Scogg

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Hello, I am selling my mumei wakizashi that I bought through the forum a year or two ago. I am hoping to sell some things to fund buying variations of the Type 95 to photograph. My photos, and especially my lighting, are far from perfect… I’m more of a collector than a seller. Let me know if you’d like to see anything specific and I will do my best to capture it. Type (Tachi, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Naginata, Other) : Wakizashi Ubu, Suriage or O-Suriage : Ubu? Mei : (Mumei, Signature) : Mumei Papered or not and by whom? : NBTHK Hozon Era/Age : Muromachi Shirasaya, Koshirae or Bare Blade? : Shirasaya Nagasa/Blade Length : ~566mm Hamon Type : Suguha Jihada : Masame and Itame Flaws : Some open grains. Small tarnish/rust spot Sword Location : USA Will ship to : USA Payment Methods Accepted : PayPal Friends and family Price and Currency : SOLD, Free shipping within USA Other Info and Full Description : See archived listing where I bought it from here: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/49205-kaneharu-katana-sudo-kunitsugu-wakizashi-nbthk-hozon/ Sword is in older polish, but otherwise good for study. It’s my understanding that Sudo Kunitsugu moved from Yamato province to Kii province, and the blade has a lot of characteristics showing that Yamato influence. First attached image is from Marcus Sesko’s swordsmith index "Swordsmiths of Japan AKI-KUNI". PM if interested. -Sam

Interesting find, Ed! Is the shaping of the leather on the saya formed over underlying metal fittings, or is the contour created solely by the leather itself? I imagine it may be difficult to tell. Thanks for sharing this with us. All the best, -Sam

Hi Jean, Only moderators or admin are able to relocate threads. Brian has already commented on the post and could have moved it if he felt it was necessary. Since the topic is about selling the item online, specifically on eBay, it doesn’t seem to be significantly out of place. Also, given the content of the posts, this new member may not be a frequent contributor, and we generally try to allow new members a bit of leeway as they get familiar with navigating the forum. All the best, -Sam

Very interesting, Can we see the tsunagi in its entirety? Can’t say I’ve seen one made of a copper alloy. -Sam

I suspect that the scabbard was swapped and painted after the war. The glossiness/finish of the handle also leads me to suspect post-war alterations. The serial number on the scabbard, if original, makes it hard to imagine how this came together. Perhaps a couple occupation men, or friends after the war swapping parts and “blinging” up their bring-backs. Without a time machine, it’s hard to know for certain and I’m merely speculating scenarios. All I can say is that it did not leave the manufacturer that way. Interesting piece, and thank you for sharing. A unique one for sure. -Sam

Hi Kris @Krzysio, Really interesting Variation 8 (or pattern 5), Type 95. There’s a very light stamp from the Seki Supervisory Unit of Nagoya Army Arsenal forward the serial number. These swords are believed to have been made around June/July 1944. I don’t think the scabbard is original to the sword, because this variation had a flared metal drag at the end of the scabbard. The mouth of the scabbard can be removed, so it’s possible the mouth of the original scabbard was removed and put onto one that is reminiscent of a Type 98 officer sword scabbard. Can we see some more photos of the scabbard, particularly the scabbard end (the ishizuki), and the hanger? Is the hanger loop welded in place? Never seen anything quite like it with those ornaments. I wonder how they are affixed to the metal scabbard. Thank you for sharing. Regards, -Sam

Just finished with my measurements. On Ohmura’s site, his specification table states that the measurements are approximate. Although, I feel my sword is far enough outside the specifications to say it’s probably not a combination sword? I’d be curious to hear others interpretations. I will attach the table below of the combination sword specifications. http://ohmura-study.net/210.html The measurements of my sword: Total without scabbard = 845mm Total with scabbard = 875mm Nagasa = 695mm Motokasane = 5.5mm Sakikasane = 3mm Motohaba = 22mm Sakihaba = 13.5mm Kissaki = 23mm Handle, from pommel to lip of guard = 139mm. Handle, from pommel to end of quillion?/finial? = 160mm. Side-by-side with the dress sword it was bundled with, it’s slightly shorter. The handle is slightly longer and larger. The engravings are slightly deeper and more detailed. The brass guard appears slightly more thick. I had told myself I wouldn’t get any more of these sabers after my field grade find. Funny how things change -Sam

