Gunto & Non Military Tsuba

[Yukihiro]

Hello to all,

 

My question is simple : is it possible or, at least, not unusual to find an older (civil) tsuba fitted to an army gunto?

 

Thank you for your answers.

 

Didier

[Brian]

Not (too) unusual.

[Dave R]

Especially common on the leather covered wooden saya type, and not that rare on the metal saya either.

[Yukihiro]

Then I suppose that these civil tsubas must be associated with leather-covered civil sayas - is my assumption correct ?

[Bruce Pennington]

Didier,

 

I assume by "army gunto" you mean wartime showato? as opposed to an old blade retr-fitted for army use? Because gunto simply means "army sword" (gun - army; to - sword), so any blade, old or new, fitted for army use would be called a gunto.

[Yukihiro]

Yes, absolutely, Bruce.

 

I am talking about a showato blade fitted into a shin-gunto tsuka which is associated with a (basic-looking) late Edo tsuba.

[Windy]

My Munechika, surrender tag states Soldier was at Hong Kong Post Office.

 

[Yukihiro]

That is a beautiful and historical example, Windy - thanks for sharing!

[Dave R]

You also get them altered to go on the metal saya type with the spring clip.  

[Yukihiro]

I suppose these tsuba were associated with old family blades...

[Dave R]

I suppose these tsuba were associated with old family blades...

 

 Not always. Some of them turn up on Showato. I think there is a bit of customisation going on, as in "posing". And for some of them a preference for a practical iron guard that would not be cut through by a Chinese Da Dao in combat. 

[Yukihiro]

I have read somewhere on the forum that gunto being in short supply by the end of the war, family blades were donated for the war effort (together with the corresponding saya, tsuba and koshirae, I imagine).

[Bruce Pennington]

I have read somewhere on the forum that gunto being in short supply by the end of the war, family blades were donated for the war effort (together with the corresponding saya, tsuba and koshirae, I imagine).

The sword shortage began early as Japan realized the need to reject the cavalry styled blades and return to the samurai style. There were at least 2 big government efforts, 1938 and 1942, but I suspect it was throughout the war. Here is a section of Nick Komiya’s discussion of it on Warrelics:

 

The 1942 program that relates to that leaflet is strictly an army program, managed under the Chief of Army Weapons HQ and evolved from the earlier 1938 program which was indeed a army/navy joint program. This appraisal organization was established on 19th February by Army Regular Ordinance 990.

 

It was a program supported by the local Veterans Association as well as the Taiseiyokusankai Political Party. Municipalities would announce the dates and venues of the appraisal sessions and the army sent its appraisers to do preliminary screening. Only the swords that passed this screening were sent further to the HQ of the Officer Gunto Appraisal Committee 将校軍刀監査委員会 for a full screening to determine a fair price. Owners of swords that passed got a notice of appraised value through their local municipal office and the money was remitted by the Gunjinkaikan. Those swords were polished and set into proper new Koshirae and sold to Army officers.

 

Yes, the maximum blade quality for this program was 500 Yen, which meant that they would sell at much higher prices than the Rinjiseishiki specials. If there were swords that got dropped in the second appraisal, they got returned to owners with detailed explanations as to why.

 

The program only required the blades, but owners who wished to sell the swords complete with Koshirae was paid for the Koshirae as well.

 

“I just checked the original army/navy joint buy-up program rules announced in the fall of 1938 and discovered that the blade length criteria of minimum 54.5 cm was already in effect from that time. The 1942 rules are more streamlined and easier for the public to follow and contribute, but otherwise it is the same program, just without the involvement of the navy.

Last edited by nick komiya; 12-23-2017 at 01:59 PM.”

 

The thread is here: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/family-short-blades-gunto-688110/

[Yukihiro]

A very interesting input, indeed! Thank you, Bruce