Please forgive my ignorance, but I know practically nothing about Japanese blades beyond my short research via Wikipedia (Please forgive any improper use of terms). My late father swore for years that my grandfather captured this blade during World War II, but I cannot confirm this. I'm simply wondering what period this weapon is from, whether it is machine made, partially machine made, or made by hand. I appreciate any help that the community here can provide and am extremely grateful. Thank you.
David W
Images of blade (Caution, some images are in large format [1,000+ pixels wide])
