Need help found in my grandparents basement.

[tumbleweed5780]

I found the store last week and my grandparents' basement cleaning up things after the passed away and I knew my grandpa participated in world war II but I don't ever think you went overseas but he had a bunch of Japanese equipment and stuff. Not quite sure if I should clean it off a little bit so I can read this the signatures in the descriptions better or just leave it how it is but it's very old and it looks like it was used by the chips in the blade. 

[Ray Singer]

Very nice find, this is a sword by the Yasukuni shrine smith Yasunobu. The blade is dated 1939 (Showa 14).

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Yasukuni+Yasunobu+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za&oq=Yasukuni+Yasunobu+site%3Awww.militaria.co.za+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTEwNDExajBqNKgCAbACAQ&client=ms-android-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8

[Ray Singer]

Please absolutely do not do anything on your own to clean the blade or remove rust. 

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Charles,

Look here for care and handling: https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/

You should read it. I notice you're in Minnesota. I'm in Duluth and am available to answer all sort of questions.

Cheers, Grey

[Brian]

Kinda a significant find. One of the better of the WW2 swords and has some decent value. Follow the advise above, and don't clean anything except careful oiling of the blade.
You have a few thousand $'s there, so time to sit back and take things slowly.

[Bruce Pennington]

Hi Charles,

The fittings are the Japanese Army officer gunto Type 94 or 98.  If you show a shot of the top half of the rig, showing the side with the latch, we might be able to give you an idea of which version it is.

Otherwise, you can learn about this sword style on Ohmura's site: Commissioned Officers Gunto - Type 98.

[tumbleweed5780]

[tumbleweed5780]

[tumbleweed5780]

[tumbleweed5780]

[tumbleweed5780]

[Ray Singer]

You have shown the date side more clearly here and in the correct orientation. The full date inscription is: an auspicious day in October, 1939.

 

Best regards, 

Ray 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Charles, I can see the release button is centered, like a Type 94.  I was hoping for a photo more like this:

 

Yours only has one haikan (belt hanger) but the second one was removable, and most often were.  If you have a caliper, you could measure the thickness of the edge of the tsuba (handguard).  The 94s had a thicker tsuba, 11mm I think?

[ROKUJURO]

I think this thread belongs in the military section.

[tumbleweed5780]

14 hours ago, Nicholas said:

Can you take some pictures of the blade please. I’d like to see the condition of it. Do you have a price in mind that you’d want to sell it for.

Regards,

Nick

 

14 hours ago, Nicholas said:

Sometimes my messages don’t go through here. Like this last one I sent yesterday.

 

[tumbleweed5780]

[tumbleweed5780]

[Conway]

@Scogg Can you edit the above post to remove the personal contact info from public view? 
 

@tumbleweed5780 Not surprising the vultures have started to circle the ill-informed. My advice, do some research before making any quick decisions. 

[Nicholas]

@Scogg I’d appreciate if my personal information is taken down.

 

And yes I did reach out to see if @tumbleweed5780 would be interested in selling the sword. The beginning of the conversation that is not shown is that I am willing to pay a fair price for it. I’m not looking to rip anyone off. I don’t buy swords to sell and turn a profit. Never needed to.