Help identifying WW2 Japanese sword

[Joe]

I recently inherited a Japanese sword from my father. What I do know about it is that my father served in the marines, was part of the occupying force in Japan during WW2 and brought it home with him. He never said much about it other than he got it in Japan during the war. It has sat in his closet ever since then other than when I'd ask to look at it through the years.

 

Other than that I don't know much about it. Officers sword. The hamon looks authentic. In the video it's hard to tell, but in person it bears the hallmarks of a real hamon. Wood saya. Cloth ito.

 

I took a video of it for help in identifying it. I was unable to separate the blade from the handle to check for a signature. I realize this is necessary for complete identification of the blade but it got to the point that i was uncomfortable in applying any more force to the sword for fear of damage. I'll post a link to the video. If anyone has any idea what type it may be it'd be appreciated! It has many characteristics of many different types as far as i can find, but I've been unable to find another sword that matches this one.

 

 

Thanks!

[Stu W]

Looks like a Type 3 (also referred to as late war 44 pattern) IJA Officer sword. The presence of a wooden scabbard opens up the possibility of a gendaito blade. Looks like the tsuba, seppa etc. have been chromed. Is that correct or is it the lighting?

 

have a look here ...

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/military.htm

 

... and last but not least ... did you mean to provide access to all your videos? At the end of the sword video the next just starts and so on.

 

Regards,

Stu

[Joe]

Yes sir, the tsuba and seppa etc are chromed. That's how it came back from Japan with my dad. I thought it was strange because all the others I've seen with similar tsuba and such have all been black or something other than chrome.

 

As far as the other videos go...I think it's just the way YouTube is set up. They just auto play my videos as a play list. I'll look into it. Mostly just family videos so they're probably boring to everyone but the family!

 

Thanks!

[Robert Janssen]

Hey Joe,

 

for removing the tang: there are 2 screws on your tang that need to be removed before being able to take off the handle. I must be stating the obvious, but who knows... sometimes people are afraid of doing something wrong

 

once removed there's a method of loosening tight blades that can be considered pretty safe when done carefully. I'll redirect you to the NBTHK sword care page which has a section about it with a good picture. feel free to keep tapping your fist until you're bruised

http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm

 

If this doesn't work there are other things you can try, but this should be the first thing you try.

 

good luck!

[SwordGuyJoe]

Hey Joe - Looks pretty nice. I have $1 that says when you remove the handle it's Nagamitsu. I would also bet that it is signed to include his go "Ichiryushi" and not the lower 'quality' two character mei. I've always believed - with no proof whatsoever - that swords that bear his go were forged by Nagamitsu and not a 'student'.

[Joe]

Hey Joe,

 

for removing the tang: there are 2 screws on your tang that need to be removed before being able to take off the handle. I must be stating the obvious, but who knows... sometimes people are afraid of doing something wrong

 

once removed there's a method of loosening tight blades that can be considered pretty safe when done carefully. I'll redirect you to the NBTHK sword care page which has a section about it with a good picture. feel free to keep tapping your fist until you're bruised

http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm

 

If this doesn't work there are other things you can try, but this should be the first thing you try.

 

good luck!

 

Yeah I took the screws out and tried this method twice until I almost broke my wrist and had to quit. I'll try again today!

 

Nagamitsu... I really want to get a peek at this tang!

[hxv]

Joe,

 

This is key to removing the handle: hold the sword handle at the very end (at the point as far away from the sword guard as possible). That way, you won't have to tap your wrist too hard. If you hold the handle near the sword guard, it will make it so much harder to remove the handle. Hope this tip helps.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Stephen]

lay a towel on a table, remove saya, lay blade on the towel, bump the tsuba lightly on table edge and the tsuka will loosen up or slide off. other swords with fine tsuba you cover them up but with the chrome job id not worry.

[Joe]

OK I beat my wrist silly and got it out! Thanks for your help guys! Holding low on the handle did the trick.

 

I took pictures of the tang. I'm not having any luck posting images. Here are the links:

 

 

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/361x6 ... 4/lc2b.jpg

 

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/361x6 ... 6/t2tc.jpg

 

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/361x6 ... 6/leak.jpg

 

edit:

 

On the tang below the kanji there are two characters that are not engraved, but rather they show up as not oxidized parts of the tang, like that part was protected from oxidization from a light coating of something. It looks to me like hiragana "so" and "ka", but it could be kanji. One I don't recognize and "chikara".

[John A Stuart]

Noshu ju Kanetoshi. Showa juhachi nen 1943 John

[SwordGuyJoe]

First two are the smiths name:

Noshu ju Kanetoshi: Kanetoshi from Noshu => Looks like I owe someone a dollar. Usually Kanetoshi has a more flamboyant hamon that this.

 

Third is the date: Showa Jyu Hachi nen ?? - 18th year of showa = 1943 => There's more there with the last two characters, but I can't read it.

 

His family name is Murayama and he was a rikugun jumei tosho. The star stamp on the blade is an indicator of him being an RJT and that this blade is traditionally made. He won second seat at the 1941 Exhibition. Here is a picture from his write up in Slogh's.

 

Edit: Here's a good link: http://www.jp-sword.com/files/seki/gendaito.html

 

[Joe]

That's great guys. Thanks for all your help!

[george trotter]

Chromed/silvered fittings are rare but not unknown...here is a similar tsuba on a Type 3...it had been blackened but it has worn back to bright silver.

Hope this helps

[Joe]

Sounds great. Ok, I have to ask "the" question. What's it worth? I understand an accurate appraisal is nearly impossible on the interwebz, and it would vary a lot. I'll never sell it anyway. I'm just curious as to what I have here exactly from a collector's viewpoint. To me it's priceless and it wouldn't matter if it was worth $100 or $5000 given it's history in my family, the fact that I've drooled over it for nearly 40 years, and that my Dad wanted me to have it.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Tough to be totally accurate with the pics, but about $2,500 - give or take.