Bruno

Hello Franco! Thank you for your response. I know a bit about Japanese swords but not that much. I did know that damaged kissaki is a real problem for nihonto. This one is for sure a showato. I do not know how to fix it and if it is worth to do it(expensive or not to repair?). I do not think a standard polishing would be enought, reforged the tip appears to me to be the solution, am I right? Same question, is it worth to do so for a showato? Is this blade "dead" or not? I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT IT? HELP MEEEEEEEE PLEASE!!!!!! Bruno

Hello everyone! I have a question about a dented kisaki on a showato sword that I want to buy. I do not know if it is possible to repair it or not. Is anybody can give his opinion on it? I join two pics of it. Many thanks Bruno

HI everyone! I have another question different than the one I asked. I join pics of a showato which tip is dented.I would like to know your opinion about it. Is it fatal dent or is it easy to repair? Because it should be tempered steel I am afraid the tip will be broken(like glass) if I try to repair it. I will maybe swap my NCO for this showato, but this dented kissaki make hesitate. I will be very happy to have your opi,ions about it; Best regards Bruno

WAOU! Thank you so much George! This is excatly the answer I was waiting for!!! Bruno

Thank you John On your opinion, is it the only way to be 100% sure that a sword is tamahagane made instead of standard steel made; I means when that one is dirty? Kind regards Bruno

Hi John! Yes I know that a Gendaito is made of tamahagane. But when you have a dirty ww 2 blade, to know if it is tamahagane or standard steel, you have to make it polished and it is very expensive, otherwise I do not see how to sure. Am I right or wrong? For example, I have a ww2 blade signed KANEMUNE, and this smith used to make tamahagane swords and standard steel swords, so because my Kanemune sword is dirty it is impossible for me to know unless I make it traditionnaly polished. Maybe I am completly wrong! Bruno

Thank you very much for your answer George! Yes my english is not that good That's why sometimes I do not get everything. But I dare to insist, on the link above, the author seems to say "iron scabbard" with "black semi gloss uneven coating", no? http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_063.htm Kind regards My other question is: To know for sure that a sword is a gendaito or a machine made, the sword must be traditionnaly polished, otherwise it is not possible to see the grain of the blade? Am I right?

So....finaly, does anybody know if Type 3 iron scabbards were also black semi gloss uneven coating or have urushi like wood scabbard? Or if only wood scabbard were like this? Thanks

Thanks for your answer. In fact the type 3 I was talking about, was the second one from the left! This one is just painted without any special treatment(no urushi), and it is also this one I wanted to change the scabbard with a nice urushi cover or black semigloss uneven coating. Kind regards

Hey everyone! I just found an interesting link that give nice clue: it seems according to this website that both (iron and wood) scabbards have "ishime" cover! what do you think? http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_062.htm

I am not sure of this, but I am wondering if some people on this forum thought that I wanted to replace the black ishime by green painting. In fact, I was thinking to do the contrary. Now I won't do anything, both seems to be a bad idea according to what i read.

Hi everyone! I was out for a while and I just read all the new answers, thank for all your advices! My english is not perfect so maybe I missed things among the responses. Yes all the type 3 on the pic are signed but I do not know if they are traditional/semi-traditional or machine made blade. I read so many different opinions about that. Some say that they are all of bad quality, all machine made. Some say they are hand made but not with tamahagane, so I do not know who I should beleive!!! I thought "ishime" cover was more pretty and more traditional looking than the military green paint. That is why I asked people opinions here on the forum. Everyone told me(if I understood well) that it is a bad thing to do, so I will forget the idea. It is off the topic, but I am looking for someone who is interested by exchanging one of his gunto sword for one of my NCO sword. My NCO is in good condition, and it is no mather if the gunto I ama looking for is in lower condition. Kind regards Bruno

Thanks Grey and John! I will have a look on that book on Amazon. It's a pity that the Gregory and Fuller's book is out of print, but 300$ or more, I still think it is a bit expensive whatever exceptional is the book! Bruno

Hi John! Thank you for your answer. That is why I asked the question. I did not know if it was a bad thing to change the cover of the scabbard. I thought green paint is less pretty than black semi gloss cover. If you say it is bad I beleive you and won't change it. About the Gregory and Fuller's book, do you have any idea if it is possible to have it or a part of it by downloading or something else. I could not find it for sell. ps: sorry for my bad english skills!

