Ontario_Archaeology

Isn't that a Japanese granade

The sustainability of artefact preservation relies on the enthusiasts. Governments will continue to defund museums big and small. Unfortunately history and the objects from it are often an after thought. In the archeology industry there are concerns about what happens to all the artefacts a commercial archaeologist has stored over their decades of work. One archaeologist may have hundreds of sites, hundreds of thousands of artefacts, stored in their basement in bankers boxes, but what happens to all that when they pass away or retire? For private collections I think it is important that these online communities exist so the collection has an opportunity to pass onto someone who will maintain them and the history attached to them.

I have a small collection of other Japanese ww2 militaria https://gyazo.com/1390d8ba2165877bb036e90b559c9cd8 I also have different artifacts that were found out of context from a few sites I have worked on from mid - late 1800 soda bottles to few arrow heads. I wish I could post a picture of my cabinet of artifacts, but unfortunately I didn't transfer any onto my laptop and I am now away for school.

I think if we had a thread where we could collect period pictures / videos of gunto it would do a lot of good to figure out when or where they were used. If we could narrow down dates of when the photos were taken we might be able to see if attitudes changed overtime. I usually give the photo albums on ebay a good once through, but have never thought of archiving those pictures for this use until today.

Another video with images of tankers standing outside of their tanks some with swords. (around 50 seconds)

The wiki seems confused, the introduction states this "He was a perpetrator of the Nanking massacre in 1937 but was never charged." but further down . . "The order may have actually been issued, allegedly without the Prince's knowledge or assent, by Lieutenant Colonel Isamu Chō. He was a known radical ultra-nationalist staff member of the Central China Area Army who may have released the order under the sign manual of Asaka." anyway, with anything in military collecting, buy the piece not the story.

Interesting point Dave. I wonder what kind of attitude officers would have towards personal carrying swords when they had no business doing so. To me it could be seen as undermining the officers authority since they "earned" the right to carry the sword, maybe the variation between regulation and high quality mounts is a monetary one, I believe officers had to finance their own gunto and maybe less wealthy officers or those chosen to replace the ones lost in combat didn't have the money to kit out a full gunto.

I love the variety and the "extremes" of war time swords. It doesn't make it all that easy to determine where everything was and "used" for. I remember reading about a program the Japanese government had buying swords for the war effort, I wonder if the pressures of war caused more short swords to be used in the military due to this program and the reduced production of the gunto.

There are a few shots in this video of "Airborne Commandos" with different gunto, some full size, some short. https://gyazo.com/ac85c4804d1ca9fc97fb399d55b00209

Thank-you for the responses. I was more curious than anything else what the hell it was! Matt

I have seen this auction come and go a few times and out of curiosity I have tried to look up more information but turned up nothing. Maybe someone with more knowledge here can fill me in https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japan-Antique-Edo-cannon-iron-katana-yoroi-Kabuto-tsuba-Armor-samurai-Busho/163772155659?hash=item262194c70b:g:vh4AAOSwKRpcxzo~ thanks, Matt

That is a great little Wak! The size variation is just amazing! Thanks, Matt

the only hope i had for that fact was that it was that was a type-o LOL

The mass amount of variation in the mounts and how un-uniform the gunto were make me think almost anything is possible. Here is the Ohmura page on the navy "crew" gunto http://ohmura-study.net/762.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SA323-Japanese-Samurai-Sword-IJN-Imperial-Navy-Kaigunto-Hideaki-66-0-CM/132963255903?hash=item1ef53a465f:g:REoAAOSwAClccLLF:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true Signed: "Made with the steel from the gun barrel of the [battleship] Mikasa, by Hideaki" and on the reverse: "March 1930, Morishita Nobue, Captain of Battleship Yamato." I know we have debunked this seller a few times before, but this is just ridiculous . . . right?

If I remember correctly there was originally a blue/brown with this?

Interesting Bruce, That might explain the difference between this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-Japanese-NAVY-COMPANY-OFFICER-S-SWORD-TASSEL-katana-sword-gunto/323703723417?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 and this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-Japanese-ARMY-OFFICER-SHIN-GUNTO-SWORD-TASSEL-ORIGINAL-LATE-WAR/312499194904?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Dd1a53e4be90249e2a202e71b44506f0e%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D312499194904%26itm%3D312499194904&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Af94c9211-3873-11e9-b979-74dbd180f652%7Cparentrq%3A2139e69e1690aca6f2e9427dfff20c99%7Ciid%3A1 the first one would be the army? and the second one navy?

I am looking to get a tassel to go with this. I should be looking for an all brown one, correct? As far as I know the navy only used the brown tassel? Thanks, Matt

another example, I think https://www.ebay.com/itm/4254-MODIFIED-SAMEKAWA-SABER-KOSHIRAE-HIGH-RANKING-OFFICER-MEIJI-PERIOD/223303591954?hash=item33fdee6812:g:6lgAAOSw8sBbyBJT

I saw that post too, I was tempted. It is a very nice Kai Gunto. Congratulations. I am glad it went to a member. Matt

to be honest, even if the story is fake, it is a decent example of a kai gunto. Matt

I saw that post too, Chris. The captain listed was not on the Nagato long, Hayakawa Mikio (1894-1945) 1943-8-2 Commander, BB Nagato 1943-11-1 Rear admiral 1943-12-15 Commander, Destroyer Squadron 2 1944-11-11 Vice admiral Killed in action Maybe he had a different sword made for every time he was transferred? Maybe the Nagato had a special place in his heart? Maybe its one big ebay scam. (I don't know if the mei actually says "Minamogawa Jinja Masatada" and on the reverse "1943, worn by Hayakawa Mikio, Captain of Battleship Nagato.") It just seems like a strange wording "worn by" instead of "made for" or something more fancy. Maybe it is a translation issue. Just throwing out some ideas. Matt

I hope you stick to collecting modern blades. If you truly believe there is nothing to be learned from history, you cannot appreciate it appropriately. Maybe CultofAthena is more up your alley. Edit: There is no "brightside" to destroying artifacts, unless it is to further the science, what Showa22 is doing is a waste. Matt

Luis, as an archaeologist, there is plenty to be gained from studying mass produced weapons. Probably more so than items produced on a lower scale. If we have documentation to go along with the artifacts we can put together a better picture what was going on during that period and figure out a more complete history of the time. By documenting and researching the period and topics now, while it is more recent, we are probably uncovering more information than if we started 100 years from now. You may think that there is nothing to be learned from past societies, but that is simply wrong. With the mixed up NCO, why destroy a perfectly fine artifact for profit? The OP clearly shows that it was a modern mix matching, which takes away a lot of the historic value, especially with ww2 collectors who often look for items that have not been changed since the period. With a mass produced item like the NCO, the value comes from how original it is, and the condition. I personally think that separating the "original" mountings from the blades we find them in is just as wrong as messing with the NCO. We know historically it was often done, but I see us more of curators of artifacts and changing out the mountings removes part of the history that we work to preserve. Matt

hopefully these are an improvement. I honestly had an impossible time getting a picture of the tip. Matt