Leather combat covers

[Navy]

44 minutes ago, EdWolf said:

@WillFalstaff You can use leather wax. I use a thin coat of petroleum jelly. Cheap and gives a good result. Used it for more than 40 years to preserve leather liners of German helmets.

Another good product is the Nivea cream. Works well on aged leather, with no blackening effect.

[Lareon]

I use Renapur leather basalm, brings back the suppleness of the leather and helps to protect the leather

[Rawa]

On 7/31/2025 at 4:46 PM, Rawa said:

So I bought cheap parts  will post here when it arrives. Tsuka is short. Maybe it have ishizuki.

Adding more pics with measuring tape. Wooden saya with black lacquer. Fuchi numbered 198 have chuso ana plugged. Sarute looks good and tassel is shorter then usual. Tsuba crudely finished boar eyes not fully carved. Rubber sits tight dunno if there is any kojiri. 

Edited - I measured and looks like it there is no cap at the end. [40.5cm length to rubber end.] 

I won't dissasemble saya.

Overall fine package.

[Lareon]

I've not seen the Release button filled before. Interesting

[Bruce Pennington]

Wouldn't surprise me if this was a wartime piece-together.

[Rawa]

Yeah looks like a last-ditch effort. Looks kinda like this on picture. Same black lacquer on saya.

[3Jean]

 

This was my first gunto. Stainless Type 97 with brown tassel. The leather is pretty dried out, but I've been using Renapur on it and it seems to be working.

 

 

 

 

[Rawa]

Interesting wakizashi

https://www.shigure-militaria.com/blank/edo-era-mumei-imperial-Japanese-army-field-officer-s-gunto

[Bruce Pennington]

Debated as to whether to post this here or on the Fittings thread, but here it is.  Posted by @Mrbacon HERE.  I think I've seen this once before, but pretty rare - a leather haikan.

[saemonjonosuke]

Interesting Police sword with beautiful leather cover.

[robinalexander]

On 8/23/2025 at 2:10 AM, 3Jean said:

The leather is pretty dried out, but I've been using Renapur on it and it seems to be working.

Agreed John, IMO Ranapur is the absolute best.

[Alex A]

Reading through this, surprised nothing has been mentioned about artificial leather?

 

I know in WW2, artificial leather was used for holsters due to shortages, referred to as ersatz leather. Used to have a ww2 pistol in such an holster.

 

Was this never used for Japanese swords?

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, Alex A said:

ersatz leather

Wow, Alex, I had completely forgotten about this issue and the fact that I have an ersatz saya cover of compressed paper!  In the discussion, below, Shamsy posted one that is of some sort of imitation leather, too:

 

A couple of photos from the thread:

My compressed paper saya cover

 

Steve's ersatz leather:

[Alex A]

Thanks Bruce, reading through this did get me wondering. 

 

Thought it was going to be one of those ask a stupid question moments and turn out that it was very common. How common it was for Japanese swords, maybe interesting to find out.

 

Perhaps there are owners of swords that think they have a genuine leather cover when in fact, not.

[Bruce Pennington]

Your question reminds me of the many fake and/or island swords that have cracking, thin saya covers.  They are probably that imitation, ersatz-type material.  Wonder how many of them, that we wrote off as fakes, were of what you are bringing up.  

[Alex A]

I was just about to state that maybe it wasn't used so much on Japanese swords due to being impractical, as in maybe falling apart due to temperatures and humidity in places around East/South East Asia.

 

Though then thought about holsters and stuff in Europe with it throwing bucket loads down.

 

I'm clueless but perhaps there is some info somewhere.

 

Though, would bet it has caused confusion over the years and some genuine items been disregarded 

[PNSSHOGUN]

A sword in the collection came with ersatz leather over a plain wood Saya, unfortunately it disintegrated during shipping with only the end cap remaining in one piece.  

[Bruce Pennington]

On 9/11/2025 at 6:50 PM, PNSSHOGUN said:

A sword in the collection came with ersatz leather over a plain wood Saya, unfortunately it disintegrated during shipping with only the end cap remaining in one piece.  

John,

don’t know if this is what you were looking for an artificial leather . It’s on an ersatz sword 

Don’t know if it’s imitation or not

[Rawa]

Leather haikan with civil saya version? Sarute was a selling argument here. Please notice mismatched fuchi with chuso ana. I sometimes wonder if this is good condition or modern replica.

Edited Friday at 07:19 PM by Rawa

[robinalexander]

On 8/23/2025 at 2:10 AM, 3Jean said:

The leather is pretty dried out, but I've been using Renapur on it and it seems to be working.

Hi John, 

 

That's a nice Kai package.  Just a further note on Renapur. 

 

I don't want to go off topic but this does relate directly to preservation of combat covers.  I use Renapur all the time for all dressed leather but have had some comments in the past that its too sticky and messy. 

 

You would also know this, but for the un-initiated, it IS very sticky and messy initially but liberally apply and leave your saya/cover hanging for 2 to 3 days and it will totally disappear into the leather.  Then a VERY light but brisk polish with microfibre cloth will bring up what shine is left in the leather but now also with a rich natural brown colour and far fewer cracks.

 

One of the best leather products I have ever used.

 

Rob

 

 

[robinalexander]

I dont think this really qualifies as a 'combat cover' but its interesting.

 

Came on my first sword (from the UK) and it has always intrigued me. That's a burn mark on top.

 

Not sure on the purpose (sweat cover?) or whether a wartime or post war addition ...  a bit crude all the same. 

 

 

[Rawa]

19 minutes ago, robinalexander said:

I dont think this really qualifies as a 'combat cover' but its interesting.

 

Came on my first sword (from the UK) and it has always intrigued me. That's a burn mark on top.

 

Not sure on the purpose (sweat cover?) or whether a wartime or post war addition ...  a bit crude all the same. 

 

 

Mekugi ana is wide. Like koshirae was fixed for another blade. Yours have centered chuso?

Edited Saturday at 12:37 AM by Rawa

[robinalexander]

Yep Koto blade so its had a few koshirae in its time. 

 

In centre as per Type 94