Conway

Not to get off track and disrupt this thread, but there are sellers in Japan selling showato all the time on eBay (unless the location cannot be trusted)… For example: Masayuki

I think the things I would be concerned with on this sword are the tsuba and the scabbard. If it has the correct 11mm tsuba, that would make me more comfortable with it being a repair. I say this since from examining other Type 95 serial number ranges, it seems like repairs added the black steel tsuba with 2a seppa. With regard to the scabbard, Sam mentioned the unserialized throat not being an issue. I agree with that. I would want to see the correct early scabbard without drag however. I say this because without those key pieces, you have what some may view as a Frankenstein sword, that would be hard to sell later on. WW2 story aside, never discount the person selling the sword didn’t learn after the fact that they bought a pieced together sword. I wouldn’t take a gamble on this one if the seller was asking the going rate of a copper Type 95. That’s coming from someone who went down this road before with a copper and decided to offload it after more research. Please share additional pics if you receive them.

I wouldn’t waste my time trying to educate this person, since they are so off the mark on most things they put in that page- "Your grandfather's WW2 Japanese sword is either a $200 showato (machine-made) or a $5,000+ gendaito (traditionally forged). Knowing the difference changes everything.” I’d love to know how they came up with their valuation chart. Since you won’t even find showato being sold from Japan at the price points they list..

@James L Any stamps under the habaki? Given the date, and patination on nakago, this looks like a late-war showato (non-traditionally made, oil-quenched). A lot of WW2 navy swords had blades made of a corrosion resistant anti-rust steel. But this does not look like the case given the pics provided. Nice looking sword though!

I believe this is a variation called the four swords (四つ剣) - Yotsuken. Maybe others will have a better opinion. https://irohakamon.com/kamon/ken/yotsuken.html

Nick, May I ask what draws your interest to this particular sword? If you’re looking for an entry level sword that displays nicely, I would just like to point out that the missing wrapping on the handle is not an easy or cheap fix. Getting the existing core rewrapped professionally will run $200-300. Finding a replacement handle that fits nicely will require you to lug the sword around to shows with you. I would only buy a WW2 sword of this quality and in this condition if it was very cheap.

Hi Mike, A few additional pictures may assist in others providing more feedback. The Ko length is 83.6cm and the Otsu is 77.4cm. Here is a useful link on the Type 32: http://ohmura-study.net/802.html

Looks like Murayama Kikuhide. Here is the bio from Sesko: KIKUHIDE (菊秀), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kikuhide” (菊秀), real name Murayama Kikuo (村山菊雄), born September 21st 1905, he worked as guntō smith and died April 8th 1952"

An un-serialized throat is not unheard of if it was replaced during the war. But yes, the serial number on the drag is a give-away both were added post-war. Maybe some examples exist, but Type 95 blade and scabbard serial numbers were not re-worked as is very common on Type 32s.

So much for the long-standing advice not to disassemble Type 95s! We'll be taking them apart to look for signs of age. Or sending paint chips off to a lab for analysis. @Scogg Maybe Sam should include a guide for assessing Type 95 details with a magnifying glass in his revised Monograph…. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the fakes got too good to tell the difference. Just like WW2 German militaria (helmets in particular).

Trystan are you sure the aluminum in the first photo (cardboard background) is the same as the one with the black tarp?

@tbonesullivan Stamped with a “na” 名?

I think the tsuba started life as the mid-war solid style linked above and was converted to a pierced tsuba when they modified it to allow for the leather saya retention strap. Note the jagged, uneven edges of the interior of the tsuba. In my experience, most tsuba have signs of being altered to fasten the tsuka to the saya on these non-locking wooden saya.

Hello Davis! Unique sword and a very nice display you have for it! The fittings look to be in nice condition as well. It’s always a plus to have the leather cover intact. Just make a new peg using a chopstick. It’s easiest to use the tapered end of the chopstick that way you don’t have to whittle it down as much to fit the smaller hole in the handle.

Hi Danny, It is quite common for swords with the “large” Seki stamp to be undated. Your sword is most definitely an oil-quenched Showato given the large Seki stamp.

So the whole date is: a day in August 1942. It looks like your sword also has a family mon on the end cap of the handle. Does it have a little silver disc there?

Hello Richard, You posted your pictures in the “About Me” tab in your portfolio. The sword your grandfather brought home is an Army Type 98 Officer’s sword. It’s dated Showa 17 or 1942. Full length pictures of both sides of the tang (nakago) may help for a better assessment. It looks like your pictures cut off some characters.

That is my understanding as well. The Japanese dirks are based on European pattern dirks, which customarily have double-edged blades. I think it’s more an association with the style of fittings than the type of blade. Ohmura’s site uses the term “Tanken” 短剣. I’m not an etymologist, but I’m sure it was intentional to reference double-edged blades here.

Jeff, In the second photo (3 of7), it looks like the blade is threaded into the pommel of the handle. Usually this would indicate a non-traditionally made blade, as is most common in these police swords.

Thanks for the tip. I just need to pop the dent out enough for the blade to sheath more easily.

So those little inserts are plastic and they have enough strength to punch out the dents in the saya without breaking? I have a saya with some damage caused by the U.S. postal service and I was thinking of making something similar. I wasn’t sure it would be strong enough to get the job done.

Did you happen to take any photos of the nakago when all the fittings are removed? Those of us who would never dare to disassemble a Type 95 for fear of it not going back together the same, like to see these types of pictures. It should have a 東 “To” stamp.

You did a great job straightening out the blade and saya, Nazar. It will display nicely with the rest of your collection on those sweet custom racks you shared in the Izakaya!