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Mark, I have a very good RJT blade that has undergone a field repair. It is mixed new and re-used hilt/tsuba/seppa and has a new peg hole etc and all a perfect fit. I think the field repair units were all professional smiths, polishers, mounters and binders etc...these were set up in 1936 by Kurihara Hikosaburo Akihide. They consisted of 20 professionals and served "on the spot" for 6 month sessions and I think probably yours, and mine, are products of field repair. In my case, although the parts are "mismatched" they have been together so long (since 1944-45) that they all share a darkened age patina and when I dis-assemble the parts I can see that they have been together since the war...not a modern post-war mix of parts. I strongly feel mine is a field repair example...maybe yours IS too? PS, mine was a 'non-clip' locking sword so the fuchi and saya-guchi have no clip holes, but the wooden hilt does and so does the tsuba, but they don't line up with each other, so hilt and tsuba are from a recycle bin. 4 seppa are new replacements (very thin pressed types) and one seppa with clip hole was added to get the assembly tight - probably the original had 6/8 thicker decorated edge seppa and maybe a thicker tsuba, but the different length replacement hilt (longer) meant they had to "thin down" the tsuba/seppa stack to make the new hilt 'snug' on the tang. All replacement parts lock in very well. Whoever replaced the original damaged tsuba/seppa and hilt re-used the original fuchi/kashira as they match those on the saya....very good work. .I presume the original owner would have intended to get his sword properly re-mounted when he got home on leave (but never did). Worth keeping with the blade as an example of field repair history IMHO. Regards, The photo shows a field repair unit in Shanghai c. 1937. That is Akihide standing at rear 3rd from right. . So...

That is a hard one Dan. I can only give you my opinion on this. Personally, based on a lifetime study of WWII swords, I really feel that the domestic Japan military showa sword industry did manage to struggle through and kept producing up until August 1945...yes the NCO sword patterns did get more 'economical' in their manufacture as the war progressed, but they seem to have carried on. In the case of Type 98 however, there was no real evidence of 'cutting corners' on parts quality etc and other than the intro of the RS 'optional choice" (still classed as a Type 98) in 1941 the Type 98 stayed generally common and good quality...the dates on the tangs should give evidence that that Type 98 and RS went through til Aug? 1945 (maybe members with 1945 tangs could comment and/or post? - or maybe already on Bruce's lists?). While some other 2 or 3 posts (Trystan) show a mumei RS sword, what is shown here is not a RS...just the use of some RS hilt fittings . Where/how/by whom yours blade was made is unknown...I don't 'feel' it was overseas. Blade production in Japan was going OK to 1945 I think. I say this as I have a RS study book that gives the monthly RJT sword output of a RJT smith I have between 14/8/1944 - 26/2/1945 (about 10/month, as per the RJT rules). Another comment has smiths still doing their payment account paperwork up to 8/1945...so the RJT scheme lasted to the very end of the war it seems. So, I think it wise to assume that the Japanese WWII sword industry overall operated OK in Japan from 1930s-1945. Of course some 'oddities' came in from occupied areas (hobby swords as in Fuller & Gregory?) and the well-known Manchurian industrial setup...but I don't see any evidence for a 'back-up' industry overseas. I can't explain the one you ask about here, but I think it was made local in Japan. Just a point of interest...it is only in the last 6 months that I have seen evidence on NMB of unsigned, rough tang, 1 hole tangs on RS swords...after 50+ years!...I don't think 2 or 3 swords of this type after 50 odd years is evidence of an overseas back-up system....just don't know what it is evidence of...maybe just the 'never say never/ never say always' of Nihonto collecting.. Not much help I know, but don't forget "Okum's Razor" (the simplest answer is usually the right one)... in this case, simply an 'odd' WWII sword in 'cobbled together mix' of fittings...nothing more? Regards,

Here is what 成瀬関次 wrote in his book 實戰刀譚 外装の毀損最も多かりしは柄の部位にして、柄の折損、柄糸の摩滅、目釘穴を中心とする諸故障は其の数修理全部の七割に達し、柄の如何に大切なるかを切実に感ぜしめたり。 The most common damage of the fitting is the handle, such as broken handle, wear of handle wrap, and ana has reached 70% of all repairs. 今野昭宗(Left)was in 栗原修理団 Akihide's repair team, he later work under 成瀬関次(Right).

