Officers sword for review

[Phronsias]

Hi
I would be grateful if you could give me your opinions on this sword.

"JAPANESE WW2 TYPE 98 ARMY SHIN GUNTO SWORD KANENORI OCTOBER 1943. SUGU STRAIGHT HAMON. SAME MAKER BUT MARCH 1943 CAN BE SEEN ON PAGE 57 OF " An Oshigata Book" by J.S. Slough. 686 mm ( 27")from tip to tsuba. All matching tsuba and spacers numbers, note Nagoya Arsenal "na" inspection mark ( see the last picture ). A few very shallow niks on the blade, very easy to take out, nothing near fatal flaws, no rust/pitting on the blade"

Thanks in advance
Frank

[Phronsias]

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[Phronsias]

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[Phronsias]

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[Stu W]

Hello Frank,

From those pics it does appear to be a semi machine made, hand finished, Type 98 IJA Officer sword. Sarute is missing but otherwise looks fine. I don't have my kanji cards at hand so can't confirm the mei but I have no reason to think it's not legitimate. Value of course will depend largely upon how many and how deep are the edge nicks.

Regards,
Stu

[GHP]

Yep, Kanenori

兼則


昭和十八年七月
Shōwa jūhachi-nen shichi-gatsu
July 1943

EDIT: The original description misread 七 7 [July] as a 十 10 [October]

一三九
139 -- factory assembly number


--Guy

[Phronsias]

Hello Frank,

From those pics it does appear to be a semi machine made, hand finished, Type 98 IJA Officer sword. Sarute is missing but otherwise looks fine. I don't have my kanji cards at hand so can't confirm the mei but I have no reason to think it's not legitimate. Value of course will depend largely upon how many and how deep are the edge nicks.

Regards,
Stu

Thank you very much Guys
All the best
Frank

[bangbangsan]

小島太郎-兼則

[GHP]

小島太郎-兼則

Thanks, Bangbangsan!

He said that 兼則 Kanenori's legal name is 小島太郎 Kojima Tarō. Based on his hint, I found Kanenori at Google Books: Index of Japanese Swordsmiths A-M (Markus Sesko), p. 153.

Thanks,
--Guy

[GHP]

Hmmmmm.... according to the link I provided in my previous post, there are TWO Showa-era 兼則 Kanenori smiths! The second one's legal name was Kitagawa Katsuichi.

北川 勝一
Kitagawa Katsuichi
How do we tell the difference when they both signed 兼則 ???

[Phronsias]

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Hi
This is a link to the ebay listing.....http://www.ebay.com/itm/JAPANESE-WW2...:X:ONA:GB:5385

There are a few more photographs you might find useful.
Regards
Frank

[GHP]

This is a link to the ebay listing....There are a few more photographs you might find useful.

Tsuba with a Nagoya punch-mark 名 and seppa with assembly number 139, matching the lacquered kanji numbers 一三九 on the tang.


--Guy

[bangbangsan]

Hmmmmm.... according to the link I provided in my previous post, there are TWO Showa-era 兼則 Kanenori smiths! The second one's legal name was Kitagawa Katsuichi.

北川 勝一
Kitagawa Katsuichi
How do we tell the difference when they both signed 兼則 ???

I think 小島太郎（兼則）is 小島時二郎（兼道）'s brother,he was trained at 吉田丑之助（ 兼吉）'s 刀劍鍛煉所。They're 濃州關住。
http://www.samuraishokai.jp/sword/11146.html
Check the signature ,I think shouled be this 兼則。
Othere 兼則（北川 勝一）seems not many history ,just regular Gunto smith also use 兼則 as Signature?
Sowrd expert in this forum please give us more info about 2 兼則.

[bangbangsan]

北川勝一 shoule be 勝則 instede of 兼則。

[GHP]

北川勝一 shoule be 勝則 instede of 兼則。

Bangbangsan,

Please let me know your source showing Kitakawa Katsuichi's art name is 勝則 Katsunori. According to the Index of Japanese Swordsmiths A-M, Kitakawa Katsuichi's art name is 兼則 Kanenori.

--Guy