Dr Fox Posted May 26, 2012 Report Posted May 26, 2012 Hi again everyone, Can you help to confirm or correct my findings please. A good friend of mine bought a 'Mantetsu' sword, set up in full naval Kai-Gunto, with a ray saya, clear lacquered. As pretty as a picture, he has shown it to me, and I asked why he called it a Mantetsu blade, it was because he was told that, and it was made out of railway lines. Well I don't think it is! Here's what I think, the anchor stamp on the nakago is not a Naval acceptance stamp. I have seen this stamp before and always on swords made at the Tenshozan Taren-jo forge in Kamakura Japan. The anchor is the workshops trademark stamp, and they produced dress swords exclusively for the Navy. Now I am right or wrong depending on the Tachi-mei translation, can you help please. Best regards Denis. Quote
Brian Posted May 26, 2012 Report Posted May 26, 2012 Converted the files from .tif to jpeg, and resized. Brian Quote
cabowen Posted May 26, 2012 Report Posted May 26, 2012 Seeing as how the mei reads "Tenshozan Tanren Jo Kitae kore" I would think it was indeed made at the naval shop in Tenshozan and not a Mantetsu blade.... Quote
Dr Fox Posted May 26, 2012 Author Report Posted May 26, 2012 Brian, Thanks no wonder I tried to ages to upload, Tiff versus Jpeg, I should have known better. Regards And to you Chris, just the answer I was hoping for, definite conformation. Cheers both. Denis. Quote
Lindus Posted May 27, 2012 Report Posted May 27, 2012 Just a thought, all the Mantetsu blades I have had , the mei has been a master piece, so different from all other blades so as to make them un mistakable. Roy Quote
Dr Fox Posted May 28, 2012 Author Report Posted May 28, 2012 Hi Roy Do all the Manchurian blades carry a stamp of an M straddling a cross section railway line? Denis. Quote
cabowen Posted May 28, 2012 Report Posted May 28, 2012 Most do not. I believe it is only the early ones that have this mark... Quote
Bruno Posted May 28, 2012 Report Posted May 28, 2012 Do all the Manchurian blades carry a stamp of an M straddling a cross section railway line? Not sure we are talking about the same but the W stamp appears on blades made by Takehisa and Haruhisa. Quote
Dr Fox Posted May 30, 2012 Author Report Posted May 30, 2012 Thanks Chris I had been told it was the definitive stamp for the Koa Isshin blade, and that is why I have never seen one as it is an early mark. And Bruno thanks for your input, it is an M and not a W. the M straddles a section of railway line,i.e. as looked at end on. If I had known this has been covered this forum Stamp/crest on a gusto. Wed 23 June 2010. By Arnaud. Cheers Denis. Quote
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