Shamsy

関 That's the stamp I see? It is only the right hand half though. Like I said, poorly (and commonly so) struck.

It really does look that way, doesn't it? Cheers Chris, whether or not, appreciate you passing on the offer.

That's why I love them. Always a surprise!

Hi Chris, The sword is fine, right serial range and correct stamp. It's just poorly struck on one side, but it is Seki. Not at all common to find fullered swords in the wooden handles but not unknown. I don't have an example in my collection, so if you want to sell I'd pay a good price.

I think, Bruce, because this is so obviously a very poor attempt to imitate a kai-gunto no one actually considered it could be anything else. Not to mention the nakago that looks like an awful attempt at false aging by the Chinese. The original assessments were reasonable, but ultimately wrong.

I remember those Brian... weren't they listed for something like $100 each? It was crazy expensive... but I still considered one, since it's a case of getting hens teeth when you can. But I don't know if anyone actually did get one...

VERY well picked John, I would have (and did!) totally miss that. I'm actually really happy I've seen it, since I've not seen one before and may never do again.

I will be the first to eat the humble pie. It's a genuine WW2 sword, not strictly Japanese but not a 'fake' either. Worth buying, because it's a documented collaboration sword. Now, I will point out that the original arguments all stand. No way were the fittings Japanese, not even close to the real thing. The mistake made is that instead of being a fake, the blade is an island sword.

Hey Neil, The bad news is that type 0 parts are like NCO parts. Few and far between. In both cases it's the screws that are hardest to get. Even if someone gets a 'parts sword' these are typically missing the screw... and only have one per sword anyway! I've seen calls for these screws on NMB before and I don't think anyone had them. Good luck, I'll keep an eye out for you but I don't hold much hope. You may want to look at a replica. Oh, there's nothing wrong with pegs either. They're perfectly okay for the type 0.

A standard copper handle then. Just a poor photograph. A shame, but was definitely interesting. Thanks Phil

You're right Bruce. Coppers have a single screw. Trying not to confuse things, I'm referring to all other NCO with cast handles. I was trying to say that if that was a second screw hole, It’s not in the right place for a genuine 95. Having said all that, there are examples of copper handles (one genuine, one maybe) with two screws. Probably arsenal refittings. Always an exception with 95s! I don't have a pictures on me (and may not have them saved at all), but I'll post if I can find. Here it is!

Other thread? Found it, had totally passed me by. Reflection is certainly possible. The blade looks too thick. The extra hole you're seeing Bruce... Think that's a trick of the picture. In all cases the screw passes through the second complete diamond of same on that side. I'd say it's authentic from what I can see (not much) but need better photos to be certain. The patina of the saya is spot on, and there are no repro made yet, so that at least is a good sign. That's right Bruce. The coppers are all Suya harp and Kokura ‘cannon balls’. Not necessarily in the right order mind! I've seen blank fuchi on them too, in fact one was listed here a time back. Not sure if that's a replacement but likely. I've also seen a copper handle without any serial numbers. But that was a picture (and not a great one), so I cannot comment on authenticity.

Thank you Phil. It's interesting for sure. The fullers look very awkward, but there's nothing screaming fake to me from the picture. Not sure what to make of it, but at 30% buyers premium with a no refunds policy, I wish best of luck to the buyer. If you get additional information and photographs, I'd love to see them. Cheers

Likewise, kudos to you for not jumping on the fake bandwagon (I've gotten a few bargains thanks to those guys) but a fake it is.

Tokyo Hohei Kosho Arsenal. These are the most common of all Type 30, with a total of 61 series made for this pattern alone. Your bayonet falls into series 0, so it is very early. Tokyo made around 4 million of these bayonets in total.