I think these are 簾　すだれ sudaré hanging screens, suggesting summer shade and a cooling breeze. Vines are also used for shade in the summer months. Might go well on a Tamba no Kami Yoshimichi!

Have been collecting for about 25 years. My first sword I purchased was out of Iowa. I paid $650 for it. I sent a check in the mail for it, not knowing what I was really getting. Here is my first sword. No signature. The tang is darker than the picture, it looks black. From what I've been told the signature was cut off when the sword was shortened. The scabbard is nickel plated (I think) and the top was covered by the officer with tape to prevent shine (first pick). Gorgeous blade without any damage. Look at that beautiful tip!! Came from the family of a marine. He picked up the sword while island hopping. I believe he got it While fighting on Guadalcanal. I wanted to get with the family and get some paperwork on the Marine along with his picture to display the sword. I lost their contact information so impossible now. This is a family sword in combat configuration. Blade is 28" I've only shown this sword to one other collector, so this is the first time seen in public.

Very interesting subject. I hope you do not mind my personal observations: When beginning out at a mixed style Kenjutsu school, our first jump into full contact sparring was Kote cuts. Katana vs Katana (obviously not steel construction I should add). What I found as we progressed to higher forms of sparring is that, as a beginner, the quickest way to win a fight against a slightly more experienced swordsperson was to cut the wrists in one quick mini strike. Often a small movement makes your opponent react and people generally assume a full cut will be the first strike. The strike had to be accurately positioned and angled as the Tsuba did occasionally get in the way and block the strike. The plastic rubber Tsuba do not last long with these hits, especially from a top down strike. And as for Naginata? Did the poles ever snap or get cut through from a block? is there any records of this? A cut poled Naginata makes a good sword in my opinion and if it already has a Tsuba? Great!

Luck it all fits is likely, that Tsuka would've originally had a leather retention strap. The Saya is likely original if the blade is a good fit, and everything else added later. You could sell the nice Sukashi Tsuba and find a Tsuba/Fuchi set with the 11 o'clock lock position & carve a channel in the Tsuka you have.

濃州井之口兼正 Nōshū Inokuchi Kanemasa

Summary from a member who sent a message: It's a reference to chapter 9 of the Tale of Genji. And like Piers just pointed out, the matts are actually the rolled blinds that can be used to cover the windows of transport carriages. In chapter 9, Genji (the loverboy) is smitten when he catches a glimpse of a lady through the blinds of a carriage. As far as I can tell, the aoi vines are a reference to Genji's wife who is nicknamed Aoi. I also saw the aoi vines referred to as "heart-vines". So the aoi vines could be a double reference: one to Genji's wife and the other to "tales of the heart" so to speak, when Genji's eye strays towards another woman and all the problems that ensue.

He started life making sword fittings, but with Meiji and the Haitōrei he began to expand and create fantastic objects in metalwork, much inspiration found in the creatures in his own garden.

Remember that the Showato/arsenal blades we talk about are not really machined. They were still produced by a smith or workshop with lots of hand work, but just not traditionally made or water quenched. And the hamon were real, not etched. But oil quenched. The NCO Shin Gunto are machine made, but that is a different sword entirely.

Steve, I believe one of the purposes of the long nakago tang on these was to add extra strength against such possibilities.

