Koishikawa Arsenal Type 30
Article about: Hi Guys, I've had this bayonet for 10-15 years. I believe it's a Koishikawa Arsenal Tokyo type 30. I just recently got my second one that's a Hikari Seiki Seisaku-jo. They are both pre-42, b
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Hi Danger,
Yes, that does look like the remains of 2 inspectors stamps on the back of the crosspiece. From what I have seen so far, these are only on the earlier Koishikawa bayonets, so we can forget the search for a kana symbol!
I would suggest that the old number is a 6 digit one, it couldn't start with a 7 and be 7 digits. If that is the case, then what you have is a Koishikawa produced bayonet numbered 75xxxx, which would have been produced in the 1900 to 1910 period, I believe. It has then at a later time, probably 1937 onwards, undergone a refurbishment under the Nagoya Arsenal. During this refurbishment the blade has been blued, the grips replaced, and it has been renumbered 2053 (probably to go to a training establishment).
Ironically, my example bayonet mentioned above is also a 7xxxxx.
Cheers,
Tony
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Hi Tony
Yes I did a recount and it is 6 digits.
7515X1 or 7516X4.
Wow I always just thought it was a WWII bayonet. I'm surprised it's a Pre WWI bayonet.
Thanks for all your help.
Very ironic they both start with a 7!!
Cheers
Danger
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Hi Danger,
Looks like a nice original bayonet, by Hikari Seiki. The stamps on the pommel are pretty clear, with a Tokyo inspector's stamp. However, having said that, I am not sure what the second hiragana is! Does the bayonet have a hooked quillion and a blued fullered blade?
Frogs in the UK seem to go for £50 plus on their own these days. Was happy my new one came with a frog without it being too expensive. Note that the strap is missing though.
Re the marks on the grip, I would think it is more likely they were made by using the bayonet to hit something.
Cheers,
Tony
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by
bestmsdt
... I am not sure what the second hiragana is! ...
Hi Tony,
I'm not sure because the stamping is not that clear, but the second hiragana looks to me like め [mĕ].
いめ
i me
[ē mĕ]
-- Guy
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Yes, it is a nice bayonet. According to Labar, this is identified as LB-96. He records 3 serial number ranges for this variant:
いひ, いも, and いせ (he lists these as the 92nd, 93rd and 94th series)
However, the 91st series is いゑ, so I wonder if that is what it is.
He publishes tables of the series order for katakana and hiragana symbols, though I don't understand what this order is based on.
Guy - do you know if there is some convention for using hiragana in a numbering order in which ゑひもせ would appear in that sequence?
Cheers,
Tony
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The order is based upon the iroha poem.
Iroha
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Thanks Kiipu, that answers that on! Another piece of knowledge to file away!
Cheers,
Tony
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