Kotetsu1959

One more aspect to note is the sword and fittings all bear the assembly number “13.” The quality of Mantetsu blades remained high throughout production, but early examples do show more individual attention to detail. Ray

This later Mantetsu shows how the solid tsuba details have melted away relative to the earlier open work tsuba example. Instead of a cat scratch habaki, you have a more rudimentary one. Also, the ray skin in this latter example is artificial. Ray

Here you are Bruce! The tuba is the thick, heavy open work style, with only two seppa. There is a leather combat cover, so the saya is obscured. I will post a second Mantetsu I have from Spring of ‘42 shortly. Enjoy your Sunday! Ray

Many thanks Moriyama san and Ray san! You are most kind. The katana is Kogarasu Maru style. The file marks definitely have a Gassan feel. I am grateful for your help gentlemen, and look forward to doing some more research.

Enormously talented, and incredibly kind, Richard was one of those exceptional people whose integrity was beyond question. I knew him for more than two decades. He never failed to show respect for everyone, and interest in everything. His loss is a great loss for all of us who knew him, for our KTK group and for the larger community. On one trip to Japan many years ago Richard took the time to help me call my mom back home via the internet, which I could not have done without his help. He didn't make me feel I was doing him a favor. He seemed happy to help me, his inept friend. There was a humility and decency to Richard that exceeded his great talent as an artist and engineer. Richard will be greatly missed. He set a high standard in every aspect of his life, including especially his love for his family. His contribution to the field of nihonto study, and all his life's good works, will endure. God bless this good friend, and great human being.

George, Prices and quality do vary widely. Matched sets are obviously going to command a premium, as will gold foil seppa. Also, in respect to old Japanese seppa, as Rob observes above, there are many more smaller ones than larger ones. There are sometimes good deals to be found at shows. As with swords, the quality and quantity are diminishing. Timing and luck loom large. If you check the link Bruce posted, you will see that the price is $20-25 apiece rather than $25 for the lot. A nice large seppa that works for your needs is a bargain at $10, and perhaps worth considerably more depending on how well it fits and looks. For odd military seppa, I would say $25 is on the very high end.

David, You have picked out two nice wakizashi, either of which is a better choice than most folks make when they catch the bug. The input you have received urges you to first ask yourself, why you have to make a decision tonight? Could there be an even better choice that you will enjoy more if you take a bit more time? As has been pointed out, there are many nice swords searching for a home. Don't get in a hurry. There is always another train, and another sword. Don't wait forever, but don't rush. Knowledge is your friend, and it is your best friend as you begin collecting unless you are incredibly lucky to have a true mentor in this area. One exceptional mentor in the Dallas area, Keith Evans, is no longer around. He was was a person of great knowledge and integrity who had the opportunity to study and learn while he lived in Japan in the early sixties. We used to have a small sword study group, but Keith passed away and the other key member returned to Japan to live. I saw there was an Austin based group mentioned, but it does not look as though they are very active. There are a good many opportunities to examine Japanese swords in the U.S., but they will probably involve some travel. There used to be some sword shows in Dallas and Houston, but no more. Sword offerings at most gun shows are pretty poor unless you are extremely lucky. Get some books, and take the time to travel to one or two shows so you can see and handle different swords. You are more likely to select one that will hold your interest in the long run if you take more time to study.

This book arrived today and has already been the source of value and enjoyment. Thank you Mal for getting this book to me, and for the considerable effort involved in researching this very useful source of information on Mino-to. Swords of this school pop up often at shows. I should have acquired this book long ago!