to get a read on that from @Kiipu or @SteveM

[Conway S]

Sam, 

 

I don’t think the green marking partially obscured by the seppa would be a duplicate maker or inspection stamp. I think it could be a sub-assembly number as I have seen these on guards before in the form of Arabic numerals and katakana. 

[Scogg]

16 minutes ago, Conway S said:

Sam, 

 

I don’t think the green marking partially obscured by the seppa would be a duplicate maker or inspection stamp. I think it could be a sub-assembly number as I have seen these on guards before in the form of Arabic numerals and katakana. 

Good eye Conway, I didn't even notice that small mark half under the seppa. Almost looks like the top half of the Nagoya sea creature stamp. Possibly a sub-assembly number makes sense, thank you.

I am mostly curious about the main stamp above it. My first thought was a naval anchor that's been stamped over, but nothing I find quite fits 

[Conway S]

The stamp looks like 越 which could be pronounced “koshi.” I might be very off with pronunciation since I have no formal training in spoken Japanese

[Kiipu]

5 hours ago, Conway S said:

The stamp looks like 越 which could be pronounced “koshi.”

 

Correct, 越 as in Echizen’ya-Tazaki Store.  It has shown up before but without the enclosing circle.  So this logo variation is a first appearance for me.

越前屋多崎商店 = Echizen’ya Tazaki Shōten.

 

Cross-Reference

Arsenal Stamps.

[Scogg]

Thank you Thomas!

 

The “I owe you one’s” keep piling up .

Much appreciated. 

Sincerely,

-Sam 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Thomas!

This shop seems to have had a variety of logo and markings.

On a dirk:

 

On a sword of some kind (kyugunto?)

 

and now this one.

[Conway S]

The second one from the top was on another Formosa colonial officials sword if I recall correctly. I found it on Live Auctioneers. 

[Kiipu]

3 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

This shop seems to have had a variety of logo and markings.

 

There is a fourth variation that can be seen on page 167, plate 235, of F&G, 1997.  It also is on a Formosan colonial sword.

京東 Tōkyō (reading from right to left, F&G has the translation wrong.)

越 Echizen’ya (plus the two characters below)

前

屋

製 = sei = made or manufactured.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks, Thomas!  They must have gotten the contract for making the Taiwan swords.  Here's the Fuller example you mentioned:

[Conway S]

I found another parade sword with 東- “to” on the ricasso. There’s a few other examples found within this thread, but I did not see any speculation that Tokyo Arsenal was inspecting army contract parade swords. Maybe the accompanying encircled characters are production prefixes?

 

 

[Kiipu]

To get started on these, see the link below.

The Mysterious "w" Stamp!

[Conway S]

Thanks, Thomas! I forgot about that thread. It contained the info I was looking for and the clarification that the stamp is 京 not 東. 

 

 

[Kiipu]

Conway, the Japanese army did issue some of these parade swords as they show up in the ordnance school manuals.  They are depicted alongside the Type 32 and Type 95.  Attached is a picture of one of these swords from an ordnance school textbook.  The inspection mark belongs to the following.

京 = 陸軍兵器行政本部造兵部板橋監督班

 

[Bruce Pennington]

21 hours ago, Kiipu said:

To get started on these, see the link below.

The Mysterious "w" Stamp!

Thanks for the reminder, guys, on this stamp.  I had never added it to the Stamps doc.   I had that blade in the "W" discussion, but not under the shop name.  Added to next year's update.