Bruce Pennington

John, I feel your view is coming from a guy that valued High Quality Gendaito and their appropriate fittings. "Value", as all of us know in Sword-Collecting-World, is set by the tastes of the group that are interested in each item. I think $650 for a 1963 Spiderman comic book is ludicrous, but I don't have any interest in comic books. I would also never spend $10,000 on a nihonto - I could get 5 great WWII gunto for that!!! You know that some of us enjoy the late-war stuff. You also know, because we at NMB have had this discussion multiple times, the point I'm making about taste. So, what I don't know, is why you're, to all appearances, acting like you don't know all this. ??? Love you, dude, but this is not why we are here. I don't look down on your interests.

It starts at post #17 on this page: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/nlf-gunto-discussion-672281-2/#post2030534

I appreciate the effort. I find these items interesting as well. There is a larger thread about these, if I get a chance I will link it here. Nick Komiya, Warrelics, Posted a translation of a document in the last year of the war which showed that Allied bombing had essentially destroyed sword making on the mainland in that final year. They change the military specifications orders to allow anything that “shoots for stabs” to be produced regardless of Quality. He also showed a navy regulation downgrading the requirements for the metal fittings to allow one belt hanger black and fittings and essentially lower quality everything.

The handle is a classic style from the old days.

It’s a classic zoheito. They were being made just before WWII, hence the early Type 94 fittings.

The thick tsuba is typical for Type 94s.

Wow. The value of my Type 95 collection just went up considerably.

IMHO (first time I've used that acronym!) It's zoheito. Nakago is too long for kyu; long enough for 95 but wrong shape and only 1 hole; bohi goes too deeply into the kissaki for a 95. Pluse the "to" stamp is classic for a zoheito.

With a set like that, Gareth, a guy could comfortably retire from collecting. Wow, how beautiful! @Kiipu - I see the point of your question of the 2 ana. This blade seems to have been made with the Rinji Seishiki fittings in mind. With a 1939 date, it would have been going into the earliest of productions for the version. I wonder if the owner changed his mind, or maybe the manufacturers had not gotten the production going in time and the owner opted for the standard Type 98? Of course, another idea is that after seeing the original 'standard' RS, the owner decided it wasn't as high quality as he had desired for his custom blade? I don't think the high-quality styled RS fittings really showed up until later in the war.

NIce war sword, it's got personality! And I would caveat about how it was made. The large Seki stamps are found on some pretty well-made blades. Often quite beautiful. It could have been made by hand, in many ways traditional, but oil quenched. So don't be surprised to find something quite nice when you see it.

Since this summer, and John @PNSSHOGUN's white ray skin saya, I've seen more Army rayskin saya than I've seen in the last 7 years on this board! They're coming out of the woodwork! Truly gorgeous Gareth!

They are not the only ones that mess up the description. Rock Island, right now, as a couple of Rinji gunto listed as NCO swords. Another of there lots, with 3 blades, looks like the description was copied and pasted from another lot because all 3 descriptions are wrong.

Here's one on a 1940 Type 98, found on auction site.

Just found this one on a Type 98 with a Showa-stamped 1940 Yasutsuna blade. At an auction.

The damascus steel blade is another clue, along with the poor imitation metal fittings. Check here for how Japanese gunto fittings should look: http://ohmura-study.net/905.html

Trystan, I think you're right, but out of curiosity, how do you distinguish between that and 卜 (Boku) - fortune teller? And .... oh .... BTW .... O. M. G.!!! A new, undiscovered/unidentified shop logo!!!!

Thomas, (Kiipu), is compiling a great reference for swords here:

Although undated, the large Seki stamp puts the most likely date as 1942 as the massive majority of dated blades with this stamp are '42s. But he stamp is seen less frequently from 1940-1944. The fittings are made to have the leather cover over the wooden saya. These are quite often found on late war kaigunto, so this could point to a '43-'44 date. Posting a few pics for posterity.

The fat seppa usually comes with a large set of seppa, like 8 or so. Seen on higher quality fittings.

Thanks Thomas! Pics added to the file.

Wow, a black ray-skin Army gunto! Can't say I've seen that before! Did it come with the General officer tassel?

There is no known list. I think Omura put the end of the Kokura around 1940, but I think @Stegel says more like 1942. He’d be the guy to give you a better guess on your date.

One found by @Pippo:

Some people like the battle damaged gunto. It’s a matter of taste, like everything and collecting.

I get nothin' on the link.