Gotta Love Nco's

[IJASWORDS]

It took me a few years to appreciate them for what they are, but the humble NCO with its machine made blade and hurriedly manufactured  fittings are things of beauty to be preserved. The urgency of IJA sword manufacture in 1944-1945 with diminished raw materials, produced in my opinion, swords that show enormous Japanese focus yet practical flexibility and ingenuity. OK, they are not NIHONTO, but they were produced in a time of desperation for a very real purpose. Holding one of these, I often reflect on the soldier that carried it. And today we have the privilege to own it, or at least ensuring they are available for future generations to appreciate. Any way, they take pride of place in my collection. Neil.

[Dr Fox]

As a Nihontophile, I can make room for your sentiments.

[Bruce Pennington]

Neil, you've got quite an excellent collection, don't you! There are a couple of guys on these forums who are real NCO experts and collectors. One showed a pic of some of his that included a late model painted all white for winter ops!

 

I'm about to reach the point in saving my fun-money that I'm ready to buy my last NCO that I need to complete the set I've been building. All I need is the version 3, the Nagoya with side latch. I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do after that. I don't have all the late-war variants. Since they're getting more expensive it's probably time for me to go in that direction, since I seem to be unable to buy gunto at cheap prices!

 

Your post challenged me to question what it is about WWII gunto that has my interest over nihonto in general. Partly it is because of a general fascination I have with WWII, but another part is that they feel more compartmentalized, more attainable that swords made over 1,000 years. That's just too vast for me. For the same reason, I like the NCO gunto. They are more specific and definable than officer gunto, which can vary considerably with custom fittings and ancient blades. Of course, after collecting for a couple of years, I was amazed to start realizing the seemingly endless variations of the NCO gunto! Ahhh!! Is nothing precise anymore???? Some of us need order!

[IJASWORDS]

Hi Bruce, your comments about compartmentalising things are correct. You can attain a more or less complete "set" of NCO's without too much pain. I love NIHONTO, but where do you start, where do you stop? The sword smith, the school, the era, the province? And then it is hard to stop at one, or two or ????? Swords are addictive, and I'm an addict. OK, I have some NIHONTO, but the collecting is not focussed, this is one reason that I focussed on NIHONTO in GUNTO mounts. It confines you to a field that is compartmentalised. Neil.  

 

[Shamsy]

The humble NCOs, the working man's sword. Military issue equipment, no bells and whistles, distinct models to collect. Graceful, practical, utility. Still made to a very high degree of quality later in the war. One of the few nations to still use swords for combat and the nation that still truly held the sword as a symbol of their culture and ideals. What's not to admire?

 

The best part is that everyone is willing to share and collectively learn to. Yep, Stegel has the wooden handled 95 in winter camo. I theoretically should own an aluminum in winter camo, but it was lost/stolen by USPS.

 

When you've the cash Bruce let me know and I'll point you to a side latch. Nice sword, only detractor is repainted (but matching) scabbard.

[The_ozzy_samurai]

Nice swords Neil,you must have quite a collection from previous post's i can see you a nice example of almost every WW2 sword,Well done mate

 

Julian

[BANGBANGSAN]

I love those NCO‘s too!

Trystan