I would like to update this post so that it helps the original poster and anyone else who is considering or in the midst of importation. I have had PM from people asking me about the process, as well as I have had a few PM exchanges with more experienced members of the community. As we all are here to help each other. I would like to thank the members I have had these PM with. So my sword arrived in the UK from Aoi art last week on Tuesday. I gave aoi the instruction to write " over 100 years old antique " 9706.00.00.00 custom tariff. I beleived this would do the trick. However customs clearance then sent me a c160 form, which arrived this Monday, asking me for an invoice evidence and proof of payment. I completed the form, and attached evidence such as PayPal screenshot of the amount I paid, invoice from aoi, and a copy of my membership card of the Token society. I then received an email response 3 days later, asking for more information regarding the date of manufacture, as they could not accept "antique over 100 years old". Upon which I then replied with the sellers description of the swordsmith school and lineage ( 1552-1578) late muromachi period. Later they replied to tell me that my paperwork and item was now in process of going through customs clearance. Which I gather will take another couple of days. ( as they are busy). As a first timer, yes it was stressful. Never looked so forward to receiving a charge letter. For anyone else, please take head of advice from the more experienced members. And do provide more information on invoices. I was under the impression that AOi would do this, but it seems that they only write what you tell them. Next time, I will state date, how much I paid in gbp ect. Hope this helps. I will update once I hear more news.

The clothing and uniforms are indeed Chinese. Attention @BANGBANGSAN

I've been looking at some of the older Chinese guards and noticed that quite a few have beaded rims, so I did a bit more digging and found this quote: "A beaded rim is a design directly copied from 18th-century Chinese sword guards. The beading is a reference to similar beading seen on the base of Buddhist statues." https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/Japanese-tsuba-canton-style So, scratch point number 4 from the list of criteria to look for! The beaded rim was on both Chinese and Japanese Nanban guards, but originated in China. In either case it doesn't help distinguish WHERE a tsuba was made, it just tells us that it has more of a Chinese influence in its style.

All of the above functions sound perfectly reasonable and valid, if and when they actually happened for the user during practical use. Tsuba were clearly a multi-purpose object, including the aesthetic aspect, which gradually became the more prominent function during the Edo period (at least on swords anyway). So, it seems almost pointless to try to come to sort of ultimate resolution of which function was the MOST important. That ultimately comes down to the the user and and how they used it. You could then almost come up with an individualized hierarchy of functions for each tsuba, if you could go back and find out how times it served each function during its use. Regardless, the weight of evidence clearly puts the defensive function lower down on the hierarchy of importance. For all the blades with nicks and chips along the Ha and the Mune, there are infinitely fewer tsuba that have any sword inflicted damage whatsoever. So by sheer overwhelming evidence of numbers, the defensive function of the tsuba falls further down the list of priorities. Regarding the aikuchi tanto and tanto with very small tsuba. I had read somewhere in a koshirae book (can't remember which) that it was done primarily to allow the tanto to sit closer to the body, and allow for it to be a little more hidden. However, not having a "hand-stop" does change the way you could use the blade. Thrusting one-handed with a guardless tanto would definitely become a higher risk maneuver for the user. I imagine it would have been used mostly as a slashing, rather than a stabbing weapon.

Well, the one which is the best I know of belongs to a friend and NMB member - out-of-polish Awataguchi Yoshimitsu which subsequently polished beautifully and papered to Juyo.

Fairly certain this this photo is from China during the 1912 revolution.

Hello all, The Tsuka on my Frankin Gunto has no retaining release button notch, so what type of retention might this sword/Tsuka had originally? All of the fittings parts-n-pieces, are a jumbled conglomeration. Tsuba is pierced and has a release tang hole that is on centerline. The 2 large copper Seppas have the release tang hole lower than centerline. Of the remaining Seppas, some have holes, some are on centerline, some not at all. The Fuchi has a release button hole, but nothing on the Tsuka {as seen in the photo}. The Saya has a release catch pocket and collar, but is lower than centerline {matches copper Seppas}. The strangest fact that is bewildering, is the fact that the Tsuka and the Saya fit the Nakago and the blade very precisely, maybe just dumb luck? War time repairs? Therefore it is hard to figure out the original configuration, maybe impossible. I would almost like to reconfigure the sword so that it is properly complete, but just don't know how I should approach it or even if I should bother??? Mark

We measure from muni machi to tip.

