Arsenal Stamps.

[John C]

@Bruce Pennington

Do you have this yet? I searched this topic and didn't see it, however it looks familiar somehow.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405833514588?

 

John C.

[John C]

@Bruce Pennington

Another one with seki stamp.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257149398394?

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

56 minutes ago, John C said:

, however it looks familiar somehow.

Thanks, John, Wakase Co..  Made fittings.

[Bruce Pennington]

43 minutes ago, John C said:

one with seki stamp.

Haven't seen that done before!  Thanks!  Nagoya inspector, 1943 and on.  Seen NA stamps on them, but not the Seki

[John C]

Well...one out of two isn't bad!

 

John C.

Edited October 29, 2025 by John C
spelling

[Bruce Pennington]

2 hours ago, John C said:

Well...one out of two isn't bad!

 

John C.

That's one short of a Meatloaf song! Ha!

[BANGBANGSAN]

On 10/30/2025 at 4:58 AM, John C said:

@Bruce Pennington

Do you have this yet? I searched this topic and didn't see it, however it looks familiar somehow.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405833514588?

 

John C.

This is from Tokyo Wakasei Gunto Seisaku Jo 東京若瀨軍刀製作所 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

On 2/19/2020 at 7:21 PM, reeder said:

Here’s one off the saya from a sword i recently purchased.

 

Brandon,

Can you check this sword's seppa to see if there is a small star with a number?

[reeder]

On 11/6/2025 at 10:49 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Brandon,

Can you check this sword's seppa to see if there is a small star with a number?

Sword is long gone. I don’t even remember what blade it had. Maybe Kawano Sadashige, but maybe another I got in that bunch. 🤷‍♂️

[John C]

@Bruce Pennington

Do you need a photo of Murata-to stamps (se and Kokura cannonball)?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/205830768967?

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

John,

I haven't been tracking then (I know, what a shocker! Ha!) Maybe @Kiipu or @BANGBANGSAN

 

What I find very interesting, is the Type 94 with offset chuso (Yes, John @PNSSHOGUN has pointed this out) and the Type 98 with centered chuso:

[Rawa]

On 11/24/2025 at 7:07 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

John,

I haven't been tracking then (I know, what a shocker! Ha!) Maybe @Kiipu or @BANGBANGSAN

 

What I find very interesting, is the Type 94 with offset chuso (Yes, John @PNSSHOGUN has pointed this out) and the Type 98 with centered chuso:

Mekugi ana are made in similar spot so theory that chuso position depends on it isn’t reliable. Still boston’s murata-to is in T94 but without second hanger [if original to blade?]

Edited November 30, 2025 by Rawa

[Scogg]

On 6/11/2024 at 9:13 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

I wanted to add my ongoing thoughts about the Gifu stamp in Sakura

 

Its source, so far, is unknown.  I made the mistake of speculating in previous Stamps of the Japanese Sword that it is possibly the stamp created by the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association after the Nagoya Army Arsenal absconded with their SEKI stamp.  Appearance of the stamp in the dateline would fit the theory.  But recent data coming from the WWII Military Mei - Tachi then Katana thread reveals that the stamp is more likely an Army stamp.

 

Once I got pointed back in that direction, I realized, too, it appears on officer blades in 1943 and runs through '45 just like all the other area specific stamps do.  It's more logical that a blade with the Gifu, and sometimes the NA & Gifu, and Gifu & small Seki are all Nagoya inspectors.  It now seems illogical to think a blade would have a civil stamp from the Association plus an Army stamp.

 

I'll revise the discussion of this stamp in the next revision of the Stamps doc.

 

I was given this tsuba over the weekend along with some loose type 95 and 98 parts. It has the Gifu in Sakura stamp on one side, and a partial seki stamp on the other 

 

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

On 11/24/2025 at 11:56 AM, John C said:

@Bruce Pennington

Do you need a photo of Murata-to stamps (se and Kokura cannonball)?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/205830768967?

 

John C.

John

This is Zoheito not Murata-to

[John C]

Just quoting the item description.

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

5 hours ago, Scogg said:

It has the Gifu in Sakura stamp on one side, and a partial seki stamp on the other 

Nice one, Sam, thanks!

[John C]

@Bruce Pennington

A Masayasu with what looks like a ko stamp on the nakago (I'll probably get corrected on that so please take it with a grain of salt).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/357998375327?

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

10 hours ago, John C said:

ko stamp on the nakago

Thanks John!  I have 4 other Masayasu with the same stamp, now 5.

 

I have a few other smiths with the Ko on the nakago, but they are either on the mune or if on the face, it is together with the stacked cannon ball stamp.  Masayasu seems to be the only one that had the Ko marked in this fashion.

[Conway S]

There are a few other examples of this stamp recorded in Mal Cox’s Showa Swordsmiths of Aichi Prefecture (Owari and Mikawa) found in the download section. 

 

[Itomagoi]

Taiwan Flag? 

 

https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/auction/r1217127211?conversionType=jdirectitems_auction_DirectSearch

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

I think you're right, Peter, look at this one.  12 rays, just as the one on the nakago:

 

Can someone translate the smith here:

[Kiipu]

Rai Kunifusa 来國房 with nakago mune character.  See picture number 6.

WW2 Japanese Officers Sword & Scabbard Signed

[Bruce Pennington]

Is it Yoshi 義?

 

 

[Kiipu]

I sure looks like it is.

義 = gi = righteousness; justice; morality; honor; loyalty.

[SteveM]

Yes - that's 義 gi/yoshi

[Conway S]

Found this example of the Hyakuren hotstamp here:

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1156337462

 

I am not sure of the smith. Looks like Takahashi Kane(yuki?). Didn’t find a match in Sesko or on the forum. There’s a seki stamp above the mei. 

 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

11 hours ago, Conway S said:

Takahashi Kane(yuki?)

Great, thanks, Conway!  @SteveM Steve, can you confirm Kaneyuki?  

[BANGBANGSAN]

36 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Great, thanks, Conway!  @SteveM Steve, can you confirm Kaneyuki?  

 

高橋兼行 (Takahashi Kaneyuki ).

The hot stamp百鍊（Hyakuren/Hundred-Fold Forged)belonged to 百鍊堂刀劍店 (Hyakuren-dō Tōkenten).

This shop was a designated supplier for 豐橋陸軍預備士官學校 ( Toyohashi Army Reserve Officer School).

 

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

1 minute ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

 

高橋兼行 (Takahashi Kaneyuki ).

The hot stamp百鍊（Hyakuren/Hundred-Fold Forged)belonged to 百鍊堂刀劍店 (Hyakuren-dō Tōkenten).

This shop was a designated supplier for 豐橋陸軍預備士官學校 ( Toyohashi Army Reserve Officer School).

 

 

Also note the term 「調製」  in the advertisement, which represents “Adjusting”.

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

高橋兼行 (Takahashi Kaneyuki ).

The hot stamp百鍊（Hyakuren/Hundred-Fold Forged)belonged to 百鍊堂刀劍店 (Hyakuren-dō Tōkenten).

This shop was a designated supplier for 豐橋陸軍預備士官學校 ( Toyohashi Army Reserve Officer School)

Thanks, Trystan!  Very interesting information.  @mecox Do you have info linking this smith to this shop?  If not, looks like you do now. The other one I have on file was made by Kanehisa.

Also just found this mumei one, also bearing the Seki stamp, beginning at this post: