I think this is a WW2 Era Gunto

[UZJ100]

Good evening, all!

 

My father has asked me to help get more information regarding this sword he picked up at a flea market several years ago.

 

It appears to be a WW2 Era Gunto based on some similarities to other examples I’ve seen online. However, I’m hitting you all up to see if you might be able to shed some light on this example.

 

Ive uploaded many pictures to Imgur. I’m interested in the engraving/stamping on the nakago. There is writing in black paint and also engravings on both sides.  On all parts of the Tsuba, Seppa, Fuchi, the number 526 is engraved. Additionally, there was a piece of parchment that accompanied the sword that my father had laminated to preserve it. 
 

Click for Imgur Gallery of WW2 Era Japanese Gunto Sword

 

If you prefer to copy and paste: https://imgur.com/a/MiqqNjR

 

Thank you all for your time

[UZJ100]

One more thing. The rearward part of the fuchi appeared to have damaged the mekugi. The mekugi was irreparably damaged and I’ll need to source another one if someone has a suggestion. Also when fitting everything back together the holes don’t appear line up. Open to suggestions here too.

[Bruce Pennington]

Drew,

You have a WWII Type 98 Japanese Officer gunto, made in Aug 1943, by a smith named Kaneuji:

Guys that really read these names may correct me on that!  The small stamp near the top is the "Na" inspector stamp of the Nagoya Army Arsenal.  Inspector stamps on officer swords indicated the blade was made in a non-traditional manner of one sort or another.  Hopefully someone can translate your surrender tag for you.

 

The cord wrapping is believed, by most, to be added by soldiers/sailors on ship as they headed home.  The black paint is a number that matches the numbers stamped on the fittings - 526.  The fittings are custom formed to each blade as each blade is different from the next.  The numbers were used to keep the pieces together during the assembly process.

 

Some of the seppa (spacers) around the tsuba (handguard) may have been lost over time.  They can be replaces to tighten up the fit.

 

I'm adding some of your pics to this for the future.  Imgur photos often aren't there a few years down the road.

[SteveM]

The tag is a surrender tag. It contains the name/details of the person to whom the sword belonged.

 

奄美郡島徳之島
獨立混成第二十二聯隊本部
陸軍大尉里信春義

 

Amamiguntō Tokunoshima　(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokunoshima)

22nd Independent Mixed Brigade Regiment Headquarters

Army Captain Satonobu Haruyoshi

 

Bruce's reading of the swordsmith looks good to me. 

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Nice sword with important and valuable history, keep it safe as a family heirloom and document whatever you can on both sides.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Drew,

You need to make a new mekugi ASAP.  Without this pin the blade can slip down inside the scabbard and damage its point or, worse, fall free from the handle and shatter the point on the floor after passing through your foot.  You can whittle a chopstick.

Grey

[PNSSHOGUN]

Can highly recommend Ikea chopsticks for this task. 

[UZJ100]

Thank you all for the speedy replies. This is more than I hoped for.

 

One issue with the mekugi re-installation is the the mekugi-ana and the nakago-ana are offset from each other slightly (like a Venn diagram). How would you recommend resolving this?

1 hour ago, Grey Doffin said:

Hi Drew,

You need to make a new mekugi ASAP.  Without this pin the blade can slip down inside the scabbard and damage its point or, worse, fall free from the handle and shatter the point on the floor after passing through your foot.  You can whittle a chopstick.

Grey

 

21 minutes ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

Can highly recommend Ikea chopsticks for this task. 

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Can you take a photo of this? There may be something stuck in the bottom of the Tsuka. It is also common for the holes in the Tsuka to be slightly offset rather then horizontal. 

[mecox]

Drew, this is a very nice example of a preserved sword and its history.  The swordsmith is Yoshida Kaneuji  吉田 兼氏 , his given name seems to be Suzuichi.  He was from Seki and  born 13 January 1925 (Taisho 14), and registered as a Seki tosho on 9 September 1938 (Showa 13) which was quite early.  Look in NMB for other posts (30 Aug 2019 by David [m41700]) and also page 72 in Slough.  His blades had both Sho/sakura and Seki stamps, and also some have a kokuin hot stamp.  An early war blades notes he  also used Yasuki steel for it.  He used both long forms of mei and the short niji mei with some variations in cutting style.  Attached some examples, others in Rick Steins Swordsmith Index.

