Mister Gunto

Still, a very nice wartime blade. The leather saya cover is missing, which is not uncommon on the WW2 bring back swords. I have a couple in similar condition. The leather cover just didn't last, or someone cut it off to see what was underneath ( usually just a simple wooden saya) The cost of a professional polish plus a new habaki and shirasaya is probably more than the blade itself is worth. But it's still an original Japanese Officer's sword from WW2, and it has a value all of it's own for that. So, kind of up to you if it's worth the investment.

Pm sent

Love that photo! (And the Sazerac Rye)

Nice work!

I've bought and received a couple swords from Japanese sellers this past year. The big issue is that EMS, the main Japanese Post Office Service, will still not accept swords for shipment due to the current tariff issues. DHL and Fedex likewise will not accept swords for shipment to the USA. They will accept other Japanese items though (Tsuba, Koshirare, antiques, etc). I had an issue where EMS would not accept a sword for shipment from my dealer, despite the sword having already received export clearance from the Ministry for Education and Culture, to export the sword. EMS staff told the dealer they thought the blade (a WW2-era Gendaito), was probably an imitation blade, regardless of the approved Export Clearance. It's just an excuse not to accept the blade for shipment. UPS will take swords from Japan to the USA. You'll have to pay a 15% tariff on the purchase price, plus a small UPS handling fee prior to delivery, like $15.00 (Handling fee = Free money for UPS, but what you gonna do?) If you set up a UPS personal account on their website, UPS will just send you a payment request prior to delivery. Pay it promptly online, and the sword will be delivered with no further delays. Not all Japanese sellers can use UPS. Apparently, getting UPS approval to ship swords from Japan requires the Japanese seller to get a special hazardous materials license prior to shipping. So not all Japanese sellers have this license.

I haven't purchased any blades from him, but I have bought some accessories like tsuba and fittings. He ships quickly and I've had no problems with him.

Late War publication date, 1944. Interesting timing to push loyalty as virtue, as things were collapsing on both fronts for Germany at the time.

Please, never feel like you have to rush to buy a sword. I've made that mistake myself. There are plenty on the market, with new blades turning up all the time. Take your time, be sure of what you want, and like. Also, at those price ranges, there are several dealers here on this board who have some amazing blades on hand already here in the USA. You won't have to wait a month or more for export permission, nor risk having to pay extra on a tariff.

They say "Stupidity should be painful." And you know, sometimes it is!

Somebody watched a Samurai film and decided that they could swing their sword around too. FAFO

Very nice blade! My two most recent swords bought from Japanese sellers both took exactly 3 weeks to get the export permission, then 1-2 weeks shipping time.

I love it!

A lot to like about this blade, and it's still salvageable.

Excellent article!!!

That is some serious sori.