WW2 Toshimasa gunto

**Sporter90** · 12-13-2018, 02:43 AM

by nick komiya

Using only strips of ray skin on the grip, instead of wrapping the whole grip with it, was a substandard cheating practice already observed on army swords in 1937. Because this was becoming an alarming trend, the navy specifically forbade this practice when they launched their own nihonto-style gunto in October 1937.

One may find panel method used on the handles of old samurai swords.

**Sporter90** · 12-13-2018, 02:56 AM

It's got a decent workman's tsuba: iron ground, shakudo covered rim, and small sukashi openwork.

**Didier** · 12-13-2018, 07:44 AM

I was interested to see that the seppa do overlap the kozuka hitsu-ana and kogai hitsu-ana on this vet bring back sword.

**DaveR** · 12-13-2018, 11:16 AM

Overlapped or shaped seppa on the WW2 swords depends to a certain extent on whether the hitsu-ana are in use or not. If you have a leather retention strap passing through, then you do not want it rubbing against a seppa.

**Didier** · 12-22-2018, 10:34 AM

I think that, by now, you have all understood that I wanted to get as much information as possible from my one and only Japanese sword, and I do hope that you do not mind my posting again and again on more or less the same topic.

I have been wondering for some time about the Toshimasa mei on my gunto - according to John Slough, it is one of those so-called "nakirishi mei", that is a signature that was not carved by the swordsmith himself but by an individual (a swordsmith or a mere "name-cutter") working for a group of swordsmiths. This practice was apparently fairly common in Seki during WWII.

From what little evidence I was able to find, there were at least two different mei on Toshimasa's swords, the one being a little more elaborate than the other - could it be that one is shoshin mei while the other one is nakirishi mei, or are they just variations by the same hand?

**Larry C** · 12-22-2018, 11:06 AM

Hello Didier ...The Administration minds it very much if you are writing about one single topic about the same sword that you ( keep your posts within the same thread you originally started ) as many threads on the same topic creates more work and wasted time searching to see what you have posted when all that can be found is under one thread?

Only if you have multiple items then it would be necessary to post each topic separately in their own threads.
Please do not start anymore threads on the same topic. Stay within the parameters of your original thread.

Larry

I moved your newly started thread to your original thread and closed the duplicate you started.

**Didier** · 12-22-2018, 11:50 AM

Well, Larry, I had thought that this nakirishi mei thing was a topic in its own right, as, to the best of my knowledge (which is not what you would call an extensive one!), the common opinion on the subject is that one man cut the mei on the swords of several smiths, whereas in the present case it could be the other way around : several hands signing the swords of just one smith.

**Sporter90** · 12-22-2018, 05:53 PM

I can see some small differences in the mei. I don't think the mei will make any difference in the sword's value one way or another. This sword is ideal for the military collectors. An art sword it will never be.

**Didier** · 12-22-2018, 06:44 PM

That is not my point - I know it is a showato and am happy with it, but whether the mei was cut by Toshimasa or another individual does make a difference to me.

**Sporter90** · 12-22-2018, 06:52 PM

The mei is like the one in the book. If the author says it is a "Nakirishi mei", I'll believe him, because I don't have anything to back me up to say otherwise.