Shin - Gunto Sword. Need help in identifying. First timer, family heirloom.

[Stegel]

Hi Aaron,

Could you please post a better picture of the brass collar (habaki) on the blade side... i'm not sure but i think there may be a small stamp there??.

Very nice family history you got here!

Thanks

[Bruce Pennington]

Aaron,

Your summary is pretty good. Only the Type 3 is not part of your sword's discussion. Nick's discussion about the sword shortages came in them middle of a seperate discussion of the Contingency Model (commonly called the Type 3) officer sword, which is a totally difference model than your sword. There might be other discussions of the shortage on other threads. The topic needs a seperate thread of its own.

[BANGBANGSAN]

Aaron

As Steve and I said

Your sword is modified(most likely wartime work)Type 95 NCO blade cut the partial tang to fit into type 98 handle.

The photos Dave posts are the 造兵刀，not yours.

 

 

 

Been doing a lot of catching up on the links. But this link alludes to what my sword most likely is by Bangbangsan.... but it’s 100% in Japanese... the bottom has a few paragraphs in English but doesn’t pertain to that above it?

Any clarification would be much obliged .

[The_Derz]

Hi Aaron,

Could you please post a better picture of the brass collar (habaki) on the blade side... i'm not sure but i think there may be a small stamp there??.

Very nice family history you got here!

Thanks

There appears to be a very small. Something that I zoomed in on. It could very well be a smudge. But it’s smaller and less clear than the “Nagoya arsenal symbol”, that’s located next to serial numbers on blade.

 

Here are pics of all sides of habaki?.

[16k]

Is that a hole or a stamp? I think I see the steel of the blade underneath.

[Shamsy]

Looks like a small hole or chip. Worth checking out though. Can find stamps in all kinds of places.

[16k]

Could that be a stamp that was too strong and went through?

[Dave R]

It looks more like a flaw in the metal to me.

[vajo]

That habaki was not made for this blade.

[Stephen]

None of it was...its a put together.

[lonely panet]

This is a slap fight of opinions were the person asking for help is only getting bombarded with peoples of inexpeance.

 

Why can people just accept a odd piece made during the war

 

Could it be that the same factory that made 95's made 94s and 98s with machine made blade. The only difference between the 2 is nakago finish and serial numbers

 

Spitting hairs over small things

[Shamsy]

None of it was...its a put together.

Yep, that sums it up. A Type 95 blade, cut, drilled and ground down to fit Type 98 fittings that are not intended for the blade. Why and precisely when will never be known.

 

Enjoy it as part of your family's history, Aaron. It's great to have these sort of heirlooms to pass on.

[IJASWORDS]

Hamfish, The originator of the post is asking for help. So there are many experienced collectors that will no doubt have a variety of opinions based on their own experience. 

I personally have not put forward an opinion, as I feel it needs to be examined in "the hand". And the old adage, never say never. 

This is one example where the owner knows there is some controversy, but should enjoy it, study it, and in time, with experience, make their own call. 

I would not hesitate to call out a Chinese fake, and this is not. It has all the elements of components made in WW2, but is at this time an unusual one.

[lonely panet]

That's what I'm saying neil,

 

I though my last post pointed that out

[The_Derz]

Thanks to everyone who helped in this research. it is much obliged. ill return to post here if I find anything in the future that may shed more light on this as I continue to research. I want to do an "in hand" bench check on this sword in the future. Maybe a sword show or possibly WW2 history museum in New Orleans could provide other leads to "Experts" (I think y'all are likely the real experts) or something.

 

Thanks!