Thank you John, I find this very interesting and exciting. Likewise, Bruce; It's not every day that I encounter a Japanese Military Sword that i've never heard of! I will go home, and take some very careful measurements. If enough aspects match one of the 4 specifications of this type of sword, maybe I'll create a new thread about "Combination Swords"... If specifications do not match, I'll share those measurements here. Thanks again! These are the kinds of exciting revelations that makes collecting military swords enjoyable to me -Sam

Hi Michael, welcome to the forum! It looks like you have a very nice example of the Type 95 Guntō, and in great condition. It's absolutely genuine, you're correct that it has Tokyo 1st Army Arsenal inspection stamps. The Sakura flower with line inside is a mysterious stamp, that may or may not be associated with Kōbe Shōten, you can see the similarity in stamps below. For a deep dive into these interesting swords, I recently wrote a document that can be found in the Download section here on the forum. Also heres some great resources: http://ohmura-study.net/794.html http://ohmura-study.net/957.html 1. Legit . 2. The ring is typically on the other side; but it's pretty common to see them flipped. 3. Looks like 東 68119. (東 = TŌ = 東京第一陸軍造兵廠監督課, Tōkyō 1st Army Arsenal Supervisory Section.) 4. See above and below: Hope this helps, All the best, -Sam Sakura Ichi Sakura flower stamp with kanji for ICHI inside. May be associated with Kōbe/Kanbe Shōten. (see next). Sakura K (Kōbe) 合名会社·神戸商店, Gōmei-gaisha Kōbe/Kanbe Shōten = Kōbe/Kanbe Shop Unlimited Partnership [神戸 (Pronounced as either Kōbe or Kanbe).

Thanks guys, It's much more sturdy than the other dress saber that it came with, and any other parade saber that I've ever handled. It's sharp, but slender. The hamon is looks to be applied artificially. It came covered in grease and rust; and it's amazing what a wipe down with some isopropyl was able to accomplish. Awesome that it still has its second hanger. I agree with John, that it's likely a proper sword. To me, it seems very unlike other dress sabers I’ve encountered. @PNSSHOGUN If not a "dress sword", how would you recommend that I classify it? Something like "Custom Type 19 Kyu Gunto" perhaps? I cannot find any stamps anywhere. Thanks again everyone, -Sam

I recently picked up this interesting one. @Kantaro, does this fit the description you’re looking for? With the button and double hanger? I bought this one in a lot with another saber. Priced generally as two parade sabers, but this one caught my eye with the habaki, engraving, and sharpened blade. The engraved kamon(?) on the backstrap was a nice surprise. (Note: I put the tassel there, it was found without one.)

Hi James, I believe he’s referring to your sword when mentioning those “distinctive” features. If you take a close look at your photos, you’ll notice very large NIE particles along the the rather flamboyant hamon pattern. There’s certainly a lot to appreciate there, but compared to many pre-Edo period blades; the overall look of your blade is bold. I agree with Rivkin's view of edo period being most likely. As for book recommendations, one of the most widely cited reference guides is "The Connoisseur’s Book of Japanese Swords" by Nagayama. I also recently picked up "The Art of the Japanese Sword" by Yoshihara and Kapp, and I’ve been very pleased with it. It’s especially approachable and helpful as a beginner friendly reference and has awesome color photos. My non-expert opinions/views of course. Grain of salt. All the best, -Sam

Image of sword in-use (in training). I share this image every chance that I get, so apologies if some of ya’ll have seen it before. I find it fascinating, and very cool. I would frame it, but I like having access to pages within. Best, -Sam

