Kōa-Issin-tō (Mantetsu-tō) 0

Kōa-Issin-tō (Mantetsu-tō)

Prestige of Mantetsu SMR, a huge technical group. 　| Table of contents | About a Guntō

South Manchuria Railway, Inc.

Kōa-Issin-tō (Common name: Mantetsu-tō)

Dr. Kazuharu Kusaka of South Manchuria Railway Central Research Institute did electric steel manufacture of the sponge
iron (rich iron ore from a Manchuria), and he succeeded in manufacture of the good steel near malleable iron.
They applied this and made the Japanese sword as an experiment. This sword cut very well, and since the result strong
against bending was checked, as for the Dalian Railway Factory. manufacture of a Guntō was planned in 1937.
They inserted malleable iron in the pipe of carbon steel, performed mechanical junction, and devised how to forge the
new sword of tempering after that. They founded the sword factory in the next year, and the mass production of "Mante-
tsu tō" which is a special sword of an industrial commodity was begun. This sword was named the "Kōa Issin tō" by
Matsuoka of the President of a South Manchuria Railway in March, 1939 after starting mass production. "Mantetsu-tō is a
common name. This sword has the Mei of "Kōa Issin Mantetsu Kinsei", "Kōa Issin Mantetsu Koreo Tsukuru", "Kōa Issin
Mantetsu Saku" in a Tang.
The initial manufacture sword before naming does not spread only the stamp of a Mantetsu trademark on a Tang.
This sword was very excellent as a Guntō. The material of this sword is steel of Manchuria domestic appearance.

This company was the synthetic mega industry which developed not only a railway but a coal mine shaft and various kinds
of public works. A big mistake will be caused if the work content of this company is judged by the company name of the
time of establishment. An irresponsible common saying that it was built with rail steel material is an entire error.
　　　　　 The whole aspect of the Kōa Issin Sword is here.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The portion of a blade. Naka-Suguha & Nashiji-Hada

The trademark of a South Manchuria Railway

　　　　　　　Mei: trademark

The blade Tang before March, 1939.
Mei: The trademark of a S.M.R
Uramei: Spring. 1938
Manufacture number: C 30

The blade Tang after March, 1939.
Mei: Koa Issiin Mantetsu Kore o Tsukuru
Uramei: Spring. 1941
Manufacture number: Ka 236

The blade Tang after March, 1943.
Mei: "Nan" Mantetsu Kore o Tanzō
Uramei: Spring. 1943
Manufacture number: Hi 226
　　Refer to lower column

　Name of an era of Japan:  Name of an era is defined for every Emperor after Meiji. There are years for every
         　　　　　　　　　　　　name of an era.　Meiji 1-45=1867-1912, Taishō 1-15=1912-1926, Syōwa 1-64=1926-1989
　Imperial Calenda: Total years since Emperor Jimmu acceded to the throne are shown.
　Years:  Years are in each name of an era by making into the first year the year which changed name of an era.
　Years of the Tang:The name of an era of the Tang of a sword has two modes of expression which a Kanji                           numeral or combination of the Twelve horary signs and the Ten calendar signs.

Example

Nanman Army Arsenal

Nanman Army Arsenal trademark.: Mukden Arsenal was a private arsenal of Zhang Zuolin who was the leader of
the northeast military clique of Manchuria. It put under the supervisor with installation of a Nanman Army
Arsenal after a Japanese military's requisitioning. The organization of Arms Administration Headquarters
after Nanman-Arsenal installation does not have "Mukden Arsenal".
Mukden Arsenal was positioning called one arms factory in Nanman Arsenal. Mukden Arms Factory is under
jurisdiction of "Director Daito group", and, as for the inspection mark, "Ho = 奉" was used.

Rrefers to here

Nanman Army Arsenalinspection mark "Nan".
inspection mark "Nan".※

Nanman Army Arsenal Dalian Factory
inspection mark. "Ren".※

　　　　　　　　　　※ It depends on Army Arms Administration Headquarters "inspection mark and sign regulation".

For Nanman Army Arsenal, organization was determined in August,1938.
It had the site of about 9.917 K㎡ in Wenguantun of the Mukden suburbs. And 12,000 persons in all belonged the military
man and the army civilian employee to this arsenal. And thousands of Manchu operatives worked. Nanman Arsenal was included in Kantō-Gun and turned into Kantō-Gun Arsenal in April, 1945. From the spring of 1943, an officer's Guntō was
made from Nanman Arsenal and Nanman Arsenal Dalian Factory. The blade with the stamp of "Nan" and "Ren" receives the
impression that Nanman Army Arsenal made with Mantetsu's introduction of technological know-hows uniquely. However,
probably, these blades were dedicated by Nanman Arsenal with semimanufactured goods from Mantetsu, when they were
guessed from the Mei of "Mantetsu Kore o Tanzō". The truth is still a mystery.

( Information service: Mr. Iwao Fujimoto. He is Nanman Army Arsenal's former army technical captain.)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 January 21, 2014　

To the top of a page ▲

← Mikasa-tō　About a Guntō　Table of contents　

Arsenal blade　→