There is one member of the board who is listed as living in ATL. Not sure of their experience level but will tag them here. @AntiquarianCat BTW, Ray is one of the most trusted and knowledgable people on this board. Just in case you didn't understand what he mentioned here is a quick breakdown. Sue Bizen 末備前, is sometimes called Eisho Bizen 永正備前 covers Bizen swords made in Koto Era on after Eisho period 永正 but before the end of Tensho period 天正 (1504 - 1591). Katsumitsu 勝光, Tadamitsu 忠光, Munemitsu 宗光, Kiyomitsu 清光, Sukesada 祐定 were the most distinguished sword makers of this period. So with your additional pictures, the style, hamon, hada leads Ray to believe that your wakizashi was made during this period...1504-1591. Hope this helps! Wishing you the best, Dan

So, I had to take pictures of the website referred to in my above post (in case it ever disappears!) and that's the only way I know of how to post these pictures of a possible cast iron Nanban tsuba (with papers).

A couple of points. I did go through the Juyo Kotetsu and could not see any suriage swords. Secondly, slightly machiokuri is nowhere near the same “flaw” or “detractor” when positioning in the hierarchy for Juyo as is suriage. Sometimes machiokuri is not even detectable and people sometimes even say “possibly slightly machiokuri”. For old swords, where signed examples survive, empirically I have noticed that broadly speaking the following hierarchy applies: ubu zaimei > ubu kinzogan or suriage zaimei > suriage orikaeshi > gakumei > suriage kiwame (I suppose with exception of Kochu, Kojo who are highly valued) > mumei. Of course the above is a crude generalisation and in fact there are Koto swords where you cannot realistically find zaimei swords (Soshu; few Kokuho exceptions) so you have to go with mumei or kiwame. Sometimes the kinzogan comes with such strong provenance (kinzogan were expensive to give so Daimyo blades by definition) or such strong quality that the blade is elevated through Juyo and TJ. For new swords, as is the case with Kotetsu, you really need zaimei ubu or at the very best undetectable little machiokuri but otherwise pristine nakago (and of course -sword). The Juyo criteria precisely state: “Blades made in the Muromachi period must be zaimei and blades from the Edo period and later, as a rule, must be ubu and zaimei to receive Juyo Token paper.” So, the answer to your question is No.

Wow, the detail in those flowers!

Thanks, David, well aware of this. Notwithstanding, the blade above would not be determined and described to have koshizori. And, George,you a right that you measure from hamachi to kissaki. Of course suriage affects it but with or without the suriage this blade is not a koshizori blade.

I moaned at them via email about 3 days after sending the last lot of paperwork by post and email. After the moan, they apologised for the delay and said they'd refer it to a colleague. To be fair, they cleared it within a day or two of that and even the "charge" letter only took a coupe of days. I think it's pot-luck as to who deals with it as to how quick it it is (I also wonder if they have some new people started at PF Coventry who are no so experienced and are arse-covering by asking for the questionnaire/forms/info, etc?) It's always a juggling-act deciding how long before you start complaining. However, my "moan" was mild, pleasant and respectful, so as not to cheese them off and delay it any longer. On the "plus" side, it sounds like you're on the last-lap, Paz and you'll have it soon. And next time, you'll know what to expect, so it'll be less stressful!

Another interesting article Kotetsu Katana of Kondo Isami https://Japan-forward.com/historical-Japanese-sword-kotetsu-katana-of-kondo-isami-discovered/

Thanks Piers, that brightened a wet and windy Saturday morning. Absolutely incredible work I can watch it over and over again

Takes your breath away - thanks

With that habaki and kissaki, I think you have something good there.

these two, especially the first one, have a similar "feel" to yours: still no idea who made them though...

George, this might be ever so slightly koshizori but traditionally this blade would be classified as torii zori. When people speak of koshizori, the sori is deeper and much more pronounced than in your case and usually with straightening in the monouchi area. Something like this: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21404/lot/1125/

Nick picked up a copy of that book last year and that is why I asked him about Shigetsugu/Shigefusa. Nick wrote a brief summary of the book when it arrived and included a picture of it as well. Nick has been a great help on several sword related inquires and is truly a gentleman and a scholar. Rikugun Jumei Tosho (RJT) Star Stamped Blades - Documentation?, Post 45 Tsutsumi Akira 堤･章. Guntō kumiai shimatsu: Rikugun jumei tōshō no shūhen 軍刀組合始末: 陸軍受命刀匠の周辺. Aizu bunkazai chōsa kenkyūkai 会津文化財調査研究会, 1994.

