Bruce Pennington

Looks like a partially struck Showa stamp on the upper edge.

Very nice. Actual Type 97 kaigunto in leather saya cover. Technically, there was no "Naval Landing Sword." It is a term thrown around by collectors. There was an actual Naval Landing Force, but I have no knowledge that they had directives on what style sword to carry. Austin Adachi's book "RIKUSENTAI; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Japanese Naval Landing Forces 1927-1945" has some shots of them with swords. Admittedly, all of the 97s have the leather cover, however, there are other shots of them carrying kyugunto. Austin may be able to address the issue.

After pinning the Type 95 Worksheet thread, it's had over 1200 views. So, you don't mind, I'm pinning John's thread in hopes more folks will see it and add to John's study.

That is elaborate and unique, Matt! Wonder what kind of trees or plants those are.

Brian, It's been so long since I first created an NMB account. Is there a way, when a 1st-timer logs in to create the screen name, etc, that a page has to be read that explains membership options and a brief line on how important it is in maintaining NMB operations?

Thanks, Steve! Once again I'm stumped because Japaneseswordindex.com doesn't have the teru 照 in the list. Jean, I agree, I couldn't find a Hideachi anywhere. Teru it is!

Excellent! Thanks, Steve. And after looking him up, I realized this is Kinmichi, not Kane.

Sam, Six to eight 95s on this Proxibid collection of auctions. Enjoy!

Ana punched right into the first date kanji. What's your opinion? Also, this is the first Kanemichi with the Kane using 金. Additionally, it is the only kiku on record with nothing in the center.

Heck, yeah! Thanks Dale!

Here's the only shots I saved, John:

Faint picture, sorry, but anybody see who this one is?

Found this souvenir on this Rock Island Auction. It's a Kanenao blade, no date, no black painted number. I have 7 Kanenao souvenirs, now, and only one had a painted number (61, posted by @Eds). They are all Takayama-to, but this one actually has a polisher's name:

Gorgeous blade, Marcin.

We've seen mon on fuchi already, but I had to add this one. A kikusui on a Type 98:

A kikusui used as a kamon on the fuchi of a Type 98. Blade is mumei and something old.

Thanks guys! You nailed it. So, the owner likely used it as a tip-o-the-hat to Lord Kusunoki, or his family, like thousands of others, adopted the mon for their own. The add for the auction claims the swords was from the Minatogawa shrine, I'm sure, based solely upon the fact that the shrine used the kikusui. Thanks for the enlightenment, gents.

Wow, that was an extensive list of Mon! I saw two Kiku, but none with sui, or none sitting on a river.

Was the kikusui used as a mon? This is on a Type 98 fuchi, older mumei blade, at this Bradfords Auction

Your question reminds me of the many fake and/or island swords that have cracking, thin saya covers. They are probably that imitation, ersatz-type material. Wonder how many of them, that we wrote off as fakes, were of what you are bringing up.

Brian, Every business that uses monthly payment vs one-time annual charges more for the monthly. It's an incentive for paying the annual. So, $60 for annual, or $6 monthly ($72 per year). It would increase your intake and make the lower monthly costs palatable to those with less income and/or hobby money on a monthly basis. Merchandise - I'd buy an NMB t-shirt!

Wow, Alex, I had completely forgotten about this issue and the fact that I have an ersatz saya cover of compressed paper! In the discussion, below, Shamsy posted one that is of some sort of imitation leather, too: A couple of photos from the thread: My compressed paper saya cover Steve's ersatz leather:

That never gets old! It still amazes me to see how they can hammer out the shape of the blade with such precision. Thanks for the post.

Thanks Dave! I like that shot.

Thanks, Steve! Sounds like a swordsmith, or someone watching one work.