Another Type 98 sword!

[TNcollector]

Thanks for your help Mr.Coleman. I still can not believe I was able find the sword for such a good price. Thanks, Robert

[BOB COLEMAN]

the kirsh has translated the sword maker and sent me a PM regarding posting it. I told him to proceed as I want to encourage other collectors to participate in these things. As a moderator, I will try to always check accuracy.

[TNcollector]

Thanks Mr.Coleman for the heads up and all the time you put in here as a moderator. I look forward to learning about the smith. Will the capture tag reveal the officers name and rank? Also what is the meaning of the number 125 in red on both sides of the tag? Thanks, Robert

[thekirsh]

Hi Robert,
Well I have translated most of the swords signature and I believe it reads
“Oite dai # # Kato Tsunatoshi tsukuru” Swordsmith = Tsunatoshi HAW TSU321
There are two missing kanji which I read as saka shimo but that doesn’t seem right, hopefully Bob fill in the gaps 
If the signature is real you have one very,very valuable sword congratulations, but it will need to be validated by Shinsa(Japanese judging panel).

Here’s an article by Fred Weissberg
CHOUNSAI TSUNATOSHI
By Fred Weissberg 10/06
Tsunatoshi's family name was Kato and he was born around 1800. He was the son of Dewa (no) Kuni Kunihide and he was the younger brother of Kato Tsunahide. The Kato family smiths were originally from Yonezawa in Dewa. Tsunatoshi was called Kato Hachiro. He has dated works from around 1823 that he made at Azabu, Edo where he did most of his work. He received the title of Chounsai in Ansei Gannen (1854). He handed down this title to his son, Koretoshi, in 1856 and took the new title of Chojusai for himself. It is said that he received a stipend from the Uesugi Clan. He died at the age of 66 on the fifth day of December 1863.
Tsunatoshi's sword making group prospered greatly in Edo (Tokyo). He and his students greatly excelled in the making of Bizen style swords. His skill was great enough to surpass the famous sword-making group led by Suishinshi Masahide. One of the most famous of all Shinshinto sword smiths, Koyama Munetsugu, is said in some reference books to have been a student of Chounsai Tsunatoshi. Others have Munetsugu as a contemporary of Tsunatoshi's and a student of his older brother Tsunahide. Either way, the closeness of their working styles shows that they were related in some way. Among Tsunatoshi's other students were Takahashi Naganobu, Ishido Korekazu, Seiryuken Moritoshi, and others.
There is no doubt that Chounsai Tsunatoshi was one of the leading sword smiths of the Shinshinto Period.
While Tsunatoshi did toran-midare like his older brother, Tsunahide was famous for; he really excelled when he worked in the Bizen tradition. The sori will be deep koshi-zori and the kasane will be thick. His usual hamon is ko-choji midare or ko-midare. The hamon will consist of a tight nioi guchi and hard, dark spots can be seen in the yakigashira (upper part of the yakiba). There will be an uneven pattern of nie covering the nioi guchi. They will be ara-nie in areas. The hada is a dense mokume-hada mixed with o-hada in some areas. It is so tight that it will almost appear as a muji-hada. This is an important kantei point that separates Tsunatoshi from Koyama Munetsugu. Munetsugu's hada is a fine kitae of ko-itame that has a flowing feeling and a beautiful visible pattern.
Tsunatoshi's boshi is usually done midare-komi. The nakago is made with the tip in ha-agari-kengyo. The yasurimei are sujikai with some kesho at the top.
His typical signatures are as follows:
OITE TOUTO KATOU TSUNATOSHI TSUKURU
KATOU TSUNATOSHI TSUKURU
CHOUENSAI TSUNATOSHI TSUKURU KORE
DEWA YONEZAWA JU KATOU TSUNATOSHI

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[tomp]

Nice sword! Your surrender tag has the former owner's name, but no rank. The flip side of the tag has the owner's address. He lived in Kanagawa Prefecture and had what looks like the family name of Furusawa (first name eludes me). Just speculation, but the red number may be an inventory number for all swords turned in after surrender.

Tom

[KRISSE]

Nice sword, but why is there a screwdriver in the handle?

[TNcollector]

Thanks Simon so much for taking the time to do the translation and for finding the wealth of information on the sword smith. I enjoyed reading it. It is greatly appreciated. Also thanks Tom for the additional information on the surrender tag.

[TNcollector]

I just set the screwdriver in the Handel very loosely to keep all the seppa in the right order. Cheers, Robert

[TNcollector]

Can the Shinsa judge the sword from photos or must they have the sword in hand? Also do you know a ball park figure of the cost? As I plan on keeping this sword in my collection forever and wonder if it be worth paying to have done if i have no intention ever of getting rid of it. Thanks, Robert

[TNcollector]

Also did the Japanese keep service records having the owners name is it possible to research him and learn more about the officer that carried the sword? Thanks again to Simon, Mr.Coleman, Tom and everyone else that has taken time to look at and translate the sword. I don't know what I would do with out you. Thanks, Robert