Bayonet Translation Help Needed

[Bobby]

Hello: Any translation help on the markings found on the grip of a Type 30 Rocking Star bayonet would be appreciated. My apologies for the quality of the images. It appears to be two characters. I am posting images of the grip in all four orientations as I am not sure how it should be read.

[Larry C]

Hi Bobby can you post photos of the rest of the Bayo for the community?
You cant have spaghetti without the sauce

Regards Larry

[Bobby]

See attached for additional pictures of the Rocking Star. Appears to be similar to an LBT-215 or LBT-215A.

[ghp95134]

The kanji is
穴補

I think it means a hole 穴 has been repaired/filled 補; there seems to be a scar beneath the stamp.
In Chinese 補 means to repair, while in Japanese it is 修理. (I note in the Chinese section it gives 修 and 修理 as synonyms for 補, repair.)

-- Guy

[Bobby]

Thanks Guy. I have seen training bayonets, including Rocking Star variants, with a school name in the grips. Thought it might be that. I cannot quite see the scar that you mention. Strange that the grip would mention a repair. Not sure what purpose that would serve as the blade itself appears to be in good condition.

[ghp95134]

...I cannot quite see the scar that you mention. Strange that the grip would mention a repair. ...

I'm probably wrong. I thought that diagonal line at the 2:00 o'clock position of 穴 was a scar.

-- Guy

[Kiipu]

These same two characters show up on other "Rocking Star" bayonets. One book gives the meaning as substitute or stopgap. Try as I might, I have not been able to positively identify the characters. They could be any of the below; however, I lean toward the characters as given by Guy.
穴欠宂
補備

[Akira Komiya]

The kanji “補” as used in Japan has a meaning similar to the German word “ergaenzen” to supplement or make complete, as used in “補強”- 補=supplement, 強=strength, thus reinforce, or “補充”-補=supplement, “充”-full or fill, thus replacements (for lost troops, etc.) or topping up. So “穴補” or “補穴” depending on the direction you read (one confusing thing about WW2 era Japanese is that in addition to the traditional Japanese style of writing from right to left, the new style of writing from left to right coexisted and in case of abbreviations, it is impossible to tell which without knowing the original full term) could either mean filled in hole or reinforced hole.
Since there doesn’t seem to be a hole to be filled in, could it be that the rifle slot is reinforced?

[Bobby]

Thank you Akira. I don't see any changes to the bayonet to indicate that it was reinforced or modified. As it is considered a training bayonet, and the cutting edge is not sharpened, could the kanji characters having any relation to the use of the bayonet in training usage or in a school?

[Bobby]

Thank you Klipu. "Substitute" could have a meaning related to this bayonet being used for training purposes. But that may just be fanciful thinking on my part.