Sword Analysys

[Rich S]

Found this on one of my knife boards:

 

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/b962712.pdf

 

Must be an NCO sword.

 

Rich

[Michaelr]

Very cool Rich. Thank you for sharing. I would like to find a original copy of that report to see if the pictures might be better. Just something else to be on the look out for.

MikeR

[Peter Bleed]

Let me add my "very cool, Rich." This is an interesting historical document and I suppose that we can be glad that it appears to have focus on a blade that would be described as "expendable."

Peter

[Dave R]

 Not an NCO blade, but a "Rinji Seishiki" also known as a Type 3. Blades in these could be Nihonto or Showato.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Was about to post that, the Ito has been removed from the handle at some point. Stamps would suggest Showato.

[Dave R]

Was about to post that, the Ito has been removed from the handle at some point. Stamps would suggest Showato.

 

 It looks as though it had a metal saya, which would reinforce that idea. The article mentions removing "the covering", I wonder it was one of those with a leather covered tsuka.