Bruce Pennington

Marco, That's quite a unique custom rig! Ohmura has some really unique colored saya, but it's rare to actually see one. For collectors of rare items, this would be a great one to have. Any stamps on the nakago mune (back edge of tang)?

Inherited mine when my dad passed on, so yes. 1941 Mantetsu Koa Isshin. It will stay in the family if I get my wishes about it.

That sounds like a story! Want to fill us in?

Ah, I see it, very nice!

I've cropped and enhanced your shots a little. Still would be great to see some clear photos when you get a chance, especially the serial number. You can read about these on the following sites: http://ohmura-study.net/957.html https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/short-development-history-type-95-gunto-676112/ https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/ija-type-95-nco-sword-info-228172/

There's a similar one on post #95, but yours is a way better photo, thanks! Your second one is interesting with the blackened background and gold on top. A little blurry, do you think it's clouds?

Interesting variation on the rain-pattern, found HERE.

David, glad to see it's arrived! Quite a beauty. I just noticed the Army company-grade tassel. Odd to be on a kaigunto. Maybe added by the G.I. who brought it home, or a post-war owner?

They were certainly rushed. My late-95 doesn't have a bohi (takes time to make) and you can feel, as you slide an oiling cloth or paper towel along the blade, 3 stages of tapering in the blade body- widest, middle, and thinnest. There is a noticeable "line" for lack of words, where the tapering shifts. You can't see it, but I can feel it. Yet it's a solid weapon, heavier than the early 95s and a good looking blade.

Here's your guy, Georg:

Got a burr under your bonnet Peter? Your whole post is odd. I get cranky sometimes when things are getting to me at home. Need to talk?

Oops! I mean nagasa- Sori is useful too, though.

If the sori is less than 24" it's a waki. Here's how to measure the sori: Also, the Nihonto guys will want to see a photo of the bare blade like the image above.

Someone will have to translate the smith name for you, but I can say the Type 97 kaigunto was assembled by the Toyokawa Navy Arsenal (small stamp on the seppa), and the large Seki stamp on the top of the mei indicates this blade was a showato inspected and approved by the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Assoc. I personally feel that the blades with the large Seki are high quality showato, with good workmanship in the blade.

Thanks Peter, great one! I can't draw things like that on paper, and these guys can sculpt this stuff in steel. Amazing.

Be sure to bring us some photos when it's done. Before & after! It's a great feeling to hold one of these after they've been restored as much as possible. Something sad about a gunto with missing parts, or dilapidated condition.

True. Their sword prices tend to be quite a bit higher than our markets.

Ah, thanks Trystan! A nice "Ichi" gunto. The extra seppa in front threw me until I realized it had been moved from the backside to the front!

Larry, You mentioned that your interest is as a collector also. The gunto is worth collecting (possibly Iaido also), so I think Chris' comment about running away was concerning the price only. These gunto normally run in the $1,400-1,800 price range, so if the seller is willing to come down, and you still like the sword, go for it. But like Chris said, his price is double the market value.

New addition to the Niigata smiths, a second Akimitsu, 1943, with タ1261 on the nakago, just 15 numbers apart from the other Akimitsu on file. Important addition, as well, to the blades marked with both stamped numbers and painted numbers. I'm checking with the owner, Leo2018 at THIS WEHRMACT-AWARDS THREAD to see if the fittings have any numbers. So far, I haven't found any of these with numbers on the fittings. But, to me, it doesn't make sense that the stamped numbers come from a fitting shop. There would be no known purpose to painting a different number on the same blade. But of course, I realize that I'm still just speculating. PAINTED & STAMPED NUMBERS Year Smith Stamped # Paint Notes 1942, Dec Akihisa Star Matsu577 “42” Quality RS fittings 1943 Akimitsu Star タ1261 “651” Quality RS fttings 1943, May Hiromasa Star 61; paint “60” date side “19” on mei side Low quality (Late?) RS, custom leather saya wrap 1944, Mar Munetoshi Star タ2353 star “678” Late RS possible re-fit, no 2nd ana 1944 Kanemitsu RJT (no star) 24 stamped “22” paint Mid-quality RS fittings; “1” on tsuba/seppa

I'm playing Catch-up - So the mark is a logo, of sorts, for the Japan Steel Works? We have several similar stamps that use the first kanji of a shop/forge/company name. So it's logical. What I'm wondering is that the 3 examples are all on a single smith's work, Hideaki, correct? Unless he's the only smith working for JSW, we should see other smiths with the mark? Can you guys with the books give me some names of other JSW smiths that I could search for?

You just made my day! This needed to be in the joke of the day forum! Love it!

Ishihara Kanenao was a WWII smith: https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/KAN1733 You will often find blades made during the war that were sold to private citizens, or sword dealers, and originally mounted in civil fittings. Then the sword was donated to the war effort, or bought by the Army, and refitted for the war. The re-fit usually kept various parts of the tsuka/tsuba and simply put a leather covered saya on the blade. The fact that it was in civil fittings originally won't tell us whether the blade is gendaito or showato.

Hamish, When I click on the link, I get the description and everything of the page except the pictures! No pictures.

Yours is the first I've seen with an actual kao, or kakihan, in that spot. I have seen name kanji in the place of a mon but not a kao like this. Normally, you see kao on the nakago or on tsuba. You can see several kao on nakago on pages 32-35 of my Stamps of the Japanese Sword document. And there is a whole book of tsuba kao, but I don't know the name of it. Is the blade signed? As it is a general's 19, it's quite possible the general who owned it came up with his own kao. If no one recognizes it on this forum you might run it through the Translation Assistance forum.