DTM72

I agree with Christian, it is an unokubi-zukuri but with kogarasu-maru style. can honestly say I have never seen this done before. Correct example linked below. I believe this may have been a Murata or Zohito blade originally mounted in a Type 19 kyugunto mounting causing the nakago to be odd shaped. I also guess that it was re-fitted to a type 98 mounting probably by the seller. Looking closely at the tsuka, the ito looks to have been pushed too far away from the fuchi. Under the ito is shagreen (sharkskin) instead same' (rayskin), so a tiny bit of rarity there. 4 of the seppa are definately Chinese pieces, but the pierced tsuba and copper seppa look to be good quality type 94. Tassel looks to be correct for company grade officer. https://japanesesword.com/archived-pages/2017/7/28/rare-murata-to-kogarasumaru-to-dress-saber-in-shin-gunto-mounts Maybe our resident experts can help a little more on this one. @Bruce Pennington @george trotter @Kiipu

Based only on signature style, I would guess Nidai Shigetaka.

It be a pirate sword! AAAAARRRRRGGGG! Sorry, had to do it!

Anyone else plan to attend or exhibit at this show? Trying to decide what to take for sale or trade as I'm just going to be walking around. (No Table)

I did exactly that John. Jim signed the inside cover for me.

Didn't see them on your website Gray. If anyone is interested, buy the copies Gray has first! If any additional copies are wanted, I can arrange the sales with Mr. Dawson.

I have been in the market for a "reasonable" priced version of this book for a while. I was finding used copies available for $250 - $500. I was able to find a NEW copy for $175 and was told there are more available, by the seller..Mr. Jim Dawson himself. Would anyone else be interested in a copy at that price?

Added pics for others to see, without following link. From the two pics shown, it is not looking as if you got an actual Japanese sword. This looks to be a Chinese reproduction. Additional pics would help us to answer with 100% certaintity. Please take and post the pics that Bruce requested above.

Best I can tell from the pics. 井戸秀俊 Ido Hidetoshi Hard to see the last character. It has the Showa stamp so it dates from 1938-1945. I would guess closer to 1940-1942. Non-Traditional machine made blade. Born in 1915. Hidetoshi worked at Fukumoto Amahide's guntō factory located in Seki, Gifu. @Bruce Pennington knows more about the stamps and the dates they were used.

