Pic Request - battle damage on blades

[Surfson]

Here's one I sold on ebay last year.   I had had it in the closet for over 20 years. Not sure if that is the type of damage you were looking for.  This one clearly took a bullet, and I always imagined that it may have save the life of its owner at the time.

[roger dundas]

Bullet damage to the tang/nakago, a complete hilt replacement in Japan in 1967. Part of a bullet embedded in Scabbard.

Blade : Bishu Osafune Suka Sada Saku / August 1567 was not damaged and good order. Leather combat covered scabbard also in good order.

Roger j

[Bruce Pennington]

5 hours ago, roger dundas said:

Bullet damage to the tang/nakago

Looks like a mod for Rinji fittings! Just got it the hard way!

[roger dundas]

We took photos of the whole sword, new hilt etc- then realised only the actual damaged area was wanted ? Do you want the rest "

Roger j

[Ontario_Archaeology]

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/265498070990?hash=item3dd0eb0fce:g:x0oAAOSwXBBh2gd1

some Koshiere with battle damage 

[Bruce Pennington]

Posting some pics for posterity:

 

[Jon]

This blade has a lot of damage not saying it’s all battle damage:

 

[Bazza]

I've seen a case where one child had the blade and the other the nicely lacquered saya and they had been 'going at it'.  Pretty sad to see.

 

BaZZa.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Lots of swords promptly went back to war in backyard operations.

[Jon]

14 hours ago, Bazza said:

I've seen a case where one child had the blade and the other the nicely lacquered saya and they had been 'going at it'.  Pretty sad to see.

 

BaZZa.

With the sword that has this damage you would have had a nasty accident as the fittings are not secured to the tang so anyone taking a swing would have launched the blade off in an impressive arc......☄️

[roger dundas]

"Lots of swords promptly went back to war in backyard operations", John, Australia.

Five boys in our family, has made me think how we would have misused any sword brought back such as cutting down blackberries (growing to pest proportions locally), firewood, 'each other' God forbid, and so on. Sad to admit it but luckily for the sword population we didn't score a sword. A few other things but no sword. 

Roger j

[Bruce Pennington]

A Type 95 at that big Lloyds action:

 

[Wolfmanreid]

Here’s one I sold about a year ago. It was captured on Guam and was in the estate of a USMC veteran. Blade was in excellent condition, covered with cosmoline, and the nakago is signed “関三輪正行作” (Seki Miwa Masayuki Saku).

[Baba Yaga]

A polished battle cut on the Mune used to bring a premium. Does it still? 

I've seen it on more Wakizashi for some reason. This may be debated?

[Bruce Pennington]

Kanetsugu RS with a bullet hole.  Found on this Wehrmacht-awards thread.

 

 

[ChrisW]

How bad is the damage to the blade? Always is neat seeing these things.

[Bugyotsuji]

https://note.com/mina6849/n/n65eb7ae1c791

 

Mustn’ｔforget the famous Sanchomo (Yamatorige). Photo 1/3 way down the page.

[Tensho]

Sword that was listed on the bay a while back. Bent the blade pretty good. 

[ChrisW]

I imagine the habaki was sheared in half by the force of the impact, yes?

[Bruce Pennington]

On 3/25/2022 at 10:19 PM, ChrisW said:

How bad is the damage to the blade? Always is neat seeing these things.

Chris,

Just got the blade photo:

 

[ChrisW]

I wonder if its beyond saving? Or if its even worth it.

Do you all think it holds more importance as it is or restored?

[FZ1]

For me, it holds more importance "as is" because what happened to it is part of the blade's story.

 

But then again, I'm more of a history buff than an art appreciator!

 

 

[Dave R]

On 3/26/2022 at 5:23 AM, Tensho said:

Sword that was listed on the bay a while back. Bent the blade pretty good. 

 

Personal opinion, this is one of those dreadful "dealers specials" where a part is replaced for one reason or another. The blade, saya and tsuba are classic Shin-Gunto, and the tsuka is a random piece from the bit box! That is why there is no habaki, either lost during the strip down or earlier, or left off so that the mekugi-ana align. There is a remote possibility that that this was a field repair, but no IJA officer would ignore the habaki, and a new mekugi-ana would have been just drilled through, as we are familiar with on older swords that have been refitted in their working life.

[Tensho]

7 hours ago, Dave R said:

 

Personal opinion, this is one of those dreadful "dealers specials" where a part is replaced for one reason or another. The blade, saya and tsuba are classic Shin-Gunto, and the tsuka is a random piece from the bit box! That is why there is no habaki, either lost during the strip down or earlier, or left off so that the mekugi-ana align. There is a remote possibility that that this was a field repair, but no IJA officer would ignore the habaki, and a new mekugi-ana would have been just drilled through, as we are familiar with on older swords that have been refitted in their working life.

 

A piece together was my thought as well. I was in contact with the seller on it. She knew nothing about it and had a friend disassemble it for her(it was stuck in the saya when she bought it)No previous auctions of any swords. I'm assuming he did the damage to the release button. I asked about the Habaki and she never knew if it was there to begin with.

 

The second mekugi ana drilled through the menuki threw me off as well as the replaced kashira. I did not bid on it.
 

 

[Baba Yaga]

Many moons ago some kid in San Francisco shot a gun off in the garage. The bullet hit the saya in the exact middle. Can't remember the name on the blade, but every dealer back then was approached by said owner. In the entire garage filled with "stuff" and that one bullet chose the blade. That's some king of Karma. 

[WillFalstaff]

This is on an old wakizashi. Don’t think it was backyard play that caused this.

In the first picture, just under the slice into the kissaki, there is some kind of shaving action happening on the iori that starts suddenly and then drags down, almost like a parry, (sorry, don’t know the Japanese term for it), and the angle is also just right for a defensive move. 

 

 

[WillFalstaff]

A few more on the mune. I’m thinking this is where a good amount of parrys happen. Martial arts practicioners are welcome to correct me, as I know nothing of Japanese forms. 

[Bruce Pennington]

This one has a '44 Mantetsu in it.  Seller didn't show both side of the blade, but the side he showed seemed undamaged.

[FrenchBreadPrime]

It's surprising how many blades have been damaged by bullets during WW2, it makes me wonder, are there any pictures of older blades damaged by Teppo ?

[PNSSHOGUN]

How's this for a Kirikomi: https://www.toukenhataya.jp/goods/sword/sword_s2128.html