David Flynn Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 Could anyone, please help me with any information on a showa period smith Munetoshi. His signature is only Munetoshi saku. He is in Fuller and Gregory's first book and is not the one in Slough who also signed Hidemune. The sword belongs to a friend of mine and is a very well made Gendaito, with a mixture of ko gunome and choji. there is a lot of hataraki, kinsuji inazuma and Chikei. I would go so far as to say this is an excellent sword. Thanks in advance for your efforts. Quote
John A Stuart Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 David, there was a couple that signed this way. One of Niigata and one of Gifu. John Quote
cabowen Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 It is imperative to include the kanji used in the mei if you wish a proper answer to your question. Based on the description of the blade, I will hazard a guess that this is Yamagami Munetoshi 山上宗利. He was a Rikugun Jumei Tosho from Niigata and the brother of Yamagami Akihisa 山上昭久, who was a student of Kurihara Akihide. He most likely also spent time at the Nihon-to Gakuin training along with his brother. I have seen many blades by both of them and would say they were both good smiths. Quote
george trotter Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 There was an Ikeda Munetoshi of Gifu who was RJT during the war. Since your friends sword is not by Yamagami Munetoshi you say, it may be by the Gifu man. I looked up the F & G on your Munetoshi, and the signature kanji match those for RJT Ikeda Munetoshi...but, there was also a Kajikawa Munetoshi (5th Seat 1941) who uses the same kanji...he is from Yamaguchi. You'll have to do some research as my skim through the gendaitosho books did not bring up anything on Ikeda or Kajikawa...so, start searching, there must be something somewhere... Regards, George.. Quote
cabowen Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 ....As Chris says he was at denshjo 1933-36? and studied under Kasama Shigetsugu while his younger brother Yamagami Akihisa studied under Akihide, and both worked as independent smiths together in their shop in Niigata, with Kasama as "managing distributor" in Tokyo. ....George. One distinction: no one really studied under Akihide as he was not a smith. Other smiths took over the actual teaching after Kasama left, including Akifusa, Akitomo, Akimune, etc..... Quote
george trotter Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 Hi Chris, Yes, you are correct...he was an "honourary sensei" they say. You will notice that my post has changed...as soon as I posted it I noticed it was stated that the Munetoshi of the query was NOT Yamagami, so I scrubbed it immediately, but not before your eagle eye spotted it...anyway, posted in its place there is some more relevent info on the Munetoshi queried. Regards, George. Quote
cabowen Posted February 6, 2011 Report Posted February 6, 2011 George- Proof that it is next to useless asking for info on a mei without giving the kanji.... Quote
Alan Morton Posted February 7, 2011 Report Posted February 7, 2011 Dave, forget to put film in your camera again you shouldn't go out by your self you know. AL. Quote
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