The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Japanese Wakizashi Sword Blade with a single peg hole in the tang and a two character signature. The Japanese polisher Kotoken Kajihara described this blade in 1983 as: "Jihada and Hamon are good. Sword maker: Kanemasa, Type: Wakizashi, Length: 53.5 cm, Curvature: 2.1 cm, Jihada: Mokume-Hada, Hamon: Togari Gunome Midare, Kissaki: Chu-Kissaki, Nakago: Ubu-Nakago, Period: late Koto, late Muromachi (1500), Sword quality: Good" The repolished blade is contained in a wood shirasaya RELAWM31957.003 and is fitted with the original copper habaki.
This sword was surrendered by Abe Tadaichi (a member of the Japanese Navy Intelligence Service) to Major Max Phillips (a representative of the Australian Military Forces in Halmahera) in November 1945.
Kanemasa was a swordsmith of the Tegai school in Yamato during the 1500's.
The blade was repolished in Japan in 1983 by Kotoken Kajihara. The file has a note from Abe Tadaichi, Imperial Japanese Navy Intelligence Service, who states incorrectly that the blade was made by Kaneyoshi who lived at Kyoto four hundred years ago (1540). The sword blade was originally owned by Count Kuge who lived in Kyoto. Then by Vicount Anekouzi (Suzuki Clan) and bought by the Tadaichi's grandfather Masahira Matsuda who presented it to him when he joined the Navy.
Japanese sword blade. It is described by Kotoken Kajihara, the Japanese sword polisher in 1983, as: "Few swords made in the Kamakura era have Ubu-Nakago. This Tachi blade was, however, made at that ti
Japanese Sword Blade. The blade is unsigned and has a single fuller to each side to within 30 mm of the point. The polisher Kotoken Kajihara describes this blade in 1984 as "having a curvature of 1.2
Japanese sword blade. The tang is unsigned and is described in 1984 by the Japanese polisher Kotoken Kajihara as: "Shape: Shinogi-Zukuri, Length: 64.8 cm, Curvature: 2.5 cm, Kissaki: Sho-Kissaki, Nak
Japanese wakizashi blade. It is described by Kotoken Kajihara the Japanese polisher in 1984 as: "This sword blade has no fault. Both Jihada and Hamon are good. The inscribed signature on the tang was
Japanese Katana Sword Blade. "This Katana appears to be a form of Kogarasumaru which is the oldest style of Japanese sword. It seems to have been made by a high-ranking swordsmith belonging to the Gas
Japanese katana sword blade. The Japanese sword polisher, Kotoken Kajihara noted in 1986 that: 'This particular work of SHIGETAKA was done in the second generation. Jihada is Mokume-hada and beautiful
