Wolfmanreid

This is a fascinating topic. While I am a mere novice on the topic of Japanese Nihonto, nata, etc I do have some experience on the topic of the cutting of heads, having beheaded many animals ranging in size from sheep to bull elk. Additionally, during my participation in the US military’s campaigns against the Taliban and Islamic State I have had the distressing experience of watching many propaganda videos of beheadings, and have personally encountered and examined several beheaded human bodies. Finally I studied medieval history for my undergraduate degree, a field in which one inevitably winds up reading accounts of judicial beheadings A couple points from this data then. First off cutting off a head is an extraordinarily awkward, messy and difficult task if you don’t know what you are doing. On the other hand if you understand the principles of jointing and related butchery, it is quite easy to quickly and neatly remove the head of even quite a large animal with nothing more than a small sharp knife if you sever the windpipe and properly get the blade between the vertebrae. I am not surprised that there are detailed Japanese explanations for how a warrior should go about the task, as screwing it up would be a remarkably undignified experience, to include risk of serious accidental injury to oneself. Secondly, “chopping” a head off is exceedingly difficult, even for professionals with specialist tools. There are plenty of medieval and early modern accounts of judicial executioners using axes and swords designed for the task making a messy cock up of it. I would venture to say it’s even harder to “chop” the head off a dead, limp body than it is to do so to a living victim due to the respective body positions of chopper and victim. The nata or “kubikiri” pictured would not be very effective for “chopping” a head off at all. If you don’t know how to bone and joint, then a saw is an infinitely better, neater and safer tool for beheading than any sort of chopping implement; which I think some of the period Japanese scrolls and descriptions of such things bears out. On the other hand, I agree with the members who have suggested more mundane uses for even the fancier and more exotic looking blades pictured. They bear close resemblance to stylized versions of specialist harvesting tools such as sickles, etc. one still encounters in undeveloped parts of the world or in use by arborists, in orchards, etc for cutting certain types of plant stalks, cane cutting, precisely and cleanly lopping small tree limbs, in basket making and weaving of fish weirs and similar objects. When one considers that in Japan some aspects of these “agricultural” or gardening tasks had become highly ritualized and stylized by the Edo period, and were very much an “elite” activity as much as one done by peasants in the fields then it is easy to imagine why wealthy persons might commission elaborate nata with beautiful fittings and tempered edges. Anyway, a very interesting and informative discussion here, I’ve learned a ton and look forward to hearing others’ thoughts on the matter.

I have often wondered the same thing... what I’ve been told is that there is an ideal point on the tsuka for the mekugi ana to be placed from the standpoint of geometry for the strength and stability of the tsuka when fighting and such, so a different length tsuka was put on the sword (for fashion, swordsmanship style, height, or simple personal preference) it would require a different mekugi ana placement. Just as it would if the sword geometry changed because it became suriage or machi okuri for example. I look forward to more knowledgeable persons than myself enlightening us if I’ve been misinformed or misunderstood.

The Mon is the Katabami Kamon which is a very commonly used one. I should have clarified in my above post that prior to 1914 your type of sword was used by commissioned officers other than flag officers. Never seen one with that style of locking mechanism though.

That is a naval commissioned officers sword pattern of 1896. I’m not knowledgeable enough to tell you rank from the sword knot. looks rather like a WW2 navy flag officer tassel though. See below link for examples. There were three patterns of these swords originally, one for petty officers, one for commissioned officers, and one for flag officers but in 1914 all commissioned officers started carrying the type you have. Blade has a very nice sugata but I can’t tell if the chipped kissaki is fatal or not. If not for that I’d jump on it without a second thought.

The Japanese used a pretty similar technique to fit breech blocks on matchlocks in the 17th century. Japanese craftsmen were remarkably good at hand carving threads and then using the threaded section as a mandrel to retain a softer metal piece that was work fitted around them.

Fascinating. The Asian art museum in Lisbon, Portugal has an impressive collection of 17th century Japanese art and militaria which evidently was quite popular among the elite in that period. Incredible how much cultural and artistic exchange there was between two comparatively isolated societies on opposite sides of the world in those days.

Well I sold it on another militaria forum for $1,000 I reckon I did pretty well on it. Thanks all for the info.

Unfortunately no provenance beyond the label and the fact that the original owner was a USMC veteran. I was thinking I’d try and sell for $900 shipped if someone was interested. Mounts are rough (although the battle damage lends it some character), but the blade is in pretty excellent shape still in cosmoline.

Thanks so much! Any idea on value of a piece like this?

Recently came into a showato from a veteran’s estate. Showa stamped, signed, with some bullet scars on the saya. I intend to sell it (pm me if interested) but would like a translation of the mei. Lost its ito but the blade is in perfect shape still in cosmoline preservative.

Seems rather dubious that the seller doesn’t have a photo of the bare nakago to go with the papers.

Apologies for my ignorance but what would cause a flaw like that?

I remember following this story with great interest last year. What ever became of this sword? I assume it’s still being kept by the OP? I would love to hear another chapter in the tale if it ever got polished.

Fascinating I will have to check when I get home. How should I go about getting papers for it? Submit it to shinsa the same way you would with a blade?

So the body of tsuba itself is a solid piece of iron. The higher raised details such as the temple dogs and other animals appear to be another, softer metal (shakudo? bronze?) which were then gilded.

A great uncle of mine procured these during or shortly after WW2, although sadly I don’t know their provenance beyond that. Can anyone provide me any opinions of their quality, age, style and perhaps value? Forgive my ignorance I am only beginning my journey and education in Nihonto and their associated fittings and accoutrements. Thanks in advance. -Reid

I'm pleased to say I just purchased this blade. I look forward to having it in hand.

Sorry to resurrect an ancient thread, but by odd coincidence I see that this very sword is up for auction at a prominent auctioneer next month. I was impressed with its condition but noticed that it hasn't gotten papered in the interim. Maybe gimei? Kurt, are you the seller and if not did you have any luck researching it when you were considering a purchase back in 14? -Reid

The flowers on the menuki look like peonies to me.

Pretty fabulous piece. I’m curious what it actually sold for. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22248/lot/1127/

Definitely not a bullet impact as the rifling striations in a projectile could not be transferred to a piece of cast iron like that. Even the soft iron of the tsuba is way harder than the lead of a projectile, even a jacketed one. Looks more like someone really cranked that thing down in a vise jaw or pipe wrench or something similar.

Great job on the briefing! I hope a polish works out and the original letter can be found.

Stone anvils were pretty much the norm for forging in most of the ancient and medieval world. There are a number of reconstructed or excavated settlement era forges in Iceland with stone anvils and the sagas mention stone anvils quite a bit (they were valuable enough that smiths took them from Norway to Iceland sometimes). Iron was too scarce and valuable to waste forging into an anvil.

If anyone finds themselves in Lisbon the military museum is worth a visit. Sadly no specific information on this sword. They also had a half dozen yari, four or five Naginata and some Japanese matchlocks. Even more interesting to me was an early matchlock that had a similar and unusual forward dropping serpentine like the Japanese manufactured guns. I presume the Japanese must have reverse engineered an arquebus of that style they procured from Portuguese traders. Reid

Fascinating article from the Gun Collector. I’m particularly intrigued by the Japanese method of threading the breach block. Since the Japanese did not develop taps and dies at that time, the author speculates that the female threads must have been hand filed in some agonizingly laborious and precise fashion. How the hell could that be done without a tap? Reid