Gensuitō sword in the royal collection

[Okan]

First time seeing this thought I should share it. Made by Gassan Sadakazu. https://www.rct.uk/collection/62630/field-marshals-sword-gensuito-scabbard-and-case

 

 

 

 

 

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

The Royal Collection Staff were kind enough to send me some photos of the nakago of this sword. On the RCT website they speculate that this blade may have been made by Sadakatsu rather than Sadakazu. It is dated Taisho 7 (1918) the year Sadakazu died and is almost certainly a daimei by Sadakatsu. I will chase them up to see if I have permission to post the photos here.

Cheers,

Bryce

[Eric Santucci]

Readily available online:

 

https://www.rct.uk/collection/62630/field-marshals-sword-gensuito-scabbard-and-case

 

If you are able to find a copy of the following, it is quite informative for those who appreciate Sadakatsu :

 

https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b886-nippon-toh

[lonely panet]

its horrific to watch,  no real idea of what it is "marshal sword" im glade they didnt try and handle it

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

Here is a comparison of the mei of this sword, with one signed Sadakatsu and dated 1921 from my collection. The outside images are the gensuito, with my blade in the middle. No doubt that the gensuito blade was signed by Sadakatsu for his father Sadakazu.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

 

 

[Kanenaga]

I seem to recall an article about this sword from many years ago, possibly in the JSSUS Newsletter, and possibly by Han Bing Siong.

Does this jog any old-timer memories?

[Bugyotsuji]

Went to see this a couple of summers ago. Interesting follow-up though, Bryce! 
(There is a general tendency in the West to mix up the kazu/katsu pronunciations anyway! )

Many thanks.

Subaru Impreza

[PNSSHOGUN]

5 hours ago, Kanenaga said:

I seem to recall an article about this sword from many years ago, possibly in the JSSUS Newsletter, and possibly by Han Bing Siong.

Does this jog any old-timer memories?

Hi Les, the article is titled: "Han Bing Siong. Probably the One and Only Gensuito Outside Japan and Other Interesting Japanese Swords in Windsor Castle // Special issue / Japanese Sword Society of the U. S. Newsletter. Vol. 30. No. 1-A. March 1998. 35 p."

 

There is a rather interesting study on a Manchukoan Gensui-To by a Russian author. While not exactly the same as a Marshall sword, there are many similarities and it is unique to see the complexity of the fittings.

 

https://memo-randum.net/katalog/interesnye-stati/manchukuoan-gensui-sword-new-findings-and-research-pronin-a-o-novosibirsk/

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

Does anyone have a copy of the Han Bing Siong article?

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Kanenaga]

Excellent memory, John. 

Old-timer??