Help Identifying A Sword

[capajo02]

Hello to the members of the forum! First, let me offer an apology: I am, unfortunately, just another person who joined to "pick the brains" of the members here.  I have tried to do my own research, spending a great deal of time trying to learn proper terminology, sword construction, parts, etc. and I have fallen down the internet and written-material rabbit hole with seemingly little knowledge to show for it.  I hope you will forgive me for adding to the "help me" posts by complete novices.  

I am interested in acquiring an original WWII-era sword for a personal display.  I am a militaria collector, not a sword aficionado.  (I do collect private purchase US edged weapons from World War II, but I know very little about Japanese blades.)  My main concern is just confirming the story that this could, in fact, be a WWII vet-bringback sword and is from the WWII-era. 

To show I have tried to do at least some of my own research: I assume this is a machine-made blade, but I am not sure as there are no detailed photos.  I also see that the fittings (tsuba, kabuto-gane) appear to be non-military, but the leather-covered saya does look military. Please let me know if this is a correct configuration for a sword from before or during the war.  

Photos attached.  Thanks in advance for any opinions.

[Brian]

I suspect this is an earlier blade remounted and taken to war.
Old blades that were utilitarian in nature were purchased and used. Most of the fittings there are pre war, not wartime. May even be a wakizashi, as many were.

[capajo02]

Hello Brian, 
 

Thanks very much for your insights.  I appreciate your time and knowledge.  I assumed it was a later blade, but, again, I am brand-new to all of this, so I am happy you can take the time to correct my incorrect assumptions.

 

Many thanks.

[Bruce Pennington]

Pictures of the blade and tang (nakago) help in assessing age.

[capajo02]

Thanks to you as well, Bruce.  I did decide to buy the sword.  I will take more detailed pictures when I receive it, and I will post them here.

[capajo02]

I am following up here after receiving the sword. There is no signature on the nakago. I don't know of these pictures can provide any information, but I said I would post them, so here they are. Thanks again for the help.

[SAS]

Can you take a photo of sword with habaki and tsuba removed to show the machi please?

[Red Sun]

The pitting makes my heart weep!

 

Strange one this - some images look like this was once a quality traditionally made blade - but for me the nakago raises more questions than it answers!

Interested to see what others make of it.

[capajo02]

Are these photos helpful? I also took one of the tsuba, habaki, and seppa while I was at it. Thanks.

[EdWolf]

Strange blade. Why are the ha-machi and the mune-machi not in line?

[Geraint]

Dear John.

(By the way, please add your name to your posts).  Ed asks a pertinent question.  Usually one of the give aways for a fake is that the machi, or notch, on the back and at the edge do not line up perfectly.  However it is possible that the ha machi, notch at the edge, has suffered some damage, ie been chipped.  You are right that the mounts are not standard military ones but as Brian said sometimes a mixture of mounts occurs and sometimes a civil sword is simply given a leather cover and a hanger to use as a military one.  However the tsuba is suspect and the fact that there is only one seppa, washer, which is slotted for a spring catch makes me wonder.

 

Are the tsuka and tsuba a good fit on the sword?  If not then it might be an assembly of parts to complete a sword. Have a look inside the core of the tsuka where the blade slides into it.  Can you see any separate shims of wood added or any signs of it being modified?   If so then there is no way of knowing when this was done.  

 

Ideally you should get this to a sword group or show where someone can give it a hands on look but the workmanship of the nakago and the shape are all a bit suspect.  I do not think this is a modern Chinese fake but it does look like it was made somewhere other than Japan.  There are some swords made in theatre in countries where WWII was fought and it might be one of those but I don't know too much about them.  

 

For the display you mention it will be fine but if you want to be sure that you have a genuine shingunto then you need to look elsewhere I feel.

 

Hope this helps.

 

All the best.

[capajo02]

Thanks for the information, Geraint.  I have added my name in my signature. 

 

The blade is tight, without any play/movement when fully "assembled." Even after removing everything myself, and reassembling, there is no side-to-side or front-to-back movement once the mekugi is in place. When I get home this evening, I will look to see if I can find any shims in the tsuka.  

 

After speaking at long length with the person who sold me the sword, I highly doubt it is a "modern" fake; maybe not a 100% authentic or perfect Japanese sword, but also not post-1945.  I always live by "buy the item, not the story," but because the story was so simple and honest, it seems likely.  This came out of a PTO veteran's house whom the seller knew; he worked with his son.  He passed about a year ago, and the family has no interest (sadly) in his service history, so they are trying to raise some funds by selling things from his estate.    

Thanks,

John