WW2 officer sword indentification sought

[Stewart]

Hello,

I have a sword in officers fittings with a  brown and red tassel. I’ve photographed the nakago for you in a hope to find more about the swordsmith.

Thank you in advance,

Duncan 

[Bruno]

Kunimichi with Showa stamp?

[Ron M]

Maybe Kanetada, I believe

[Bruce Pennington]

Ah, yes, I never recognize the stylized "tada", but you're right.  I have another of his blades with that same mei.

Here's your guy, Duncan:

"KANETADA (兼忠), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Kanetada” (兼忠), real name Ishihara Keiichi (石原銈一), born October 10th 1920, he worked as a guntō smith"

 

Don't know how much you know about your sword, so forgive the over-information, if your already up to speed:

Ohmura's pages on the WWII gunto: Military Swords of Imperial Japan - Ohmura

Care and cleaning: Japanese Sword Care

 

The Showa stamp was used by the civilian Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association on approved blades between 1935 and 1942, with most dated blades found made in 1940-41.  They are usually nice quality showato.

 

I'd appreciate a photo or 2 of the full rig for my files.

[Stewart]

Thank you for the information! What is the price range for this type of sword? 

[Ron M]

I would suggest showing the rest of the sword altogether 

[Stewart]

[Stewart]

Sword images 

[Stewart]

Sword image 

[Stewart]

[PNSSHOGUN]

The tassel indicates it was owned by a senior officer from Major to Colonel, was this a bringback piece from your family?

[Stewart]

I read that the red/orange and brown tassel was for a field officer? It was recently purchased from a man who said his grandfather was a POW in Burma and then was moved to Japan until the end of the war where when released, took it as a war souvenir. I’m not sure exactly of the story though.

 

I am trying to upload more photos from my iPhone but it won’t let me as it says the file size is too big? 

Edited Sunday at 04:20 AM by Stewart

[Stewart]

[Ron M]

Screenshot them and add them one at a time 

[Stewart]

May I ask what possible value this sword would have?

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Duncan,

"Field Grade" is a term that includes Majors, Lt. Colonels, and Colonels.  "Company Grade" includes Warrant Officers, Lt's, and Capt's.

 

It's a nice rig, overall.  Even has an intact leather retention strap.  With the Showa stamp, you'll likely get something under $2,000, more in the range of $1,200 - 1,800.  And I only say up to $1,800 as it has the field grade tassel, which alone can sell around $350.

 

But all that will depend on where you sell and the market behavior for the moment you are selling.

[John C]

1 hour ago, Bruce Pennington said:

It's a nice rig,

Bruce:

Is that same celluloid? If so, I was thinking late war with the wire sarute, however it also has pierced tsuba...what do you think date-wise?

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, John C said:

Bruce:

Is that same celluloid? If so, I was thinking late war with the wire sarute, however it also has pierced tsuba...what do you think date-wise?

 

John C.

 

Good eye, on that celluloid!  Yes, it appears so.  The wire sarute is unusual, too.  Considering the replacement bolt for menuki, the sword may have had the sarute replace, too.  We've had some discussions about the use of celluloid, and working from memory, I want to say it was used almost the whole time throughout the war by various shops.  

 

Duncan, would it be too much trouble to get a clear shot of the tsuba (hand guard) by itself showing the detail of the workmanship?

[Tensho]

The barrel screw for the kabutogane/sarute is also missing. 

[Bruce Pennington]

3 hours ago, Tensho said:

The barrel screw for the kabutogane/sarute is also missing. 

Good catch, Matt, I knew something else looked off!

 

He's referring to this:

[Stewart]

10 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Duncan,

"Field Grade" is a term that includes Majors, Lt. Colonels, and Colonels.  "Company Grade" includes Warrant Officers, Lt's, and Capt's.

 

It's a nice rig, overall.  Even has an intact leather retention strap.  With the Showa stamp, you'll likely get something under $2,000, more in the range of $1,200 - 1,800.  And I only say up to $1,800 as it has the field grade tassel, which alone can sell around $350.

 

But all that will depend on where you sell and the market behavior for the moment you are selling.

Thank you very much for the clarification,ongoing information and the appraisal estimate. 

[Stewart]

[Stewart]

7 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

 

Good eye, on that celluloid!  Yes, it appears so.  The wire sarute is unusual, too.  Considering the replacement bolt for menuki, the sword may have had the sarute replace, too.  We've had some discussions about the use of celluloid, and working from memory, I want to say it was used almost the whole time throughout the war by various shops.  

 

Duncan, would it be too much trouble to get a clear shot of the tsuba (hand guard) by itself showing the detail of the workmanship?

I’ll do it tonight.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Duncan!

 

Your gunto keeps getting interesting-er and interesting-er! Ha!

 

Now keep in mind that I am, as my wife would say, "talking out of my butt"!  Crude way to say that I'm speculating here.  But your tsuba appears to be what Ohmura called a Mid-war manufacture ... and I would postulate even later war make.

 

I have to go right now, but will continue later.

 

Oh, if anyone has reason to think differently on the tsuba, I'm all ears!

[Bruce Pennington]

20 hours ago, John C said:

what do you think date-wise?

Due to the Showa stamp, it was most likely to originally have been made in 1940-41, though '42 is possible.  But I feel like it had some repairs later in the war (wire sarute, late-war quality tsuba).

[The Blacksmith]

20 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

We've had some discussions about the use of celluloid, and working from memory, I want to say it was used almost the whole time throughout the war by various shops.  

 

The katana that I mentioned in another thread signed Seki Kunitoshi, and with the so called 'perfumed blade', had celluloid same, the only one that I have ever owned with such.

IIRC.I heard that Kunitoshi was Dean of the National Technical school, which, if true, I thought to be rather odd to have the celluloid same. Was the use of fake same not a reflection to some degree on the quality of the sword, like the pierced tsuba usually being a sign of a better quality piece.

[Conway]

I think the tsuba started life as the mid-war solid style linked above and was converted to a pierced tsuba when they modified it to allow for the leather saya retention strap. Note the jagged, uneven edges of the interior of the tsuba. In my experience, most tsuba have signs of being altered to fasten the tsuka to the saya on these non-locking wooden saya.