Conway S

Thanks for the replies. As you can see from the pictures, the sword is decorated with the fifteen-stamen plum blossom. I have not found another example of this particular backstrap yet. The sword is of Japanese-made parade sword quality as opposed to the more crude Manchukuo or Chinese swords usually encountered. There are no crossed flags either. I am interested if you @Kiipu @BANGBANGSAN think this is Manchukuo or a different colonial sword. Thanks. Conway

Greetings, I picked up a Type 19 kyu-guntō with an inscription on the ricasso. It does not resemble inscriptions on academy swords I have seen. I made an attempt at it but could not make out the second and third characters (top - bottom). 禾XX士連局. I am, however, only confident I guessed the first and fourth characters correctly. Any help with the translation would be appreciated. Thank you. Conway

@Stegel To me that area does not look entirely straight. I thought @vajo made a good point about the inverse dimpling on the handle. Have you seen this before on other Type 95s? I know you are one of the resident experts on these. Not doubting your opinion just trying to learn from those who know. Thanks. Conway

I just wanted to repost this in a more applicable thread. I am wondering if anyone can contribute an opinion as to whether the handle has been repainted and if it looks like a period job or later. I noticed little spots of brown overpaint into the white Same areas and close to the menuki. I do not collect these and am I just trying to learn what features to scrutinize. Thanks. Conway

I appreciate the information, Thomas. I also found your previous thread " Type 95 Gunto Worksheet" very useful. It could be the angle of the picture, but to my eyes the shinogi/ridge looks a little crooked. The other side of the blade looks straight. Conway

Thomas, @Kiipu Suya never went to the black fuchi? Conway

I found this one on eBay today and did not want to create a new post just for this one. It looks like it was fitted with a late war blade, but I am wondering if the serial number is too low to be very late war. Given that the scabbard is matching, is it more likely the blade has been tampered with and bohi removed? The area forward of the habaki also looks a little weird. Interested to hear other's thoughts. Thanks. https://www.ebay.com...er=artemis&media=SMS Conway

That's the key, Bruce. When they are labeled as late war Kai Gunto on eBay and other militaria sites they go anywhere from $1000 - $1500 when buyers don't exactly know what they are bidding on. https://griffinmilit...okawa-naval-arsenal/ Conway

Michael, I have both books. Think of Plimpton's book more as a "guide to sword identification." There are very few pictures of blades in the book. Dawson's provides more in-depth details and analysis about the study of Japanese military swords and it is my go-to book at the moment. That being said, I find the NMB infinitely more useful to my study and understanding than any reference book I have come across. I am still happy with the purchase of Plimpton's book because it is very nicely arranged and has many unique pieces. One day it will be out of print too and more than $130 to procure. Just some of my thoughts. Conway

That's correct, Bruce. Although I was thinking more about the ones with the machine-made chromed blades (secured through the handle with the threaded nut). Just a question I had as someone who "tries" to collect mainly WW2-era items. I don't see these come up for sale very often and wouldn't be opposed to adding one to the collection. Conway

Hello All, I have looked through a few reference books (Dawson, Plimpton and Fuller) and haven't found much information on the usage of the Type 19 Cavalry Officer swords in WW2. I am wondering if they were still being produced into the 1940s. Dawson writes that they were "superseded in 1934 by the shin-guntō" on page 101 of the Cyclopedia Edition. Would they still have been purchased and used by officers in the dress/parade sword capacity during WW2? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. Conway

Thanks for taking a look and offering your opinion, John. I'll probably just continue to keep my eye out at shows. Conway

I am looking for a Tsuka for a late war army sword ( Feb 1945) in "Type 3" mounts. I found a candidate on eBay and I am wondering if anyone can confirm whether the wrap looks original. I know it's a bit of a gamble on whether the Tsuka will actually fit properly with the nakago (returns accepted). Based on the measurements the seller provided, the Tsuka is about 1 mm wider across the mune and 1 mm wider top to bottom than my sword's nakago. I just dropped a different sword off to have the Tsuka re-wrapped in Chicago so I know there are skilled individuals that can make custom Tsuka replacements. I want to keep it original if possible. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks. Conway https://www.ebay.com/itm/374652152941?hash=item573b022c6d:g:Ks0AAOSwo0RkRZh6

Very interesting! I see from other posts on the forum they made fittings (ex. scabbard drags). Any thoughts on what specifically they were patenting here? Conway

I could see "patent" clearly too once I looked at the picture referenced in the link. Thanks! The reverse side of the lower hilt area has the patent numbers. Conway

Does anyone know what this mark says? Hard for me to make out the characters. As a student of Chinese, I usually take the characters I can read and paste them in a Japanese translator. Conway

Thomas, Ah! So there's a difference between "W" and stamps that resemble "w." I was going to ask if this other stamp was the maker mark, but I guess you answered my question. Aside from some of the braided wire missing, the sword is in overall nice shape. Here are some more pictures of the hilt. Conway

Recently picked up this Type 19. Thought I would post because it has the "W" in a place I have not seen yet (and bordered too). Conway

Garrett, Have you searched the Swordsmith Index on the Nihonto Club site? @uwe mentioned a smith during the Keiō era whose Mei reads 備州長船住横山祐久作. https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?page=12&type=All&mei_op=starts&mei=備州長 Conway

Here is the link from eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/115766136876?hash=item1af433102c%3Ag%3AhWIAAOSwr4FkNJtg&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4AHSX1qK3PjxhgGCKF2Cv5cMnXj%2Fqz3ok9o4mjVBhqESEJxCJngrOBEfeDY%2BCPlFO1wd%2FLDqrrFZr9b59G8pedy3YF8JnSHb1IGqEhO8H7zpRsxRSn9f0K7Gi%2BQtD1R92ftiMKZS92ahyOG%2BIqEdzLOYcNN65HCADQyUD0vL7in9Hb%2FtEzpu0fWjS2u1qf5dclr%2FwvHqd1pPDnGTFCjl4fo%2BOD1b3CLR24sar1k%2BN6q4UjZPz6i3wfIUeNpNSIsozDOD9ePIr4OwgVZr6xZf9Cg9YHW32OnjUMzDU%2FtYyfjB|tkp%3ABk9SR8jho8ryYQ&nma=true&si=PyW4jKex2dfJuouxgkaqKW5Tp%2Fk%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 Conway