WW II bringback sword

[mwpslp]

This type of red writing was probably added by a serviceman bringing the blade back to the US or from the arsenal in Japan where the blade was made. It should not be confused with the red or sometimes gold writing of the Honami, which were basically the sword appraisers of the fifteen and sixteen hundreds in Japan before the modern day Shinsa teams we have now.

 

[Steve499]

The mei on the left tang, as far as I can figure out so far, are the Koa Isshun Mantetsu for the first two characters. The third character is the kanji for 10. The fourth and fifth are still hiding from me in all the lists of kanji I've been pouring through. The sixth is, I believe, a poorly chiselled number 6 followed by the last character which is the kanji for month.

So, I'm guessing it was made in June. The spring was thought to be the most auspicious time to make a blade. I wonder if they just marked them ALL April, May or June?

The red paint looks almost like fingernail polish. I doubt if the guy who brought this sword back ever even saw the tang since I had to work pretty hard getting the sword apart. I thought the paint was probably something the manufacturer put there.

Steve

 

[Steve499]

FWIW, I now think the mei on the left tang says the blade was made in or by Koa Isshun (first kanji), Showa (second kanji) the era which began in 1926, 10 and 5 for the third and fourth, and year for the fifth. The sixth is the kanji for 6 and the last is the kanji for month. So... I'm guessing it was made in June. The year would be 15 added to 1926, or 1941. The two character mei on the right tang should be the name of the maker or factory. Still working on that one.

Steve