This is a late war army officers sword from WWII. This sword is a hand forged blade. It has good hada that was well forged and a very active hamon that was water quenched in the tradition manner. This is a very good example of a sword made by the Rikugun Jumei sword smith Kanetoshi. Kanetoshi is listed as a Rikugun Jumei Tosho. Swords made from this group can have a star stamp on the blade as this one has. This blade comes in original mounts and is in mint condition.

Signature:

[Star Stamp] Nôshû-jû Kanetoshi (濃州住兼俊)
[Seki Stamp] Shôwa jûkunen rokugatsu (昭和十九年六月, “June 1944”)

KANETOSHI (兼俊), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetoshi” (兼俊), real name Murayama Kinokazu (村山喜之一), born August 3rd 1905, he worked as rikugun-jumei-tōshō and died February 23rd 1978, jōkō no retsu (Akihide), Second Seat at the 6th Shinsaku Nihontō Denrankai (新作日本刀展覧会, 1941)

The hamon is an erratic blend of gorgeous choji midare with all sorts on inner activity to be found. The hada is mainly a tight well worked itame as seen in the pictures with misc. swirls of chikei and some O-hada.The blade is in a beautiful pristine polish and high grade shirasaya to protect the polish. The hamon is peppered with Nie as well as ji-nie.

From the “Japanese Sword Guide”

The presence of a STAR stamp on the nakago of a WW II era sword blade is an indicator of a blade made by swordsmiths of the Rikugun Jumei Tosho. To become Rikugun Jumei Tosho, a swordsmith had to pass tests and examination of his blades. Once accepted as an Army Certified Swordsmith (Rikugun Jumei Tosho), the smith was given a regular allocation of tamehagane with which to make sword blades. Blades with star stamps and which show nie in the yakiba are gendaito or hand made in the traditional way. Some star stamped blades have received origami from the NBTHK. A complete list of Rikugun Jumei Tosho swordsmiths was published in Showa 17 entitled “Rikugun Jumei Tosho Meibo”. There were also Navy commissioned swordsmiths (Kaigun Toko).

This is a fine example of a hand made sword made during WWII in exquisite condition.