Ancestral blades in gunto mounts

[bigjohnshea]

Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season.

 

Could anyone direct me to a resource where I can read up on ancestral blades in gunto mounts? I'm interested in learning about the conditions under which an ancestral blade would be modified for gunto mounts. Was this done only with family heirlooms for a member of the family who was an officer? Was this done often due to changes in prevailing style? Etc. etc.

 

I'd appreciate any info or resources on the topic.

 

Cheers,

[mdiddy]

John,

 

For quick info, you may want to check Ohmura's comprehensive site on gunto: http://ohmura-study.net/900.html. You will likely have to browse around but I remember he discussed ancestral blades in gunto mounts and showed examples. I would also recommend Fuller and Gregory's Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks or Dawson's Swords of Imperial Japan, 1868-1945.

 

While I'm sure many officers descended from samurai lineage and thus had ancestral swords to mount, it is worth considering that likely a large number of ancestral blades in gunto mounts were not handed down to the token Japanese officer in a family but were rather purchased by officers who came from families without samurai lineage or ancestral blades. After the Haitorei edict in 1876, there was a glut of swords that no longer served a utilitarian purpose. Swordsmiths had to turn to making cutlery, farm tools, etc as there was no demand for swords. Swords prices dropped. With the establishment of the Kyu Gunto, there was again demand for swords and Japanese officers not from samurai lineage could afford to stock these mounts with ancestral blades from the glut of blades on the market at that time. There was not sufficient demand for swords at this time to warrant a large-scale effort to manufacture swords again. That would come later as the Japanese army grew, the glut of ancestral swords shrank, and the Type 94 and 98 were introduced. This helps explain why Kyu Gunto mounts almost always contain ancestral blades (there are exceptions - I have for instance seen a Yoshichika in Kyu Gunto mounts).

 

I hope that helps add a little color to the conditions under which an ancestral blade would be modified for gunto mounts.

[BIG]

Hi BigJohn,

 

Saw a strong Hamabe School Katana in Typ 98 mounts, sold by member Leo

 

http://www.juwelier-strebel.de

 

sold items Nr. 602

 

Best regards

[Brian]

John,

Using an older blade was as simple as any soldier going to war who had access to a different blade than the standard mass produced one, taking it to the sword suppliers and asking for it to be mounted. Anyone with a desire and extra money could have it done. I wouldn't read too much into it besides the fact that some officers had more of that prevailing patriotic feeling combined with the resurgence of the "samurai spirit" and and wanted to take something with more meaning with them to war.

There were a LOT of older blades remounted for the war in Gunto mounts. Sometimes it seems to me like 1 in 5 turns out to have an older blade. But that isn't a statistic mind you...just a feeling. Also, remember that so many mass produced ones were destroyed after the war, whilst better blades might have been saved and returned with soldiers.

 

Brian

[bigjohnshea]

Thank you gentlemen for your comments and resources.

 

Happy Holidays!