Private Collection Museum

[bangbangsan]

Nick,Thank you much for your correction .服部正廣 Hattor Masahiro.

[Nick Komiya]

Hattori is one of the rare examples where the reading is a big departure from the normal reading of the characters involved. As a reminder it might be useful to know that Hanzo Hattori was the most famous Ninja in Japanese history, probably the only one who has a subway station as well as an entire subway line named after him, Hanzo-mon station and Hanzo-mon Line in Tokyo.

[ghp95134]

Hattori is one of the rare examples where the reading is a big departure from the normal reading of the characters involved. As a reminder it might be useful to know that Hanzo Hattori was the most famous Ninja in Japanese history, probably the only one who has a subway station as well as an entire subway line named after him, Hanzo-mon station and Hanzo-mon Line in Tokyo.

Doggone Japanese language! (>_<)

Thanks Nick!

--Guy

[Nick Komiya]

Back already or just stretching between books?

[ghp95134]

Back already or just stretching between books?

Thanks for asking, Nick; I'm just taking a "stretch" right now. I had a tonsil removed on 4/19 and it still hurts to swallow, and I can't talk long; plus, I'm sick of staying in bed. I think I'll be "out of the net" for 3+ months around the beginning of May.

Cheers,
--Guy

[Kiipu]

For the record, the Masahiro 正廣 signed blade is a postwar souvenir sword sold in the U. S. Army's Post Exchange (PX). For more details, see the thread below.
NLF Gunto Discussion

[ghp95134]

For the record, the Masahiro 正廣 signed blade is a postwar souvenir sword sold in the U. S. Army's Post Exchange (PX). For more details, see the thread below.
NLF Gunto Discussion

But put together from "new old stock" -- the blade was forged & signed before the war ended.

-- Guy

[Bruce Pennington]

Yes, I doubt the Tenshozan souvenir forge was cranking out Takayama-to. So most likely unused surplus from the war.

Slough has this exact same mei of Hattori Masahiro, but doesn't have any biographical data on him. I tried Sesko's list, and he has a Showa era Hattori, but he's showing a different kanji - MASAHIRO (正弘), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Masahiro” (正弘), real name Hattori Kazuichi (服部一市), born July 30th 1907, he worked as guntō smith. He only shows one smith using 正寛, but it's not Hattori. I was hoping to find a death date to see if he lived long enough to have possibly worked the Tenshozan souvenir operation after the war.

[ghp95134]

Bruce! Thanks. I think Sesko made a transcription error and used 弘 instead of 広 [both "hiro"]. I checked the Gifu Sword Guild for 服部 Hattori and lo and behold:

"Register of Names of Seki Forge Swordsmiths Since Showa 14, October [1939]"
正広 服部一市 S17.08.25
Smith name: Masahiro
Legal name: Hattori Kazu'ichi
Licensed/Registered with Guild: Showa 17 [1942] August 25

広 is the simplified version of 廣. I don't think Sesko ever uses 廣 ... and I'm betting a dollar to a doughnut he (or the record he copied) used the 弘 kanji instead.

Just checked Sesko. He only uses the old kanji in the contents and name headings:

• Hiro (広・廣) 113
• Kō (広・廣) 400
• HIRO (広・廣)
• KŌ (広・廣)

So if you do a name search of 正廣 [masahiro] you will get 0 results. However, if you search 正広 you'll get results.
[Still you wouldn't find Hattori Masahiro because of the incorrect hiro 弘 .... unless you did a search for his civilian name 服部一市 Hattori Kazuichi. Then you'd ponder why it is listed as 正弘; rinse/repeat .... ]

-- Guy