Bruce Pennington

I've had someone on Warrelics ask me what a fair market value is for these. I realize it likely depends on style, age, condition, etc. but I don't follow them and was hoping someone could give me a range of pricing for the guy. Thanks!

Isn't it as simple as the blade was re-fitted along the way?

An interesting one posted by @Francis Wick HERE. Waiting for translators, but it seems the officer might have written his surrender info on the cavas cover:

Francis, Can't help with the writing, but just wanted to say that blade would be quite stunning with a professional polish!

That was a really good refresher, thank you, Thomas! Marcel, You nailed it. See Thomas' observation from the discussion in the other thread (click on the photo and it will be clear to read):

Really nice sword, Eric! Are you going to have the tsuka re-wrapped? Curious what causes you to call your fittings Type 94? I see the centered chuso. Are there other indications? Not arguing, just curious.

John, don’t know if this is what you were looking for an artificial leather . It’s on an ersatz sword Don’t know if it’s imitation or not

Thanks, Ed! Looks like that is our third one, now. How about checking that leather to see if you think it is real leather or imitation leather. We have another conversation going on looking for examples of the late war imitation leather. The nakago is surprisingly well made! Even has the feather file marks. Interesting that it has to holes as if it was made for an RS model.

Where did you find that one, Marcel? Here is one I have on file. Found on what Fuller called an "ersatz sword." "The tsuba of an “ersatz” sword possibly made in Manchuria in the last months of the war. 造 could be short for 造兵 which in Japanese apparently translates to "Arsenal."

Oooo, could be

It would be an interesting thing to find if the Tokyo RJT smiths blades had the stamped numbers, especially with the katakana combination, and then Nagoya RJT smiths had painted the numbers like John has shown. John, have you seen any other letters other than “A“?

Sorry buddy, but David is correct. This is a fake.

Good question John. Any of your ideas might be the right one. They might have all been part of a batch order given to a particular sword shop to outfit and the numbering system might have been done by the sword shop. But anything is possible. Interesting that you identified a particular system on multiple blades!

I have seen quite a few, and several where the tsuka was just plain wood, covered tightly in leather. The tsuba might be a civil one.

Marcin, The black army saya is fairly common. At first glance, I often think "Aha! Another souvenir.", when it's really just another army saya. The metal fittings aren't gold gilded.