Hello everyone, I have two simple questions to ask on this forum: My first question is about the late war pattern shin gunto. They have 2 types of scabbards: wooden scabbard and iron scabbard. I was wondering if all and only the wooden scabbards have a black semigloss uneven coating, or if the iron scabbards could also be find with black semigloss uneven coating. I enclosed a pic of several Type 3 shin gunto to illustrate. I have a Type 3 with green painted iron scabbard, and I was thinking about changing the aspect with black semigloss uneven coating. Is it a good idea? If not, why? My second question is about the book of R.GREGORY and FULLER, Japanese Military Swords and Dirks. Because this book is very hard to find and also extremely expensive, I would like to know if and how it is possible to get a PDF copy and download this book? Thanks in advance. Bruno

Hello Stephen, I was wondering, in the book which the page you sent me is from(i don't know if that sentence is correct!), does the author says other things about KANEMUNE? What is the title of this book please? Best regards Bruno

Hooooooooooo! ok! So I guess everyone is taking me for a dumb on the forum now!! :D I am even not able to call people who are helping me by their real name! Shame on me! Yes I have to improve my english! I did not speak english for many years now, and it is well known that french are bad in english! :D Anyway, I would like to thank once again, those who gave me all these precious informations on KANEMUNE, it is really nice from you. Bruno

thanks a lot for this page! yes it is a hard work, furthermore, my nihonto knowledge is close to "nothing" and my english level is bad to! Sometime, I do no even understand well what people told me when they gave me informations! Bruno

Oups! No I did not! I just look at it. So KANEMUNE was the legitimate son, if I understand well? I also saw that he produced low quality gendaito , anyway, it should means that it is tamahagane swords, it is a good point , I was afraid that it was machine made blade. Do you have any idea about the price of KANEMUNE swords? Thank you bruno

Yes you are right KENKAKU! Definitly, I will have a look to the page you send me. I did not think it could be so hard! Thank you again. Bruno

CHO ROKU 1457 is a different period of SHOWA 1926(my sword was made in SHOWA 1926), right? if yes, it should be another KANEMUNE? Someone told me that SHOWA 1926 means 1945, is anybody knows what CHO ROKU 1457 means? Thus, I could compare the two periods, if they are differents periods, it should be differents Kanemune to. Thanks Bruno

Finaly I found the informations I was looking for about KANEMUNE. DATE/TIME: CHO-ROKU 1457 PROVINCE: MINO TOKO: 134 FS: K90 HAWLEY: KAN 1622 LEVEL: JO-SAKU POINT: 300 The blade I have made by KANEMUNE was made in MARCH 1945(SHOWA 1926). Is it yhe same "KANEMUNE"? Are there few KANEMUNE? Does anybody know what CHO ROKU 1457, TOKO: 134, FS: K90, HAWLEY: KAN 1622, POINT: 300 mean? I am really not a specialist of Japanese swords, I apologize for that! Thanks Bruno

Thank you very much for the website! Unfortunately, KANEMUNE IS NOT ON THE LIST Maybe he is not a real swordsmith? Bruno

Hello everybody, Does anyone know if it is possible to find the rank of a swordsmith on internet? I tried and did not find anything usefull. I have a signed sword KANEMUNE and I do like to know how much that sword worths. Thank you Bruno

Thank you again Kenkaku, I really appreciate your help. I have this sword for so long now and never translated it, it is done now! Do you know where I can find informations on KANEMUNE? is he a good swordsmith? if not, it is ok, you have done so much for me with the translation. Thanks so much Kenkaku Bruno