You're amongst peers in your desire to dive right in! That's how myself, and many of us started this hobby. It's fascinating stuff. I think you're confusing asymmetrical wrap pattern with asymmetrical menuki placement. The wrap pattern is symmetrical, while your menuki are offset. The menuki depict Sakura Flowers (cherry blossoms). The wrap pattern is just the imitation silk wrap (cast in aluminum) that creates those diamond shapes across the hilt. The menuki on all Type 95s, and most Japanese swords are offset. This is because when you hold the hilt with two hands (you can try this at home), the menuki will fill the gaps in your hands/palms and create a more secure grip. Your confusion on the matter actually helps me though... I might want to reword that section in my document on the next edition, to make it a little more clear. Hope that answers some questions, All the best, -Sam

Hi Marilyn, A lot to unpack here. Ohmura's guide is an awesome resource, and was one of my main sources when writing my Type 95 Variations Document, that can be found in the download section here on the Nihonto Message Board. There I address some of these more subtle material changes. I also make an attempt to consolidate the various identification systems (Variations / Patterns / Dawsons book types). It is A LOT to digest, which was the main goal of my document - to consolidate much of the information previously scattered across many sources... Still, quite a lot to take-in. I will start with the hilt and menuki. Your note of the Menuki is impressive; as it's a pretty subtle difference between swords. Swords made at Tokyo based manufacturers with TŌ (東) inspection stamps have a hilt that differs from those out of Nagoya with Na (名) inspections stamps; this difference between the aluminum cast hilts was established on June 24th 1939. I will attach an image below that reflects these differences. The menuki itself is there to improve ergonomic grip, and mimics the placement from traditional Japanese swords. Now your pattern/variation type with the steel tsuba with copper ferrule. I would confidently place your sword on Ohmura's list as the "middle type". Reason being, is that every single sword that I have observed and cataloged that has both the Sakura-Ichi stamp with Steel Tsuba also has a copper ferrule. Rather than using up spare parts or being a transitional pattern; it appears that this manufacturer never transitioned over to the steel ferrule like some others did. These are the kinds of subtle differences you find across contractors and arsenals. If you look at my Document, I address this "middle pattern" type as the "Variation#4" on pages 43-47, and my last images shows two examples, one with steel and the other with copper ferrule. Be cautious when using AI for information about Japanese swords. While it’s improving rapidly, it still frequently produces misleading or inaccurate details. It will pull information from almost anywhere to satisfy a prompt. Use it carefully and verify everything. I hope this helps, All the best, -Sam From my monograph in the download section: "The hilt differs between Tokyo and Nagoya made Type 95 swords. The menuki are positioned slightly differently, which results in a variation in the number and arrangement of the hilt diamond pattern. These differences are highlighted by the arrows in my images below. In the Tokyo example, there are four diamonds between the mekugi and the menuki, whereas the Nagoya example has three. The Nagoya example features an empty diamond below the menuki, which is not present on the Tokyo hilt. At the pommel end of the hilt, the knot style on the Nagoya example is also slightly different from that of the Tokyo example."

Hi John, Thank you for the link. Yes that appears to be a Variation 9 Jinsen sword, with the wooden scabbard and chape. Very interesting one with that extraordinary mark; and you’re correct it pushes the range higher! It’s always satisfying to extend those known ranges - it feels like making a little discovery. Much appreciated, this is a good one for the archive, and will definitely include on my next update -Sam

No harm no foul. I move around posts quite a bit, and it’s really no problem at all. I just want to make sure we get the right eyes on your sword Your stamp appears to be the Sakura flower with Gi inside. You can read a little about it in Bruce’s stamps document in the download section. I have a tsuba with this same stamp, of which can be seen on my post in the link below: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/5999-arsenal-stamps/page/51/#comments Are there any stamps on your tsuba? All the best, -Sam

