PNSSHOGUN

Dwain why are you on this forum exactly?

Decidedly fake. Despite being a mass produced item the quality and fit & finish on these swords was quite good, the blade on this example is crude at best.

Looks just like any old Showato steel to me.

Papered swords are coming onto ebay quite regularly now, some of the sellers have quite decent swords too. As always be careful and do your research, for a very long time Japanese ebay listings were stuff that didn't sell on the Japanese market and were chiefly Gimei or very tired & out of polish.

How very interesting, remarkable to see that dress Shin Gunto outside of a book. I don't know about mini but this one is quite small compared to any other pierced Tsuba I have & has the 9 o'clock position latch.

You simply won't get any support or help from this board once you drop the "polish it myself" bomb. We take more kindly to murderers & thieves than amateur polishers, remember this sword has survived hundreds of years just to be rendered worthless by one hot head that knows just enough to be dangerous hauling off on a "polish". It really is the ultimate faux pas for this board & all collectors. Would you go out & spend years carefully, lovingly and painstakingly restoring a real classic car to perfect condition then immediately enter it into the local demolition derby once the final coat of paint has dried?

Tanker sounds alot more dramatic than Bonsai Gunto.

If it isn't a Nihonto I see zero issues as long as the Tsuba is not messed around with.

Swords, flags, letters or other valuable personal items are the normal items repatriated due to the often significant sentimental or family connection. I have to agree and say this would be nothing short of a wild goose chase.

You have a Army Shin Gunto with combat style mounts which are a little cruder than other Gunto mounts of the era. There would've have been a leather strap that clipped onto the leather covering to keep the blade secure. Bigger photos will be easier for everyone involved, Troy.

From memory it was uniform. What year was your Yukihiro signed? I quite like his work.

I had a Muto Yukihiro with the same light sand colour saya too.

Can we see the yellow tassel?

I don't think any of mine have been the same, they all go from brown red, all sorts of army greens to light tan.

Majority of Officers tassel should be made of silk regardless. I wonder if anyone else here has a tassel with this V stitching, not sure if it has been noted in any of the major reference books so far either. The stippled Fuchi is common on swords with leather retention straps.

Type 44 Shin Gunto, looks to be in good condition as well. Look for any small stamps or marks on the Nakago as an indication of how it was made.

Tassel is a repro, real ones don't have V stitching on the straps.

I would consider trading a punch to the gut to the seller for this one.

Legitimate Gunto, not legit Mei.

Higher quality mounts with looks like leather wrapped Saya and the alternating copper ray Dai Seppa.

It's a poor rendition of this style of Habaki:

Was about to post that, the Ito has been removed from the handle at some point. Stamps would suggest Showato.

I have a simple version of the "Going To War" silk banner, never had it translated, anyone able to help?

These are most likely from the late Edo period, as most extant fittings are. Alot of work and fitting went into all Japanese fittings, while the market value is low they are still legitimate Samurai relics. However there are so many better and lovely options I would consider researching.

There is virtually no market beyond parts for items like these. Save your money and buy an original Koshirae instead.