I have been collecting for over 25 years. Seen many variations in-hand. I also have Fuller & Gregory books as well as the Jim Dawson books for reference. Lastly, we both have access to the NMB for guys far more knowledgeable! As for the seppa, get a 4-5 pieces. They vary in thickness and will probably need to be stacked to make-up for the thick leather seppa. I don't normally recommend eBay but for things like seppa, it is a good place. Japanese seller that is quick to ship. https://www.ebay.com/itm/354381218001?hash=item5282c440d1:g:eIIAAOSwBpFjad7G&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoABKOzbcbLykhDq2PHd%2FxfEPxKaxz9K%2Bra%2FEHN5LGsq1BbyhbpvODfjoKF%2BWmuGSPnble3EXNUwoeJzk6KshpTa5tUIqCx8WvLUlXt89Fa461ayHNGVAPG83JicZFTJjV0x4Ji87K0%2FdVdDxU4gVyyPL0JyWbTC8Ca7GMUXQIXnApiF7y0IgFr9Qn%2FH6GvhA1X2KNA28%2F9FuKETq%2FuyiyE4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8bG9q2eYQ Another japanese seller with good quality replica pieces. https://www.ebay.com/itm/285062558211?hash=item425f0d7203:g:cZ0AAOSwCBtjbJN0&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA0IUIN1%2Fvaj3o8OH5Ff3fOfNfJ0hH6lkjuBkEg0ImdWOaiTnYGzXhJAp583raUVI%2BK%2FWE8dsujhxdKMFPUl3OpdEr%2FH%2FtEWX9%2FBh4M7KPxalpF92VepmHVHKlr3YR5Nwd0kl4SfJ%2FVnoFKnCV4MjJ0rTNlGSRF73VpZFvNkWmlH2rhl%2F5S5sN8IMpC3eMhEicGsLAVKDS6epqCqr4qkpGvi2I%2FBjV5MkgAxadr2P0W9ltYGM07zLgeKd8osMT0G4ynSo3d7SVRvt%2FyaRV98r3fo0%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR77G9q2eYQ Chinese seller but has good quality replica stuff https://www.ebay.com/itm/255188067309?hash=item3b6a64e3ed:g:YjAAAOSwoJ5eoByH https://www.ebay.com/itm/255793809994?hash=item3b8e7fca4a:g:DUsAAOSwAG9fK-LU https://www.ebay.com/itm/255225747505?hash=item3b6ca3d831:g:7~sAAOSw955fbbF3 https://www.ebay.com/itm/255736956236?hash=item3b8b1c454c:g:vGUAAOSwfZxjKrFw&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkOJcLgSQnNN7Uu4qsomWUeLcdWlwx8JB0To3wAdDKb5t%2B33ggbix6uZdXaNRjT5zjoIAWlRuNa4q%2FJmtwxJc6RCf%2F3d6oDamehDkE%2B%2BqGZi1nmbH%2Fbrv76rdfywZsz0MpVuX4qaw13uICfLR4nr1TNWI%2FeBN44WUiwY8njXGIjpfA291h10sPA8RitstbBT3Bw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8TG9q2eYQ Another Chinese Seller with a replica Sakura mekugi for the center of the tsuka. https://www.ebay.com/itm/194712970083?hash=item2d55cc2363:g:begAAOSwpzhgiOqR

A Gassan blade in Kyu mounts with Gassan horimono?

Lastly, I will say, this is NOT a fake kyu-gunto. It is 100% authentic Type 8. It does NOT have the desireable remounted Nihonto as others do. With some quality brass seppa and a good fitting mekugi fitted, this will be a decent outfit. If this is your first Japanese sword, there is not much to learn about nihonto from this. If you paid $500 for it, you did ok. (Not great but not bad) The parade sabers with a chrome plated blade, dull edge and acid etched hamon are selling for $250-$350. Wishing you the best. Dan

The Cross type marking looks like katakana (Japanese symbols for sounding out words of foreign origin) I have a smaller one on one of mine that is the katakana symbol for "MO" My blade that has the MO symbol happens to be a Murata blade. 村田刀. Looking at your blade, it looks to be either a Zohito 造兵刀 or a Murata. Zoheito were designed to be a mass produced arsenal blade. Your blade does not appear to have a hamon or jihada so that leads me to believe this is a machine made blade.

Looking at the end of your handle core, there is no slot cut into the wood for the release mechanism. Additionally the fuchi does not have a hole for the release button either. Best I can tell, there does not seem to be a square notch in the tsuba (handguard) part of the D-Ring. All that being said, this particular sword was NOT designed to have a release button. So your thoughts of the 2 seppa (spacers) being incorrect, is spot-on. Additional seppa (without the square notch) will be required to tighten-up the tsuka (handle) to the habaki. I may be incorrect but I do not think leather seppa were used on the this type of blade. I have seen them used on the calavry swords and the parade sabers, but not on this type. <-- Not 100% sure on that one. With additional brass seppa, the mounts will tighten-up nicely. <-- easy fix.

I'll address your concerns on the items I can help with. Per your pics below, the same' skin was originally painted black, then polished down to remove the high spots. It may feel plasticky to you, but it is 100% real and original to the handle. It also looks as if the original 2 piece brass mekugi was broken/lost so the hole was plugged to keep the backstrap attached to the handle core. Looking closely at the part where the D-Ring inserts into the handle core, the large node of the ray skin are noticable. The hole in the tsuka appears to lin-up well with the hole in the nakago. I would venture to say that the mekugi was crudely fashioned by someone to somewhat do the job of holding things together. True mekugi should be made of susudake (smoked bamboo). This has increased strength properties over just raw un-cured bamboo. But since these are not used as weapons of war any longer, most collectors will get a good bamboo chopstick that is tapered, and insert inside the hole, mark the length, remove and cut length, and file ends repeatedly until the mekugi is flush with the surface on both sides.