As you say a Matsushita Kinzoku Arsenal bayonet, second pattern, 81st series. Scabbard is rubber, not leather and much harder to find than the typical steel or wooden variety. It's not really a perfect match to the bayonet, but it is a naval scabbard, so that matches the account of origins well! The use of rubber is pretty obviously to assist with rust prevention. Typically you'd find a naval arsenal bayonet in the scabbard, but I'm sure this is not unusual to find a bayonet with a scabbard one would not consider typical. Naval bayonets were regularly painted to assist with corrosion resistance. Anyway, nice thing to have. Enjoy!

Jim, if you're interested in reading about the sticker on the saya (scabbard) read this thread; http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21190-seki-inspection-tag-on-combat-saya/ I thought the sword looked pretty familiar. Seen a few of these now from Seki. Very much a treasure to look after since it is family property. I've got my grandfather's sword which I highly prize for no reason beyond it belonged to him. I'll clarify David that I am talking about new swords being made, not remounted blades or civilian swords. Oh, also excluding those parade swords too because I honestly didn't even think about them. I just don't really feel that they should be counted anyway. I think a few hundred thousand is a reasonable estimate. That would be reasonably in line with what I've read. Luckily a few is defined as 'not many but more than one' with a common understanding to be 3 or more, so I've plenty of wiggle room on those figures

Welcome Jim, Nice to see someone who has performed preliminary research prior to posting. You're sword is a pretty standard example of a 98. I'd not say there were millions made! More NCO swords were made than officers swords, and there were only a few hundred thousand, give or take. Even so, very prolific! Now as to the sword, I'm afraid there's not a huge amount to say. Please don't take this as an insult as it is merely a statement of fact, but the sword is in cheaper mounting. While It’s a little debatable, this could mean a later war sword, or more likely the officer was not able to afford a high end sword, since officers purchase their own. The solid cast tsuba (hand guard) and field saya (scabbard) are the less expensive alternatives. The fuchi (collar before tsuba) appears to be the unadorned dot type, the sarute (tassle ring) plain wire one. Under the leather cover, is the saya fairly crude black painted? The sword fits with some I have seen that have a sticker on the saya too, so worth a look if you can. So enjoy learning about your sword, It’s even better knowing where it came from and having a personal connection. Cheers, Steve

Could be either. If you have any specific examples we could offer an opinion, but it may be just that. Can be hard to tell without getting a sword in hand.

Know exactly what I want before I buy it. If I find it, buy without regret. Maybe something better comes along, but when I look back on past experiences, it's the ones I let get away I remember, not those that weren't perfect.

It's a learning curve. It'll take some time but we all started with only the most basic ideas of what we were doing. Some of us were lucky and never got burned, some made a few mistakes before getting a handle on it. It's not a big deal, you probably didn't spend too much and now you have a great example of what to keep an eye out for. Give it time, look at pictures, ask for assistance if you need it. Eventually (and in a shorter time than you might think) you will know exactly what you're looking at. You might even be the one to help out someone new to the hobby. Good luck and remember; like all things worth doing it takes time, practice and patience.

Must have been typing literally as you were! Not an expert by any stretch, that's too much flattery. Just seen a couple of 95s and seen this sword selling from China.

Sorry Bruce. Total fake mate.

Welcome Chris, Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that is an obvious fake that has been artificially aged. There are quite a few signs in your pictures. I've seen a few with that silly flag carving. Chinese or Indian in origin. Some of the givaways are; No kissaki Wrong bohi Poor casting tsuba Totally off stamps Incorrect materials Poor overall quality Patina is incorrect Font of serial number incorrect Wrong number range No brass scabbard throat Casting of the handle is poor Brass was not used in tsuka Don't be discouraged though! Consider it a learning curve and move on. The 95 is a great sword and perfect starting point for a forray into this diverse and rewarding hobby.

The present habaki may not original to the NCO Bruce. Unfortunately I cannot help you with a habaki, since I don't have many bits on hand. Might be hard to find one but I'll keep my eye out for you. I was just reading about this sword on WA. Very nice, now I want one! If wishes were horses.