Derek79

Ok. This is an exercise in pain. Recently switched to Mac. Just got done MC-ing a Navy LCDR's retirement ceremony (and partaking in the grog)( and trying to get these things to meet the size requirements. haha. slow goings tonight folks.

ok so I'm having problems resizing the full length without losing a bunch of detail. So here is the full length with saya. Wood/black lacquer, I understand the confusion as in all my research this has never added up (background he never served in the occupation force, and other than Iwo Jima, Okinawa and some minor islands, was only called back to service for Korea as a "depot trainer" in San Diego). There was an indentation about 2-3 inches down in the wood and lacquer for possibly a belt attachment (????) at the top (opening) of the saya had a very aged brass/copper ring that has been lost in the 12 years since we discovered this....it's moved several times and always been just "tossed" into the "den." The second in this is another of the tang and mei. It looks cleaned up but it hasn't been touched, I think it's an effect of the camera flash. --- Derek S.

Wow, ok I totally wasn't expecting this. Wow. I will post all pictures I have. My sister was just visiting my parents and took the pictures I asked her to, as I was going to "steal" the sword the next time I could take leave and work on getting it restored and back to my dad as a surprise (he actually thinks I have it, he forgot it's in his den). Give me some time to resize so that they aren't the huge 4-8MB files that my sister took on her macro setting for the camera. I think there actually some better ones of the tang and she did take some full length ones and the tip and I think some of the habaki, as I have come across that those are important while trolling NHB in the past week. I haven't seen the sword in over a year, I want to say it's a large wakizashi, blade is ballpark 19-21 inches. --- Derek S. (edit, need to set up my signature to have this......haha)

Hey all. Came across Nihonto message board a few days ago while doing some off-again on-again research on a sword my grandfather brought back from the Pacific Theater. We don't know the story of it, where he got it, etc. our best guess is that he most likely obtained it on either Iwo Jima or Okinawa, as he was on both islands. Found it in a box with some pictures from his service after he passed back in 1990. The picture is of the mei on the tang. There is nothing on the opposite side. Right now the blade is with my dad, but I am looking to possibly have it restored and displayed. When we found it the saya was falling apart (black lacquer was falling off, wood seams coming apart), there was no tsuba and the habaki is kind of beat up. Also the handle was missing, just bare tang. The sword itself is in pretty decent shape compared to others I've seen, and I'm really curious as to the history (if it can be ascertained) of it, and then start the saving process to have it restored. Thanks Derek S.