Jump to content

Double Bohi Shin Gunto Tachi ? A Very Unusual Ww2 Sword


Cuirassier

Recommended Posts

Any help greatly appreciated.

So, I bought this sword........................

It is a shin gunto, with a very unusual and somewhat impressive blade.

The tang has corroded to the point the kanji are illegible to me (anyone fancy having a go; perfect, thanks).

I can see some strokes on what I presume to be the date inscription, and these are clearly barbed shinshinto.

 

At first I was sure the blade is shinto, but now I am not sure.

I presume this is Shobu-Zukuri kissaki? The upper most section appears to have its own hamon!

 

I guess I should have taken more photos, and can add some later.

But hopefully these will do for the blade itself.

 

Thanks in mounting anticipation

Mark

 

post-799-0-25775700-1445342564_thumb.jpg

post-799-0-99538700-1445342579_thumb.jpg

post-799-0-38645700-1445342637_thumb.jpg

post-799-0-25763500-1445342694_thumb.jpg

post-799-0-47515500-1445342709_thumb.jpg

post-799-0-87827800-1445342984_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shape is called u-no-kubi-zukuri.

 

First nakago picture shows the signature: I can only recognize 國 "province"

Second nakago picture shows a date inscription: xxx年十二月日 "a day in the 12th month of xxx year" (might be 3rd year of xx era; second kanji for the era might be 永, which would limit the blade to 4 possible eras if the signature is real)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mark,

 

Don't do anything with the nakago. It already looks like an attempt has been made to clean up the tang around the mei - it's best left well alone as the removal of patina will affect the sword's value.

 

Also, if you think this blade is worth a polish, get it out to Japan - if it is going to be papered it has probably got to go there anyway. Have a look at Kunitaro san's polishing service advertised in the "for sale" section - the prices are reasonable and it's a fairly quick turn around.

 

Best regards,

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks John

But I was thinking of sending it to Tony Norman in the UK; he said they now have a papering / verification service in the UK?

I am worried about sending it to Japan as it is in gunto mounts, so I can not send it in these correct?

And, I know many nihonto collectors will hate me for this; but I like gunto mounts, especially when they are a special build.

Also, if it is a valuable blade by Chogi himself (OK, slim chance, but still a chance), it will be seized as a Japanese national treasure, right?

 

OK, so I will simply take a number of extra photos to try and determine who the smith was / what the date is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It won't be seized. That's a myth. A missing Japanese national treasure Akihiro Tanto was sent to, and back from Japan recently. Also Bob Benson has a juyo Chogi for sale on his site. If you don't want to send to Japan right away- you could send it to Bob and have it polished and shirasaya made and then send to Japan - and it would be in shirasaya and the gun to mounts wouldn't matter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have a link. But a hitatsura Akihiro Tanto was found at a pawn shop a few years ago and bought by someone. The sword was in Tampa,I think two years ago( at the show)It had been sent to Japan for polish. Unfortunately the person who sent it to Japan wasn't familiar with the polishing process and that it takes time. I believe it was said that he had the sword sent back to him and it wasn't polished to the degree that it should have been.

There was a lot of talk about it at the show and afterwards here. I'm sure I missed some detail. But it was a known, missing sword. And it was sent back to the us anyway.

 

My apologies, I am not trying derail this thread. Just showing that the myth that Japan will seize swords isn't true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, if it is OK with the moderators, I will post the images of the mei and date inscriptions, plus photos of the blade alone on the translation page?

Sorry, I am ashamed to admit I viewed this with some scepticism originally.

Now, it has really grown on me!

 

So here are the shin gunto photos along with a mon (will also post the mon on the translation section with the mei)

 

Sorry, but I like guntos!

 

 

post-799-0-98604100-1445605592_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

But I was thinking of sending it to Tony Norman in the UK; he said they now have a papering / verification service in the UK?

I am worried about sending it to Japan as it is in gunto mounts, so I can not send it in these correct?

 

 

If your quick sending it to Tony, Paul Martin is in the UK in a few weeks and he can take it back to Japan for you for shinsa.

 

Gunto mounts are no problem at all in Japan. There are also gunto koshirae with papers from the NTHK-NPO now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...