Hi Marilyn, welcome to the forum! Your sword looks to be in great condition, and thank you for sharing your family story with us. It’s very interesting to hear and aligns well with what we know about the end of the war and disarmament. Your sword is a very nice example of the Japanese Type 95 Military Sword. Yours is the Variation #4 (or pattern 3 in some sources); basically meaning it has aluminum handle and round steel tsuba. Your sword has the Tokyo First Army Arsenal inspection stamp (東) , and a more mysterious stamp that’s a Sakura flower with a line inside, we sometimes call this the “Sakura Ichi” stamp, and its origins remain mysterious. It might be associated with Kōbe/Kanbe Shōten workshop, because the stamp is similar, but it’s not known for certain. The concentric circles or 4 stacked cannonball stamp is for Kokura Army Arsenal who administered the Type 95 program. Because of the mystery surrounding the Sakura Ichi stamp, it’s a little tough to date, but according to my records and its serial number I would date it around summer 1942. It’s not a transitional model necessarily. But it’s one of the several variations amongst an ever evolving sword type that was made concurrently across multiple contractors and arsenals. So you see a bit of variety. It’s absolutely genuine like you say. No reason for concern: but the fact that yours has an extra 東 stamp on the opposite side of the ferrule is unusual and interesting. All the best, -Sam

Hi @Patinamax, cool sword, and thanks for sharing I’m going to relocate this to the military sword section because it fits that section better, and I think you’ll get more input over there All the best, -Sam

Chandler, I'm sorry I didn't get to see you in Vegas this year; but it sounds like you had a pretty good excuse . Congrats on fatherhood! How exciting! I'm extremely impressed by what you've put together... This is the kind of material I've desired ever since I fist got interested in Nihonto. This is really amazing stuff, and I love the province map and compare tool. What you've done is important, and will benefit collectors immeasurably. Well done, congrats, and THANK YOU! -Sam

Thank you all for the kind words. I hope the document is useful to collectors and prospective sword buyers. For those interested in further study, I encourage you to explore the bibliography section. It includes several invaluable sources, and the real credit belongs to the authors and contributors whose research and forum discussions made this possible. I put this together for everyone, but also so I could personally more easily digest material from such a large variety of sources. Some hands on study has helped a lot too. I look forward to continuing my study and collection, and updating the document as I learn more. I hope it meets the high standards of this forum and those collectors and scholars before me. Thanks again everyone! I'm excited to have it out there. All the best, -Sam

Showato at large is definitely beyond my ability , although guys like Bruce and Mal have a lot of downloads about gunto that are really well put together. I hope to stay on-top of Type 95 observation, archiving, and collecting. Update editions and maybe do a companion piece someday. During all the research, I’ve learned a lot about the type 32 gunto too. I’ve considered tracking them as well. -Sam

I am excited to announce the release of a document I have been working on: Type 95 Military Sword Variations. It is now available in the download section for anyone who would like to access it. I am pinning this thread in place of the Type 95 Worksheet, of which can be found here: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29722-type-95-gunto-worksheet/#comments My hope is that this monograph helps dispel some of the long standing rumors surrounding these swords and assists collectors in identifying the examples in their own collections. This work is purely educational and is intended to consolidate information from several sources into one comprehensive reference. I would like to acknowledge the late Nick Komiya for the huge amount of documents he shared on the warrelics forum over the years; without his contributions to the study of Japanese Militaria, this document simply could not exist. I'd also like to extend a special thanks to the following Nihonto Message Board members, who either directly, or indirectly through discussions over the years, greatly aided my understanding of this type of Japanese sword. I am forever grateful. @Kiipu @Bruce Pennington @Conway S @John C @drb 1643 Tom Foster, @robinalexander @BANGBANGSAN @Shamsy @Stegel @PNSSHOGUN @rebcannonshooter @Grimmdarkspire @matthewbrice @vajo @Brian . Please see the aknowledgements section in the download, and I hope not to have forgotten anyone... This is Edition #1, and I intend to update the download annually as new revelations arise and as serial number range changes are observed. It is formatted imperfectly, but to the best of my ability with programs at hand (I am an enthusiast and collector, not an experienced writer). Please feel free to let me know if you notice any typos or inconsistencies, and I will address them promptly. Feel free to use this topic to post information or questions about Type 95 Gunto. I hope you find the monograph helpful. Happy Valentine’s Day! -Sam