Japanese Military Sword Please Help To Identify

[angus]

 

My father was at a yard sale recently and purchased this sword from the daughter of the man who brought it home as a momento of his service .

Could anyone here please help to identify this sword and possibly when it was made and by whom it was made and the branch of service.

Many thanks in advance for sharing your hard won knowledge.

 

Kris.

[IJASWORDS]

Made by (YOSHIDA) KANEUJI, a SHOWA TO blade. It would have had a leather SAYA cover. No too bad a specimen to kick off collecting.

[Bruce Pennington]

Made in 1942. The hot-stamp at the tip of the tang would be the personal stylized mark of the swordsmith.

[paul griff]

Hello Kris,

Nice find,especially off a veterans relative...Sword is for Imperial Japanese army and as Bruce advised,made in 1942..The stamp near your thumb in picture two is the makers name Yoshida Kaneuji as is the signature identified by Neil...

Regards,

Paul..

[angus]

First let me say thank you both for identifieng this swords maker and era.

I would like to know how it could be cleaned up a little so as to not damage it any more than it already is.

Mainly to remove any active rust spots present on the blade and maybe also some of the dust and grime build upon the Tsuba ?

His intentions aren't to make it shine like a new penny but rather to just preserve it a little and clean what is viable without removing patina.

 

Again thank you very much,

 

Kris.

[paul griff]

Hello Kris,

Always controversial the topic of "cleaning swords"....If I bought a similar example to this I would clean the tsuba sympathetically with a bronze suede brush that doesn't scratch, for the hilt I normally use a clean soft shoe brush ( that hasn't had any polish on it ) and for the blade of similar type ( non-traditionally made oil quenched )...I use solvol autosol chrome cleaner to clean any grime off it then apply a thin layer of mineral oil thereafter....Blade only that is... and you have to remove the tsuba and seppa's ( washers either side of the tsuba...remembering to keep them in the order they came off...Also the brass sleeve ( Habaki ) in front of the tsuba needs to slide off...Handling the blade by holding the tang ( nakago ) is ok,if fact the oils off your hands add a patina to this part of the blade...Hope this helps and only my way of cleaning this type of sword not traditionally made ones that can be ruined easily...

Regards,

Paul..

[PNSSHOGUN]

Some tissues and mineral oil on the tsuba is safe, used many times.

[IJASWORDS]

Hi, if you are a serious collector, don't monkey around with it. It is a war relic, and ANY THING harsh you do to it devalues it to future collectors, even possibly removes some thing that is unseen to you. To remove dust, use nothing more than a DRY old tooth brush. For the blade, repeated wiping with a soft rag, and some thing like gun oil will help, and prevent future corrosion. Read some posts on sword preservation before you attempt to ruin it. DON'T use a bronze brush, bronze is harder than the brass the fittings are plated with, and as I said it could take off fine detail.

[angus]

Thanks for all the advice on the matter of clean or not clean

The only issue I see as a continuing problem that will only get worse with time is the patches of red rust on the blade

Surely if allowed to continue to grow without some form of mitigation it will only further damage the blade

Leaving the furniture as is is very acceptable but that red rust !! Mind you I am not speaking about the tang obscured and likely protected by the hilt

Possibly this rust has formed as a direct result of years ( post war) if this sword being used and handlers by those without a care as to wiping the finger prints off the blade etc

[vajo]

Kris, there are so many Type 98 outside there in very mint condition. I didn't know if the worth of your 70 years old sword will increase when it isn't clean. The Koshirae looks rusty and dirt like it was many years in a cellar. If it is an ancient sword 900 A.D. it would make sense, but I didn't know any collector who like to enjoy such a sword. 

I would start to remove the dust with a soft brush. Then with a soft cotton towel and choji oil. With WD 40 for the blade and important oil it under the habaki. Don't treat the Nakago anyway. The Patina is perfect.

Thats my opinion.

 

Treating iron is the same like you old sukashi tsuba treat. Choji and a piece of very soft cotton. The patina came back after some month. It takes it time.

[paul griff]

Hello Kris,

Yes,your right red rust is active and must be treated..Here in the U.K. I use Renaissance metal de- corroder,same stuff they use in the British Museum and it stops rust dead....Must be something in the U.S that does the same thing..?After it's treated a thin coating of mineral oil should do the job ( if it was a traditional blade I'd say camellia oil or choji )....Also use Young's 303( a gun product that's a cleaner and rust preventer ) to temporary coat things if I'm working on them...but again ...not sure if that's in the U.S ...! Good gun products in the U.S... If it's good enough for a beautiful blued Colt it won't harm your blade....

Regards,

Paul..

[paul griff]

Hello Chris,

WD40 ...That's a blast from the past...Well done...! I've accumulated and have been using such an array of renovation products "forgot my roots" with that one....! Have actually been renovating a gunto I bought last week ( the one I needed help with the Mei.....)

Regards,

Paul.