Wakal

I think the tsuba is cast brass, with the flow visible from the sand casting that didn't get to full thickness. Or at least that is what I would say if I was over at, say, Flatland Forge looking at what one of the guys there had made and they asked my opinion. But made from brass or maybe a brass and copper alloy, certainly not wood My goal when I was brought on the Board was to avoid the horrible display mistakes that I had seen at other museums. I was spoiled in my youth, living in the UK and spending way too much time in the Tower and seeing how the big boys do things and was shocked after visiting and working (at) other museums during the (more than I care to admit) years spending wandering the globe subsequently.

Very interesting! I will dismount it and take seppa pictures tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for helping us the last few times we had something interesting come in that I and my staff didn't know enough about to be comfortable identifying, and here we go again. A recent donation looks like a late war Army officer's model, with a center-mounted latch (unfortunately broken), and a rather crude tsuba. I would hate to have a nicely aged knock-off on display, and would be almost as unhappy with something really nice. I don't think this is the latter, but am not sure about the former. Thanks, Alex PS If anyone is ever visiting Abilene, Texas, please swing by the 12 AD Museum for a personal tour!

I did not see any other markings...the next time that I have the case unbolted and pried open, I will pull the sword out and bring it into better light. I have no idea where the fuchi and tsuba went. People donate their dad's or grandfather's items, but a lot of things were...played with over the years! Thanks again, Alex

My apologies for the potato-level picture. I was holding the display case open with one shoulder and trying to get enough lighting to at least partially show what we had. This is a blade in WW2 Army fittings, and we would like to dress up the display card with as much information as possible As always, thank you all for your assistance! Alex

Cool...that would go with the Chinese parachute we found in the stack of US chutes, for some reason known only to him. Thank you very much!

Cleaning up after the unexpected departure of our pack-rat (ex) curator, my little WW2 museum in Abilene is trying to make sense of the jumble of junk left behind in his office. German, Italian, and French is easy, but then we find things like this that...might be interesting WW2-related paperwork, or the warranty for a old radio. If it is garbage, please just say so! Thanks yet again, Alex

Fred Lohman says he has some original Navy menuki, and can match the brown silk he would use to existing swords in his collection...very cool... And yes, the tip is already damaged from the lack of mekugi

Cool! So the other one, not that one (or the other, other one)... This is worse than trying to track Colts by serial number and features! But fun...

And the whole assembly, My next question will be advice for restoration...the menuki and mekugi are missing as well as the wrap, and the tuska core is cracked...but first things first... I suspect it was made by (Kajiwara?) Hiromitsu, of Fukuoka prefecture, in 1943. The fact that it is a lot nicer than the machine made blades in our collection is not in question! Thanks again, Alex

Hello, I am trying to verify the markings on an Imperial sword for the museum for which I toil; discovered in our archives this will eventually end up in the Pacific display once we know just what it is we have here! Thanks for your assistance, Alex