Kai Gunto Odd Saya Type?

[Frederik M]

hello

I have seen quite a lot of different kay gunto saya: high end same (big nodules), normal same (shark or fish), lacquered wood and painted wood but i rarely came across lacquered same like picture attached (you can see same where lacquer disappeared).

So wondering why would a same saya covered with lacquer. Looks odd to me has a same saya must cost a lot at that time (vs just having a wooden lacquered saya).

I guess all same saya had a leather protection during the war when they used it in the field.

Maybe it was done after the war by some GI to protect it?

thx for your thoughts

Fred

[Frederik M]

with pic

[Dave R]

 I would suggest taking this to the Military Sword section, lower down the landing page...... Which I see has now been done.

[Bruce Pennington]

That's a new one on me Frederick! Can you tell if the fittings were placed over the lacquer/paint? Or is the paint done around the fittings? I can't imagine anyone in their right mind doing that, whether Japanese or post-war, unless the same' was so terribly damaged that they decided to recover the saya with lacquer/paint.

[Ed Harbulak]

Fred,

I can't be sure from your photo, but it doesn't look like same' or shark skin to me in the bare spots. It looks more like a coarse weave cloth of some kind. Often times at least the joints of wooded saya are covered with Japanese paper or cloth for strength before the paint is applied. I wonder if that's what you are seeing. If not, then it's certainly different than anything I've seen before. 

[celt72]

I think Ed is right. When you look at the picture, you see that the "nodes" are squarish and not round.

[Stephen]

 

 

the things you guys come up with

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=ray+skin&num=20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMx4aF6J3WAhVm4oMKHcxDBagQ_AUICygC&biw=1093&bih=541&dpr=1.25

[Shamsy]

I'll not guess what it is.

 

I will say that in the 95s there are plenty of examples of a mesh-like cloth being applied as an undercoat to the saya and painted over, so the suggestion is not without basis.

[Frederik M]

Thx for your replies. It is definitely a normal good quality ^normal^ same under the lacquer, like in the pics. Same seems all there, below the scabbard hangers it does not look there is this lacquer so maybe it was done after or to protect the scabbard (instead of using leather protection)

Funnily enough i found / bought another kai gunto with the same type of saya.

But it really leaves me perplex!

[Frederik M]

With the normal pics