Type 95 Iijima serial number question

[bestmsdt]

Have finally taken the plunge on Saturday and purchased my first Type 95. Hope I did OK, as they say, 'you pay to learn', and having an example is the best way to take it all in.
It's nicely 'used', which I prefer to mint, with most paint missing from the undented matching scabbard, and the hilt well worn. The blade is OK apart from a lot of stains such as finger prints, though it seems to have some impact marks in the centre which have resulted in a slight bend.
Studying the various posts, I can see that it is a Tokyo sword made by Iijima. However this one has the non-canon ball Tokyo stamp, which from what I've read seems to start in April 1940? The serial number is 143564, and I wondered how these were used at Tokyo as later numbers can be seen with the canon ball stamp.
Cheers,
Tony

[Kiipu]

Tony, only two of the three Kokura subcontractors switched logos from Kokura to Tōkyō 1st. The third one just continued using the old Kokura logo until the end of production. Nick has discovered the transfer from Kokura to Tōkyō 1st took place in 1942.
Short Development History of Type 95 Gunto

[RussM]

A nice well used sword, good one Tony!

[bestmsdt]

Do we know if serial number blocks were allocated to the Tokyo arsenal sub-contractors, or to the arsenal as a whole? Or, for example, from observed swords, are there approximate serial numbers for Iijima at which the Tokyo mark changed from the canon balls to the star, and then from the brass tsuba to the iron one?
Cheers,
Tony

[Bruce Pennington]

You should contact Stegel - https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/member.php?u=30929 - for that. I bet he knows.

[Kiipu]

Do we know if serial number blocks were allocated to the Tokyo arsenal sub-contractors, or to the arsenal as a whole?

Prior to 1930s, each arsenal would simply start at serial number 1 for the items they made. For example, there are two Type 14 Pistols with serial number 1, one from Nagoya and the other from Tokyo.

Starting in the 1930s, army ordnance headquarters took over serial number assignments and would assign unique serial number blocks to each arsenal. The arsenals would then assign serial number blocks to the factories under their jurisdiction. Below is a translation of the 1943 regulations in regards to serial number allocations.

When identical weapons are produced at more than one arsenal, the headquarters will allocate (separate) serial numbers to each arsenal.

[bestmsdt]

Stegel has come up trumps, and been able to supply data to answer my questions above on serial numbers:

"The Sept 1942 Arsenal re-organisation resulted with each Arsenal, both Tokyo and Nagoya, administering their own production. As a direct result, each Arsenal began to use it's own logo instead of the four cannon ball (Kokura) one."

"As far as Serial numbers go, this administration change of logo's occurred at the 132k mark. Prior to the change, the administering Arsenal being Kokura, allocated Serial Numbers in blocks for production runs by both Tokyo and Nagoya Arsenals.......So in answer to your question directly, the last Kokura logo used by Iijima was at 120k mark, other subcontractors had the S/N's allocated inbetween and the first Iijima with Tokyo 1st logo was at 135k.
Your specific sword was part of the very first few being made in Iijima's next allocated block of S/N's.
Without going through production figures to confirm, i would date your sword to be late 1942 to start of 1943."

"The Steel tsuba was used as early as 1938 by both Tokyo and Nagoya arsenals due to the materials shortage being experienced in Japan, which saw the introduction of the "Rinji Seishiki" Specs to deal with the shortage problem.
Steel tsubas can be seen from the very early S/N ranges of 10k or so, and continued in mixed production runs by the Tokyo Arsenal to the wars end."

Many thanks to Stegel for this information, in particular the ability to put a date to the sword.

And thanks also to Kiipu for his input, and Nick Komiya's research on the arsenal changes.

Cheers,
Tony