Tensho

I've never seen one like it, although there has been a lot of "interesting" gunto koshirae coming out of Japan recently. I'm curious whether the saya is wood or metal, there seems to be a outline of a missing reinforcement band on the saya. The hanger is also mounted for the blade to be worn edge up. Its possible it got swapped around though. I have also not seen a hanger quite like that. The tsuka is also strangely carved away to fit the fuchi? Either ways its an interesting piece. Seems like a bit of work to go with this mod instead of a simple snap button and leather combat cover. Thanks for posting.

$20,000 sure seems good to me?

Good deals if you actually get a decent sword. He sold me one with a fukure going through the hamon on both sides and played it off like it was no big deal. It still sickens me to look at it.

To clarify a few things. There is only one mekugi-ana, and nothing on the other side. No hole inside etc. The nakago-ana has been butchered to be mounted on a stand that came with it(a piece of it). But the inside of the nakago resembles this shape: There's a noticeable "belly" and then tapers down like the above and goes down down 19.5cm

My pictures aren't very good. I'll try to take some better ones later today. It looks much nicer and aged in hand. Yes, I agree it is strange and there is only one mekugi-ana. I could've sworn I have seen another tsuka with metal panels that only had one as well. I can't see it as being a tourist piece only because the ito is worn from the palms by the menuki and the fingers on reverse. To me it definitely seems to have been mounted for some time.

Picked this up a while ago. I thought in place of samegawa it was just carved wood. Turns out its copper sheets that is blackened with gold accents. The menuki appear to be dragons with 4 toes. Black lacquered ito which is evidently worn from use and holding. Someone has attempted to "pin" the kabutogane on, but "inside" is also a detailed piece of hammer sheet. Fuchi is unfortunately missing, and I'm not sure what would have been in its place as the bare wood is a height of 20mm. Tsuka is 30.6cm long.

Here's a follow up to what Bruce showed in Dawson's. I was not able to find one with your cherry blossom and the vine design. There is probably a picture of one out there somewhere. I would imagine these were like Gunto in that the person purchasing could customized them to their preference?

Saya looks grooved, which would indicate a stitched leather covering.

Here's one I came across posted on here by kyushukairu

I mentioned it because the tsuka and nakago holes do not seem to line up fully, and you are unable to install the screw/mekugi. Is this correct?

I do not own any of this model, but the habaki does not appear to be for this? Look at the shinogi-ji on the blade compared to the habaki. Completely off.

The yari looks to have a few forging flaws elsewhere. Either way, the horimono looks very poorly carved. Not sure why it isn't more centered on the blade.

You aren't wrong.. The problem is in the way the "fitting" of the parts was carried out. Whomever did it did not seem to understand how they're fitted to the nakago(tang). The back of the seppa and tsuba is the only part that was filed. This "pushes" the pieces to far forward and you can see how awkward they look when fully mounted compared to my gunto above. Bothe the front and back should have been filed to fit centered when mounted. These do come in all sorts of mounts(crude and beautiful)as Bruce has stated, but I have never seen an original bringback completely thrown together like this. Also, the habaki may be gone because the blade wouldn't fit in the saya(sheath) when mounted and got lost at some point? Actually, here is a tsuba off one of mine, notice the copper inserts(called sekigane) these were added because this tsuba was not intended for the blade its on. Probably what they had on hand at the time and adjusted it fit for the blade.

Your blade is missing the habaki, I'm positive the tsuba and seppa are not for your blade. They're filed way to far back to fit your blade and you can see the awkward fit once mounted. The handle may very well be for your blade, but that would make the scabbard not for this either. Chances are he acquired the gunto mounts after the war. This is what a Gunto tsuka, tsuba and seppa should resemble.

Do you have pictures of it all disassembled? Mostly the handle and other parts? It looks completely pieced together to me. The handle is not for this. The seppa(spacers) have been filed out on one side(picture below) the "square" holes in the tsuba, seppa and saya are for a Chuso(locking retainer) this fits inside the Tsuka(handle) and locks it to the Saya(scabbard) and the handle should be cutout for this. I'm not trying to crap all over your sword, just stating that it is not "correct" Its not unheard of for these to have pieced together handles, etc..

The tsuka does not appear to be for this sword. It is not cut out for a Chuso, but the saya and fittings look to be. How is the tassel attached? I have several civilian mounted tsuka and they're either drilled for a sarute to mount or have a leather "cap" in which a tassel can be attached.

I don't see anything that points it out as civilian. Quite a few of these just have bare wood or painted saya with leather combat covers. Here's one of mine. The snap is for a tsuka cover, but the leather saya cover is far to shrunk now.

I am betting on the "blue" piece you're seeing is the copper collar for the saya that is covered in verdigris. Not sure why a leather cover is considered late war? I have owned 3 of them like this, 2 with pierced tsuba in higher end gunto mounts. Seems to be personal preference. Also, one of the ones talked about above had a button on saya along with chuso. On my example its for a leather tsuka cover that snaps onto the saya.

Thanks Ray! Never would've figured that out.

Lookng for some help on this one. I cannot figure this out. Even drawing the kanji on a translator hasn't shown any matches.

Ebay seller. I never personally had an issue with komonjo. You need to be aware of what you're buying.

These are the only blade pics.

Guys a whack job. He blew up on me after I called him out on several blades he bought from komonjo that he re-polished(but said they were professionally done in Japan) and a few "yari" that were actually rifle bayonets that he wouldn't show the nakago on or the stampings of one that that said U.S(Also sold on ebay by komonjo) No one on SBG seems to give a crap about what he does. He very obviously misleads people.