Bruce Pennington

Any updates on shipping swords to the UK?

Bingo! Thanks Trystan! I’ll add that stamp to the Stamps Doc.

It's possible we have some guys with similar kabutogane. I cannot find the thread, but someone started a thread specifically for high-quality fittings, and some of these stamped kabuto's were posted. Maybe someone can find it and we can check with each owner.

Ah So! Too bad, I'd like to have that stamp for the Stamps Doc.

Thomas, I see the "To" but don't see the Nakano stamp?

Posted it here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/23337-dads-mantetsu-koa-issin/?hl=%2Bdad%26%2339%3Bs+%2Bmantetsu Couple more:

My Dad's Mantetsu is 1941 and has the celuloid.

Yes, so not late-war. I don't know the year they started using this stuff, but like JP stated, there were likely a number of different reasons for using it.

I have seen some pretty high-quality gunto with celluloid, so I don't think they were predominantly late-war. George, is your blade dated?

I have a 2-handed, D-guard, Kyu for sale. In good condition, these go for $1,200-1,400 USD. This one is missing the handle wire-wrap and seppa. Someone has made a copper spacer next to the habaki to tighten the handle, which works, but it's too wide to allow the blade to fully seat into the saya. Chuso, not depicted, but has the locking tip broken off. Mekugi also not depicted, but present. Nakago has active rust, so don't know if it's signed. Hamon appears to be artificially applied. Blade has some dark stains and kissaki is deeply pitted. Pictured next to my singly-handled kyu to show size (my kyu not for sale!) SOLD

Hmph. Second Katsumasa in Rinji (type 3) mounts in just a few days!

Ok, "Grasshoppahh" you snathced the rock! You are free to wander the desert southwest of the mid-1800's USA@! Oy vey! I guess I had been sampling the Nikka Whiskey when I posted that! Soooo... yes considering the "unknowns" MAY be Ren-stamped blades as well, then I suspect these blades were all made in sequence by the same factory.

Put it on the Translation Assistance forum. Those guys work miracles! Very nice Type 97 fittings BTW.

Seppa on the way Kenny!

Well, maybe you guys can help me figure this out, because just looking at the '44 Se line, it's mixed. I don't now what it means. If you have any thoughts, I'm all ears. The green highlights are "Nan" stamp and the blue are "Ren".

I hear your heart on this Neil. Sometimes, though, that piece of history is a person. I would honor this man with all my swords if it would enrich his life just a little bit. This blade is spending it's last legs to make someone's life just a bit better. If it could speak, it would say "I'll go, send me."

Kenny, I'll PM you and we can talk about a beat-up kyu gunto. It's got serious pitting on the kissaki (blade tip) and some dark stain on the blade. I was hoping someone who bought it would know how to "fill" the pitting with some sort of steel and re-buff the surface. I have an NCO Type 95 that looks like it was actually field-repaired that way. The handle is missing the wire-wrap and it's got a post-war copper spacer in place of seppa. It's not nihonto, but was made in the 1900-1925 range where they were making western-styled sabers out of single steel, and artificialy applying a hamon to the edge.

Tom, thanks for the blade info! Spring 1944; SE 1029. I have some spare seppa. If you want to PM me your mailing address, I'll send them to you. Use what you want and send the rest back to me.

Kenny, I don't know the method your father intends to use for the job, but if the tsuba/tsuka are actually in his way to do it, and you want them off, I use a tool like the one posted below to hold the nut. Then it's important to have a screw driver with a blade tip the same size as the slot. Too small a blade just causes more damage, and obviosly too big won't fit in the slot.

In the case of tassels, ironically, I've found fleabay to be honest. For some reason, the sellers of reproduction tassels on fleaby normally post them as reproductions, and you will almost always see that they are shipping from China. The place I tend to see weird tassels is when they come on the swords, themselves. The G.I.s seemed to have often put cords of any style and condition on their souvenirs. Of course some of that was done post-war by Bubba's too. But, the end of the long story is that I haven't seen much intentional deceipt among tassel sellers. The key, like spotting fake swords, is to study the real ones, like on Ohmura's site or in books, or in hand, to know the fake when you spot it.

I just noticed the Showa stamp above the mei. It means non-traditionally made. Your price was in the ballpark considering the missing fittings.

Here's an interesting one: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/30772-interesting-mikasa-dirk-whotstamp/?hl=mikasa

Removed the naugahide today. Sure enough, the tsuka was grooved for the rayskin and there were square cut-outs where I presume the thin metal plates went for the retention screw. The Bubba had replaced them with a modern nut.

I like it when they are already with the sword, but I’m mostly looking for the sword and it’s condition. I have gone out and bought tassels for each of my swords, if they didn’t have one already.

JP, PM sent.