Type 32 Cavalry Sword

[bestmsdt]

Have looked at a few of these over the last 2 years, and yesterday found one with my name on it! It ticks my boxes, being wonderfully battered (the scabbard has so many dents), and yet has the leather finger loop intact, and the sword and scabbard have matching numbers.

Have read up what I can find on the forum, and Nick's articles, with the following conclusions:

It is a Model Koh Cavalry version with a blade of 835 mm; it is post the 14th of October 1922 as the drag is the reduced width of 32 mm.

However, the serial number is 19576, so was production quite low as the Type 32 started in 1899? With regard to the serial numbers, did the Model Koh (cavalry) and Model Otsu (non-mounted troops) use the same serial number range?

Looking at the markings, it has the cannonball stamp on the handguard, with 2 other stamps. One I am assuming is the Kokura inspection mark (which would make the sword post 1929 I believe), I guess the other is an inspector (高 for taka...?).

I can't see a production month/year, unless it is the 5 on the pommel (which could be Showa 5 for 1930). Can't make out the other pommel stamp.

Anyway, pics below!

Cheers,
Tony

[Kiipu]

With regard to the serial numbers, did the Model Koh (cavalry) and Model Otsu (non-mounted troops) use the same serial number range?

No, they used separate serial number ranges.
Kō 甲: Serial number range 02158 to 85224.
Otsu 乙: Serial number range 1032 to 130142.

Looking at the markings, it has the cannonball stamp on the handguard, with 2 other stamps. One I am assuming is the Kokura inspection mark (which would make the sword post 1929 I believe), I guess the other is an inspector (高 for taka...?).

Yes and no. The sword was made by Tōkyō Artillery Arsenal 東京砲兵工廠 and not Kokura Arsenal. The 小 was used by an inspector assigned to Tōkyō Arsenal for awhile. The character is coming from his name. It was not until 1932 that the Japanese standardized the inspection marks to locations. At which time, Kokura started using 小 as a final inspection mark.

I can't see a production month/year, unless it is the 5 on the pommel (which could be Showa 5 for 1930).

Dating was not introduced until later. For example, I will use the Otsu 乙 model as I do not have enough data for Kō 甲.
Undated: High serial number 64298.
Dated: Low serial number 66604, dated 明四〇.
Dated: High serial number 127150, dated 大十五.
Undated: Low serial number 129221.

[bestmsdt]

Thanks Kiipu. With a serial number of 19576, could this sword then be earlier than 1922 and the scabbard be a replacement? Or is early 1920's perhaps about right for that number?
Thanks for the detailed reply.
Cheers,
Tony

[Kiipu]

Hi Tony, it would have been made sometime at or before 1907. At a later date, an armourer would have modified the scabbard drag during an overhaul. Your Kō 甲 is lonely and wants an otsu 乙 to talk to!

[bestmsdt]

Interesting, Kiipu. Is the 1907 dating based on still existing production data? The modification to the drag makes sense, as the scabbard has seen a lot of use.
Now I know that there are Kō's and Otsu's, I will keep my eyes open for the set!
Cheers,
Tony

[Kiipu]

The dating is based upon the earliest sword that was dated during manufacture.

[bestmsdt]

Last night I remembered an 'anomaly' I found on a Type 30 bayonet purchased in 2020 just before the lockdown (actually the last one I obtained - they have shot up in price here in Britain!). The 'anomaly' was the presence of 小 on the pommel on an early Tōkyō Artillery Arsenal made bayonet. I like these early bayonets as they have a wealth of inspection stamps, and this example at serial 726317 would have been made around 1907 ish as well. So the 'anomaly' is now explained, and, as per the sword, it is an inspector at that time at the Tōkyō Artillery Arsenal at Koishikawa, so thanks Kiipu!
Cheers,
Tony

[Kiipu]

Tony, in the case of the bayonet, it was made by Tōkyō Artillery Arsenal and was later overhauled by Kokura Arsenal. This is based upon the blade being blued while the original configuration was white. This was a common occurrence for older bayonets to be overhauled later on. This bayonet would date to sometime before 1915.

Cross-reference to same bayonet.
Marked Type 30 Bayonet, Post #8

[bestmsdt]

Good point Kiipu, and I should have considered that. You have a good memory re my previous reference to the same bayonet!

I use the observed serial numbers of the Type 30's supplied to Britain in 1915 as my reference. The highest number I have seen is 1478408, unit marked to the Berkshire Yeomanry.

Having relooked at your data above, I now realise that the Type 32 swords were essentially produced during the Meiji and Taisho eras.

Cheers,
Tony

[bestmsdt]

Your Kō 甲 is lonely and wants an otsu 乙 to talk to!

Well, it now has an Otsu to talk to! Whereas the Kō was well battered, this Otsu is a sleeper that has quietly rusted somewhere. The blade is nice, but the rusting on the hilt seems to have caused the wood grips to separate a little. Matching scabbard with no dents.

The finger loop hole seems to have been plugged. I cannot see any production arsenal marks, but there is a clear katakana 'se', which I see is listed as a Kokura Arsenal 2nd factory inspection mark. Wonder if during a refurbishment they would have wiped the original marks and plugged the finger loop?

From Kiipu's figures above, it is halfway through the total production run of Otsus.

Cheers,
Tony