FletchSan

Thanks Steve. Would all Gunto blades with painted markings be considered non traditionally made, even without an arsenal stamp? Also - could the first character be Jo? Looks a bit like a variation of that from Yumoto's book? cheers, Ben

Excellent thanks. I went to pick up another sword that I purchased and this one was also available also which I could potentially swap for. The sword I purchased is also Kai-Gunto though the blade and saya are awesome condition. Both swords are from the daughter of a WW2 vet and they have literally been in storage since the end of the war. I'll upload some pictures of the sword I took home which is non-traditionally made however as it has a Seki stamp (could not see a stamp on this one though) though the blade is beautiful and almost original condition. The 1953 date on this one has me perplexed however...

Hi, Need help with translating the tang and surrender tag for a Kai-Gunto. I've had a go at the painted Kanji I can see : Taira ? Ichi Kyu ? San Is it a date or assembly order? I can't make out the other side which only has two Kanji. For the wooden tag I figure maybe the following Kanji 井野冬兼日長 though that sill doesn't help me Thanks in advance, Ben.

Ah, thanks. Didn't even notice. I managed to get it off and on the right way.

Hi, This will be my last post for this topic - just thought I'd share an update. I decided the cheapest option would be to source a replacement tsuka vs. try to convert it to a shin-gunto. It's still not perfect as the kabuto-gane even on this one is still a shin-gunto style though apparently original to the tsuka. Anyway, looks much better now and I'm happy with it. cheers, Ben

Thanks Steve - really appreciate the effort!

Ok. So cut down childs wakizashi in very bad condition. Glad I didn't pay that much! Still interested in what it says on the saya if anyone can read it. Thanks.

Thanks for the responses. Not sure it could be a wakizashi though as it is tiny compared to a wak... only 33cm long including tang and 2cm wide. I've attached a picture with it next to a wakizashi I have for comparison in the original post. I'm intrigued by the idea of a child's wakizashi - are these common? cheers, Ben

Hi All, I picked up a tanto fairly cheap though it is not in great condition, there is some damage and several rust spots on the blade. It looks authentic to me, though the crude Kanji on the saya makes me wonder. Is it authentic and any idea what the Kanji on the saya reads? The nagako is unsigned. I think the last 3 characters may be on the 10th day of October made this ? Though probably reading it wrong. The last character looks like the Honami family seal? cheers, Ben PS. Edited this post and added another photo. Decided to stick in my scanner and see how that worked, wow - I'm impressed

No probs. A digital microscope would be nice, though I thought I'd try the $17 option first To my untrained eye - is the Shin Gunto possibly hand forged and Kai Gunto machine made based on the photos ?

Hi All, I was curious about the hada (or lack thereof) on my swords so decided to buy a cheap magnifier on ebay and used the iPhone to take a few pics. They came out surprisingly well. What is interesting is how different the sword grains are, particularly between the two Guntos. I'm just a beginner - so not sure what I'm actually looking at, though thought I would share any see what others thought. Maybe this will become a standard tool for people photographing their blades If interested, this was the magnifier I purchased. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Multifunctional-Mini-Monocular-Telescope-w-Magnifier-Microscope-3-in-1-red-coat-/171915625453?hash=item2806f843ed The first 2 photos are a Kai Gunto, next 3 a Shin Gunto and the last 3 is a late 17C Wakizashi. Both Guntos have Seki stamps and can be seen in my other posts. The yokote is also far more pronounced on the Wakizashi & Kai Gunto vs. the Shin Gunto.​ cheers, Ben

But I like this blade compared to my other Shin Gunto I might hunt down a Kai-Gunto Tsuka for it.. Anyway, I did some googling last night on Kaneuji & Kai Guntos and came across this which I'm convinced is the same sword sold before it was "restored" as the damage on the saya lines up perfectly! http://armsandantiques.com/fine-wwii-Japanese-kaneuji-gendai-naval-gunto-katana-sword-j212 Interesting thing is that although clearly the Tsuka has new wrapping, the Fuchi & Kabuto-gane are the same and the saya does fit the sword perfectly.. any chance these are original to the sword or were they all standard and would almost be out of uniform for them to be different? I also noticed that the Tsuka is considerably shorter than the Tsuka on my Shin Gunto - was it also common for there to be different sized Tsukas depending on the maker? cheers, Ben

Thanks - I think you may be right. Now what to do - keep it as is and assume its part of its history or try to turn it into either a Kai Gunto or Shin Gunto

Hi All, I have a Kai Gunto that I have some questions about. I have done some research and determined that it is by Kaneuji a Seki smith and it also has his hot stamp and a Seki stamp, so I assume not traditionally made. The fittings are curios though as it almost appears as though it's a Shin Gunto in a Kai Gunto saya ... though it doesnt match the Shin Gunto I have. The blade is magnetic so I guess not stainless steel either.. In particular - the following fittings don't seem to fit Kai Gunto. 1. The Fuchi with the dots 2. The Kabuto-gane is more like Shin Gunto though a more gold colour than normal 3. The Same is white instead of black 4. The Menuki doesn't look military 5. The seppa are a silver colour vs brass Welcome any other comments you have - overall I like the blade though interested in why its not standard. cheers, Ben

Thanks - yes I believe it is the Seki arsenal stamp. I have a question about the tag and its purpose. Would this have been a surrender tag or was it fairly normal for soliders to have their division & name attached to their sword?

Thanks Steve(s) - appreciate the information. Looking forward to completing the sword and doing some more research on Fujii Kaneoto. cheers, Ben

Wow - thanks for the fast response. That's great, I'll see what I can find out about him. I'd be interested to discover what about the blade is non traditionally made. What do you think about the Tsuba - is it the right one and is it a type 98? Here is the rest of the tag - though a little harder to read. thanks, Ben

​Hi All, I have a ww2 Gunto that was missing the Tsuba and a few seppa. I purchased a replacement antique Tsuba which I had to file the nagako-ana to make it fit, though also need to aquire a few period seppa to complete it. I assume it is a type 98 Gunto though wanted confirmation and whether the Tsuba I purchased was also the right choice? There is a seki stamp so I assume non traditionally made, though would also like some help translating the mei. I got as far as Hatsui Kaneoto though I have only seen reference to a Fujii Kaneoto in the Showa era though the Kanji doesn't look like fuji to me - looks more like hatsu ? I'd also like help with the writing on the attached cloth tag. Pics below - thanks Ben