Small update regarding this sword, I have sent it over to Woody Hall for a window polish. Definitely looking forward to what will possibly be revealed. I'll keep everyone posted.

Nick Komiya's reply to Trystan's question of 2022-02-10 02:17 PM. His nephew Wakabayashi Noboru 若林･升 does not appear in 軍刀組合始末. The 5 that immigrated to Manchuria were Shigetsugu, his wife Yoi ヨイ, sons Morihiko 守彦 and Yasuhiko 八洲彦, and daughter. By the way, Morihiko explains that of the Shigefusa line, Daisuke 大助, Daihachi 大八, and Morizō 守蔵 never made swords, because those were times of peace and there was no demand for swords. At the end of the war, their family buried 70 brand new swords in the ground to avoid confiscation by the Americans, but when they dug them up again in 1950, after the peace treaty had been signed, they were crestfallen to see that all blades had rusted away and were crumbling, despite the heavy greasing they had applied.

I just went back and looked at the Tanobe sayagaki for my Norishige (also a discovery - it was a unloved sword at a show). In it, he uses Yuhin nari, which is very exciting to me considering what Markus told you. Thank you for the useful information!

Bruno, nice dragon tsuba. The plugged hitsu definitely add to the aesthetics But I think the silence is warranted because it's so hard to attribute dragon styles with specific schools because so many schools used the same style dragons. The only exception to that so far , for me anyway, is the Jakushi dragons which are pretty distinct, and the school was pretty consistent with their "dragon style" over many generations. So all I can clearly add to this, is that yours is not a Jakushi dragon There's always the distinct Kinai/Umetada dragon design, and a few others, but again, yours is not one of the ones that is instantly identifiable. Good luck with the quest... I also have a dragon tsuba that I'd love to know the origin of, but sadly will probably never find out...

Hi Dale, I hihgly appreciate your efforts to answer to this thread. "One responds to the madman with silence" says Hazrat Ali (born 599) . I must be crasy to ask such questions about my tsuba! But indeed I found very little information on its style and design. I found the design quite elegant and the mix of sentoku and shakudo plugging the hitsu ana was appealing to me. Thank you

The first and largest registration of weapons in post Tokugawa Japan was in the 壬申Jinshin year of 1872, Meiji 5. Usually the first or both of these Kanji was struck too, along with an indication of the name of one of the fledgling prefectures. The brands are found either on the wood stock or struck into the iron of the barrel. The probability is high that the numbers on that gun were applied at that time, although smaller registrations were held in later years of Meiji whenever the need was building up again with those which had escaped earlier registration. Generally, at least at first, the registration applied to larger guns, apparently. (Can’t now remember where I read that last piece of info.)

Just "#723" and then "Ibara". It doesn't say Ibaraki Prefecture, but I suppose the Ibara may well be an abbreviation of Ibaraki.

Hi, even though I am new to the Japanese sword I have collected Militaria for over 50 years, something of every thing thing to maintain a comfortable environment for every thing is a challenge, about 20 years ago I had built a display cabinet for the more precious things in my collection, trial and error to what I now runs ,As Michael S says about 45-50% takes care of the rust aspect I keep some in and some out of scabbards/shirashasa others on display. I initially sealed the display cases but that did not work as mildew can become a problem, I removed the seals now I force air through a filter system to prevent mildew and dust from a dehumidified room, the new desiccant style dehumidifiers are a lot better than the older compressor type as they also heat the air to provide a more stable atmosphere, This year I am going to build a dedicated sword display cabinet to make them easier to get in and out and it does not have to be as deep as my cabinets. Brian B I do like your cabinet. Mark

Hi George, after a careful look at your SUGATA photo, I feel that your blade is KOSHI-ZORI. My impression is that It is a nice blade, but with only photos as reference, an assessment is not easy. Looking at the very even NAKAGO patination and your close-up photos of the MEKUGI-ANA (not meguki-ana), I would not exclude the possibility of a well-made SHIN SHINTO UTSUSHI.