I saw this sold for $1600. <-- not bad for a non-satinless Type 97 in good mounts. Did you get it or pass?

Some of the early Type 19's had a traditional bamboo mekugi AND a brass sakura threaded mekugi that goes in that hole. (See pics below) Need to see pics of the nakago to confirm. I owned one like this, but later sold it to someone who made me an offer I could not refuse. The original brass sakura mekugi could have been damaged or lost and a bamboo mekugi inserted. Keep this in mind if you go to remove the tsuka. I agree with Gilles that this is authentic. The parade sabres have a slightly curved handle whereas the nihonto bladed versions have a straight handle to accomodate the nakago. The same' on the handle appears to have been originally black and has worn nicely. The wire wrap is in tact as well. Notice the center belly node of the same' towards the rear of the handle. Tough to tell from the pics, but the shinogi appears to be high and the blade width looks to taper towards the kiaaski (fumbari). Leads me to believe this could be a koto period blade. Again, provided photos leave a bit to be desired. I would be interested to see the nakago to see what the blade really is. Worth $500? I would say yes. This type of mounting (Especially early like this one) is getting harder to find. Perform your due diligence and examine the blade closely for hagire, fukure, and if you can see the hamon at all, look for tiredness. (Hamon dropping off the edge of the blade). On a side note, never could identify the backstrap decorations per F&G, Dawson, or any other ref material. Guessing it's an early version of the field officer grade decoration. All the best.

Steve, Looking at the two examples in Slough's book, there are variations between the two shown. The blade pictured shows even a third variation. Gimei? Maybe, maybe not. As has been said on here many times, buy the blade, not the signature. If the blade, and koshirae, speak to you, then buy it. In just my humble opinion, there is not a great benefit to take a mumei Showato or low to mid-grade gendaito and fake a WWII smith's name. All the best.

23rd generation Fujiwara Kanefusa made this

@Bruce Pennington Found an odd stamped Type 0 on eBay with markings on the back edge of the nakago. Thought you might want to make a note of it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/385245587299?hash=item59b26d2763:g:zNgAAOSwVqVjfR0g&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoEdFp8wIBZhpzfEgrF5JpmyWrob%2FQSaAqnvL1luznBXiEFAZThSO5YUmnc2YFOy0l1F40r2QMbpswWqnct91GJBY95dXueCRa8ou5ZUlJvVkoWE6uT87pvO7LDgXqdGNF81gOz8qKgxqZHgnGKl2z4KcQ07eBYoFsMuO%2BUjpLw%2B%2Fi4tRJTyQn5p8uFp9nS9UWVYUJrmflgeTxsOk%2F4U4UGc%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9SK26mZYQ

Bringing this show to the top. Just under 2 months away. Who plans to attend? Just made my travel arrangements to attend...not exhibit or sell.

Here in the Southern USA, we have "Waffle House". You can get waffles in the North and they are decent. You can get waffles on the West coast but they ruin them with fruit and other crap. All still waffles though. Don't get me started on the taters...scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, topped, peppered, capped, and the newest is countried.

Chris, As a previous resident of Indiana, this is one of the few things I regret about moving far South from there. If I were still a resident, I would 100% attend and participate in the meetings. I feel that you are doing a great service to collectors and helping to spark new interest into our passion/hobby. Looking at the website, I have nothing negative to say, and think it is a great start. Wishing you and the other members great sucess! Dan

The problem has been from Japan into the USA. the items clear customs, then come-up missing.

I will be set-up at the Myrtle Beach Gun & Knife show this weekend. Staurday October 29th and Sunday October 30th. Stop by and see us if you are in the area!