Bruce Pennington

Yes, my kudos too, to David! I really have a hard time finding old posts like that! John, you're tsuba with the round holes is interesting. I can't say I've ever seen one that way, other than the one I have, and I've always thought mine was a poor fake. But yours looks quite legit. Mine must be the faker's attempt at copying the style you have there.

Tom, The pictures aren’t close enough to show enough detail of the white paint, but it does have the look of the original color used by the forces that invaded Alaska. Better pictures would be nice.

I suspect the term caught on when Ohmura posted it on his website. To my knowledge, there are no photos showing pilots/sub'ers/tankers carrying waki's, while there are photos of pilots with full-length gunto. It's possible Ohmura-san was speculating when he labeled them as such. Doesn't mean he's wrong, of course, but the community is still awaiting evidence of their use this way. Very nice collection and display Matt!

Bernard and Ray - both fabulous, thanks for sharing!!!

Ok, that fits better! "pilot" or "sub" would still fit the Type 97 Navy fittings. They all look original.

Gorgeous, Matt! Do you have the nakago translated? Also, I'm pretty sure the Navy didn't drive tanks. Do you mean that it's a waki?

Update: 37 Mantetsu blades with dates & serial number (4 more w/o date; 1 w/o katakana) Interesting development: 2 blades from 1938 used Alpha numeric serial numbers. Litterally C30 and N206, not katakana, and numbers are English. Appearantly the katakana and Japanese numbering began in 1939 (unless we discover a '38 blade marked in Japanese). While the sample is still extremely small compared to total production, so far, half the numbers fall in the "A" line of katakana. Yet, it seems all 50 kanji were started simultaneously as they are scattered throughout the years. For example you'll see a NA and a HO - both at far ends of the chart from each other - in '39. One mystery is the SA 520, made in '40 and the SA 459 made in '43 - meaning these blades were not made in sequential order, unless another explanation can be put forth. Only 2 blades have been found, so far, with 4 digit serial numbers: SE 2340 and HI 1155, both made in '44. No blades yet from '37, '38, or '45. Charts attached. Maybe someone who works with numbers and patterns may see something useful. If so, let us know! Mantetsu Serial Numbers.docx

Dang, Steve, you’re right! I couldn’t see that 7 until now. I’m blaming bad lighting! Ha!

If you don't get a translation of the tag here, you could take it over to the "Translation Assistance" forum where that's all they do. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/15-translation-assistance/ There is at least one organization that specializes in repatriating war flags, but like the guys above, I have read several stories where the receiving family just turned around and sold the flags on ebay. There was a famously covered story of a sword that was returned. So special permissions are obviously possible to return war weapons such as this. Info on Japanese govt effort to return flags and 1000 stich belts: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/government-Japan-will-now-act-intermediary-case-you-wish-return-war-relics-families-679338/ If she goes through with this effort, she should just be realistic and know that the results are at best 50/50% on how it will be received on the other end.

What’s the second one from the right, Neil? Everything about it looks unusual !

I see this was posted 5 years ago, and just moved to this forum, so comments to the original people invovled probably aren't necessary, but for the sake of new readers that might happen along, I'll add that the first gunto at the top is likely showato, as the guys already pointed out. While there is some debate about arsenal stamps simply being acceptance stamps, most evidence indicates that their presence also means "non-traditionally made."

A small update: I just saw this seppa on Warrelics, owned by Shamsy, on an old sword that was used during the war. It has the same edge-style like this one on this thread. Obviously older, where this one looks new. But might add some legitimacy to this one?

Bryce, I've never seen, nor heard of anyone who has seen, the official Army spec order delineating saya color. Ohmura, when discussing colors other than IJA green, calls them "special order..." http://ohmura-study.net/714.html

Dave, Well, Dave, now that you mention it, a closer look at the ito does show hand-oil staining/darkening. I'd say with the saya being standard IJA spec, it's not like any other PETA or Occupied Lands work I've seen. If it's all original, then I'd default to a custom-order arrangement. You see things like this on fittings for an old blade, I've just never seen such a customization on a showato. But, like we all know, the only thing certain about WWII Japanese showato that that there is almost nothing certain! Concerning the tassel, we were discussing tassel standards on the Warrelics forum, and some of us started taking measurements and comparisons. I feel like there must have been many contractors making those things too, which injected variations is style, length, and quality as well. Who knows?!

Mark, I tried to slide them out, but they're in tight.

Just got my second Metetsu gunto! Decent blade, with some nicks in edge and a couple of gouges in the kissaki edge. Nice fittings, though missing all seppa, sarute, and mekugi. Also, the spring for the latch is broken off. Koa Isshin, Fall 1940, ser# Ru 199 Interesting saya liner! It's doubled. There is a thin liner within the outer liner.

I don't know the smiths. Brian and Stephen have a better feel for that. Some famous smiths can garner those prices, and some Shrine swords. But if he's not one of those, then Showa gunto are currently selling from $800 to $1,200. I would personally wouldn't pay over $900-1,000 considering the non-original (though high quality) replacement parts.

Stephen, kabutogane, menugi, habaki, and tsuba seem original, but the fuchi looks new.

Pete, The year is 1945. The kanji look different because they written in the Japanese equivelant to our Script writing. The handle looks to have been recently re-wrapped, and the sarute (tassel loop) look new. Can't say if the rank tassel is original or a repro. Nice blade!

Good catch Steve! Matches the oshigata now!

Tom, You've got a May 1945, IJA Officer sword, commonly called a Type 3, or Contingency model gunto. The smith name is Kanehisa 兼久 (Kanehisa) But the kanji are quite poorly written. So maybe one of the guys more knowledgeable of the swordsmiths might want to comment. Smiths didn't always sign their own work. Helpers sometimes signed for them, and even polishers sometimes put the name on. I would suggest one of those options here.

I'd like to hear from the guys that can translate mei - is this a real smith's name? Geraint, I'd also like to see both sides of the tang (nakago) without the brass collar (habaki). The fittings look legit to me, as does the scabbard (saya). It is missing a leather cover that would have been on it. The blade metalugy looks pretty bad, which lends to a fakery idea, as does the end of the tang. It's a tough one, in my book.

John & Neil, Thanks guys, I have never seen that on habaki before! Oh, so much to learn!!! Stephen, I thought the same thing, though, after zooming in on it, I can see the metal of the blade, and some rust on it, through the hole. So it seems the habaki is thick, or built over another layer of metal. Low quality work, imitating high quality ideas I suppose.

Guys, somebody talk to me about that horrible hot-stamp in the habaki?!?! Never seen anything like it! When I saw that and the icky quality of the seppa and tsuba - I was leaning to Fake. But the mei looks good, as does the saya. What the heck is that on the habaki?

I've bought one in the past, but it's not a good fit. I'll take the spring part off the back of it and have someone spot weld it to my Mantetsu latch. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Thanks guys!