I have a feeling that, this could be a Shinshinto copy. I have come to this opinion because, 1. the Hada. 2. the Sugata. and 3. the placement of the Mekugi ana ( which also appear to be drilled).

I was fooled by such a sword from bad pictures. With a little luck I was giving it back to the seller. In this case it looks like a similar sword with nearly the same No. When you read the description it says that it is a replica. So the offer is honest. What is rare these times. Anmerkung: Es handelt sich bei der vorliegenden Waffe wohl um eine authentische Replika. Gesamtlänge: 92cm, Klingenlänge: 69,5cm

Personally, I love them. Have two katana and a Wakizashi with red urushi bohi. The first katana has a darker shade of red while the other two blades have the brighter red in the second katana. Always thought there had to be more to these than just covering a flaw.

Mark I maintain approximately 45-50% humidity and temperature of 20-25 degrees. In line with the NBTHK. No need for multiple dehumidifiers - just the one, where my swords are. Now when the radiator comes on due to winter coldness, humidity drops to 35-40% sometimes but that is when it becomes too hot, so I try to control for that by reducing temperature.

Ok, gents, this has been covered several times on this board. Humidity in the air and its composition will cause the steel blade to rust and therefore you counteract it by: - oiling the blades (very thin, invisible, film, not the usual thick oily and greasy splotches that many people tend to err on the side of) and when beading occurs - wipe the excess with paper tissue. The paper tissue will leave a minimal oily layer in any case; - containers or receptacles (shirasaya or controlled cabinet); - dehumidifier in the room or inside the cabinet. That is how the NBTHK stores and exhibits blades (large dehumidifier and temperature system connected to display cabinets) and so do dealers (floor-based smaller dehumidifiers) in Japan. Often they do not oil blades much or at all but they have dehumidifiers. Some people are more adventurous and do not oil their blades in the UK, even when they live in very humid areas, but I personally both oil and have a permanently plugged dehumidifier. Other options include large but unsightly rechargeable desiccant pouches. I am not a fan of Dri Rods due to the heat / potential fire hazard in the display space or in close proximity to a blade or shirasaya.

I'm in the UK and wondered the same thing several years ago. The issue really is humidity. Steel rusts when it come into contact with water and oxygen – both are needed for rusting to occur. A shirasaya acts, in a certain sense, as a very localised dehumidifier and seals the blade from the external environment. I prefer to be safe, so I wouldn't risk displaying a blade in full polish outside of a sealed and humidity controlled cabinet. I haven't had a suitable cabinet built, and I don't keep Nihonto on permanent display as I know I'd stop appreciating them. Without fully controlled humidity, there's no way to be absolutely sure and there is some element of risk involved. I'm speaking of bare blades here. I don't see much point displaying an oiled blade. I would assume with an oiled blade that so long as the barrier layer of oil is clean and intact, it should offer adequate protection. There's a lot of variables though and in any case a shirasaya is almost invariably your best bet. It's not without purpose that the Japanese use shirasaya for blades and Kiri boxes for fittings.

Carlo, that lacquer looks new! I have a spear with red lacquer in the Hi, but the lacquer looks quite old. It's a good question to ask locally here and see if anyone has a different take on it. The sun is usually painted red in Japan, so there could be some connection with the spirit of the Emperor. Kou-haku utagassen is the great New Year's singing contest from throughout Japan. Red and white are the colour of elementary school caps, harking back to the flags of Heike (red) and Genji (white). (A bit like the wars of the Roses?) Just had a chat with someone whose opinion I usually value. He suggested that red is Kou-ki na iro, 高貴 being associated in Japan with high rank, and high in value. White urushi never existed way back when, but a creamy colour would sometimes dry to a sort of off-white. Another (Japanese) friend has just suggested that red is one of the few primary colours of urushi that were available at the time. It would also raise the fighting spirit, he offered. Black would look wrong, he said. (On another note, the floor of the surgery in Admiral Nelson's HMS Victory was always painted red, apparently.)