NOTE:  His date of registration looked a bit odd (1938; S13.9.9) as he world be 13 years old.  I re-checked and that is what is in the old Japanese record, is it an error?  Also it is the only one in the whole list for Showa 13 (1938), so does not look correct. He could have started an apprenticeship at 13 but not be qualified.  

Edited March 22, 2021 by mecox
add

[UZJ100]

13 hours ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

Can you take a photo of this? There may be something stuck in the bottom of the Tsuka. It is also common for the holes in the Tsuka to be slightly offset rather then horizontal. 

Forgive the resolution of the first four pics. I repurposed a borescope. The second to last pic also shows the offset holes. The last pic is from side that would have the wider end of the mekugi. The light is shining through from the tapered side.

[PNSSHOGUN]

That does look like it should line up, there may be something in the bottom of the Tsuka or the wood has swelled enough that it's preventing the tang from being fully seated.

[Bruce Pennington]

I misunderstood your statement at the beginning about the fit.  I thought it was all too loose when assembled.  But you're saying you can't get the tsuka on far enough to line the holes up, right?  So, is the limit at the fuchi?  In other words, when fully installed is the handle and fuchi hard tight against the seppa and tsuba? if so, the wooden face of the tsuba could be shaved until the holes line up.  But if the handle is as far as it will go onto the nakago, and the tsuba and seppa are a bit loose, then it's like John is saying - the end of the nakago is "hitting bottom" before the holes line up.  I have a couple of gunto like this and they both have shortened mekugi, highly tapered and they go into the hole at an angle.  Not ideal but it works.

 

Something I'd try - put the handle on the nakago without the fuchi, seppa, and tsuba; just bare blade and handle.  See if the handle goes on far enough to line the holes up.  If so, the problem is at the face of the handle.  If not, then the problem is inside where the end of the nakago hits the top end of the inside.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Drew,

The holes aren't supposed to line up perfectly; they should be offset so that when the pin is inserted it pushes the nakago down and the handle up to make everything at the seppa and tsuba tight against the habaki.  I can't tell from your pictures if this is the case or if it is reversed and the offset is making everything too loose, in which case you may be missing a seppa or 2.  If the offset is in the correct direction but there is too much offset to allow the pin to enter, maybe there is something stuck in the bottom of the handle that prevents the nakago from seating properly (as was suggested earlier).  Reach something like a knitting needle down inside to see if the offending particle or whatever can be dislodged.  Do not, as was also suggested earlier, cut wood off the end of the handle.  The handle was made to be the correct length when the sword was 1st assembled and it hasn't changed length since (wood doesn't shrink in length).

Feel free to call with questions; glad to help.

Grey  218-726-0395 central time

[UZJ100]

22 hours ago, Grey Doffin said:

Hi Drew,

The holes aren't supposed to line up perfectly; they should be offset so that when the pin is inserted it pushes the nakago down and the handle up to make everything at the seppa and tsuba tight against the habaki.  I can't tell from your pictures if this is the case or if it is reversed and the offset is making everything too loose, in which case you may be missing a seppa or 2.  If the offset is in the correct direction but there is too much offset to allow the pin to enter, maybe there is something stuck in the bottom of the handle that prevents the nakago from seating properly (as was suggested earlier).  Reach something like a knitting needle down inside to see if the offending particle or whatever can be dislodged.  Do not, as was also suggested earlier, cut wood off the end of the handle.  The handle was made to be the correct length when the sword was 1st assembled and it hasn't changed length since (wood doesn't shrink in length).

Feel free to call with questions; glad to help.

Grey  218-726-0395 central time

Thanks! I’ll work on all of your suggestions tomorrow evening and report back.