Jump to content

I bought a WW2 Officers sword


JLOUSMC

Recommended Posts

Joseph,

does your blade have a stamp near the MEKUGI-ANA?

Your blade is signed TACHI-MEI, ESAKA YOSHIKUNI obviously signed KATANA-MEI.
It looks like a late war military blade and not like a SAMURAI weapon, so it was probably not made with traditional techniques but mainly by factory workers. There are only a few swordsmiths of that era who got some reputation after the war. So the question if the smith was 'famous' can not be answered unless we know who he was. In addition to that, we should know if the blade was forged or mass produced in a factory. 

It would probably help if we could see the whole (naked) blade without HABAKI and detail photos.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would also appreciate seeing if there is a stamp higher on the nakago (tang), likely under the metal fittings, you'll have to remove them to see the stamp.

 

Have you read up on this style of gunto?  It was a contingency model, often called a "Type 3" or "Rinji seishiki", designed to be cheaper (officers had to pay for their swords) yet more durable to the rigors of combat.  The style caught on in the latter part of the war and became quite elaborate.  It would be nice to see pics of your rig as well.

 

You can read about them HERE.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...