civilian mounted gunto

[raaay]

HI ALL

 

civilian mounted shin gunto with copper fuchi / kashira / menuki .

 

question is,

Are they special commissioned showa period mounts!! or are they older and if so opinions on date and school please .

 

had a bash at the signature and may be !!! " kazu michi saku " ???

 

The tsuka has a very nice gentle curve and waisted shape towards the kashira, and a brass / bronze moko style tsuba with a nanako punched surface style finish and not sure on its quality ! but i do think the crab menuki are very nice and the theme off the bamboo on the fuchi / kashira .

 

Is there any schools that follow this style and design or was it common too any school .

 

any opinions please

 

thanks

ray.

[raaay]

just added couple of more pics to the post

 

The tsuka and the combat covered gunto saya .

 

ray.

[raaay]

hi all

 

 

just asking the same question , any opinion's on the original question !!!

 

 

 

thanks

ray.

[Rich T]

Hi Ray, I believe the fuchi is signed Kazunori saku.

 

一矩作

 

There is one artist listed in both the Haynes indexes and Toso Kinko Jiten. He died in 1870. Wakayama states he signed Kazunori Saku on his mei. He also used a Kao. There is no other real detail except for mention of a pair of tsuba. I have no visiual references of his mei sorry.

 

If this signature is correct, then these could well be a set from the end of the Edo period or the Meiji period. Can you supply an image of the tsuba as well ?.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Stephen]

i think Rich is on to something with the Shinshinto era....it may have been converted for the war...like rich i ask for pix of the tsuba, what does the saya look like under the leather flap? gunto or Buke? is the blade older or someone from the Gendai era, it will help in knowing what you have.

[raaay]

Thanks , Rich / Stephen

 

 

Rich.

at work at the moment will try and post pics off the tsuba tonight !!

and some shots off the blade ,as you no photos not my strong point.

 

 

Stephen

 

The saya is a plain wood saya with plain metal bands under the leather combat cover.

 

this sword was once owned by a friend off mine and he had Mishina Kenji San look at the sword many moons ago and his opinion was a "Shinto Yamato blade"

the blade is Mumei with a sugaha hamon. will add some info on the blade later.

 

thanks . ray

[raaay]

some more pics adding to the post as requested

 

 

1. tsuba 75mm x 65mm x 4/3mm

 

2. crab menuki

 

3 / 4 . coulpe of pics off blade and sword , i no this should be posted in the nihonto section so hope no one minds !!

 

nagasa . 590mm [ chisa katana ! ]

 

motohaba . 25mm / sakihaba . 20mm

 

hada . masame

 

again photos not great but rushed quickly tonight.

 

thanks

ray

[Stephen]

check page 63 fig 17 and page 278 fig 216,Connoisseurs book of Japanese swords lack of sori is dead giveaway for Meiji shinshinto swords, civilian mounts fitted for the war.

[raaay]

Hi Stephen

 

 

thanks for your reply again on this post

I think my poor photos dont help the debate .

 

I can see buy looking at the pics why you think the blade is straight -ish

but in fact it has a 5mm sori

and i think it would be more in the Kanbun shinto era ! than Shin shinto ?

 

thanks

ray