Fittings Thread

[Scogg]

Yes, although it appears to me, to be unpainted under the other metal fittings and existing haikan.
 

So if one was removed, even with protecting leather, it would be the only metal part on the saya that was painted underneath. 
 

Unless the paint has just rubbed off under these parts. But to me, they appear to be painted around and not under.

 

I’ve been wrong before though, and certainly will be again. I could be misinterpreting what I’m seeing.
-Sam  

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Sam, to my eyes this has all the hallmarks of a Type 94. 

[Scogg]

Much appreciated John, also Bryce and Conway for your help. 
 

A very exciting surprise! 
-Sam 

[Rawa]

@Bruce Pennington and rest of boyz. I had found recently emura with crudely done fittings. Your opinion please. Tsuba is suspicious.

[Rawa]

And more.

[Bruce Pennington]

You only show one side of the fuchi/tsuka - is it made with a latch, both tsuka and saya?  Looks like someone cut a hole in the tsuba for a leather covered saya.  The rest of the details of the tsuba show fine detail.  The seppa look roughly made.  

[Rawa]

35 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

You only show one side of the fuchi/tsuka - is it made with a latch, both tsuka and saya?  Looks like someone cut a hole in the tsuba for a leather covered saya.  The rest of the details of the tsuba show fine detail.  The seppa look roughly made.  

Definietly no chuso on tsuka. I don't have photo of saya [koiguchi] so I don't know if there are remnants of locking mechanism. But saya is splendid [if genuine ofcourse] so it probably had some cover.

 

Edited October 2, 2025 by Rawa

[Bruce Pennington]

That’s what I’m thinking. It must’ve had a leather cover and at some point someone took a standard tsuba and modified it for the leather retention strap so he could put a leather cover on it.

[Pav]

Sorry for wandering off the point but is it Emura’s signature or one of his students?

[Rawa]

27 minutes ago, Pav said:

Sorry for wandering off the point but is it Emura’s signature or one of his students?

Some stating that specifically shorter signatures are his. In my opinion shorter should be considered as his "inspection aproval". 

 

https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/emura.htm

"It is known that many Emura signed blades were in fact made by his students, inmates at the Okayama Prison, and not by the master smith himself. Due to the variation in quality of Emura signed blades, each blade must be judged on its own merits and not simply on its mei."

 

Every blade should be inspected. It was mentioned that his forge produced usually blades barely above 2 shaku.

I would even advice to look closer on mountings. 

 

For now I'm gathering examples with nbthk but

 

/Dunno if there is 100% proof that even having blade apraised to be genuine "made by" Emura it was made by him. [Truth of this statement ofcourse will be proven by existing mei]/

 

Dunno If there is any bigger article about blades having his mei. Example I posted above is another different example from linked ones.

Edited October 2, 2025 by Rawa

[Pav]

Thanks Marcin. I’ve found online shin gunto with exactly the same signature so I was curious. Nice find BTW

All the best

Pav

[Rawa]

4 minutes ago, Pav said:

Thanks Marcin. I’ve found online shin gunto with exactly the same signature so I was curious. Nice find BTW

All the best

Pav

If you can have one in hand please do it! His bare blade is wanderfully balanced.

[Bruce Pennington]

Here's a first for me - Patent numbers on Type 98 saya:

 

[Rawa]

@Bruce Pennington and rest of collective looks like full IJA wakase but which type? Double haikan with offset chuso + sarute barell connected.

https://www.aoijapan.com/katana-izumo-daijo-fujiwara-yoshitakenbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-token/

 

[Bruce Pennington]

More of a question for @PNSSHOGUN.  I'm usually wrong when talking 94/98 differences.

[Bruce Pennington]

Adding links to unique wicker and ratan covered saya:

[Bruce Pennington]

And a couple of black-wrapped (leather? Tape?) saya found on this thread:

 

[Rawa]

Looks like individual order?

T98 with interesting tsuba and menuki.

No locking mechanism and tsuba appears unadapted for leather fuchi addon.

https://ebay.us/m/N6gS5Z

[vajo]

On 11/16/2025 at 5:12 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

And a couple of black-wrapped (leather? Tape?) saya found on this thread:

 

 

its not leather Bruce its lacquered Paper.

I have one.

http://www.schmucker-info.net/letzte_stufe_gendaito.html

[Bruce Pennington]

I was enjoying my kaigunto last night, and thought to count the rays of the daiseppa.  There are 32, just like the 32 petals seen on the Imperial chrysanthemum.  Maybe this is common knowledge, but I've never realized it before.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

We've all seen the swords tightly covered in leather, head to toe, but spotted this one in the hands of a pilot in this photo.  Interesting to see one "out in the wild" so to speak:

 

[John C]

49 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

"out in the wild"

Same with the original cloth wrap. I was watching a "War in the Pacific" documentary and a second of video footage showed a G.I taking a sword from a surrendering soldier that had the cloth wrap still applied (one assumes to keep it clean).

 

John C.