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Definitely Navy. Note he has cartridge pouches and a bayonet, so he is actually armed with a rifle. The sword might be a studio prop. Steve

Yes, Rock Island has some nice things, but an auction house that values it's reputation should not deal in fakes, whether they correctly identify them out or not. The best weapon auctions I ever attended were also the earliest, Richard Bourne auctions in the late 1970s - early 1980s. He was the first auction house that brought guns into mainstream auctions, and for some years he was the only one. Others saw there was money to be made and jumped on the bandwagon, but he was the first. He charged no buyer's premium and guaranteed his descriptions. We sure don't see that anymore! No reserves, but he made clear he wasn't going to let a $2500 gun sell for $250. He primarily sold antique and collectible arms. He had some VERY nice weapons, including Japanese swords run through his fingers. He was also an outstanding auctioneer. He worked the audience like a fisherman casting his lure into a school of bluefish. Then he would reel them in, not with deception but with style. He could make you want to bid on a gun you had never thought of owning. He also ran a tight ship. In the middle of an auction, one of his sons approached the podium and whispered in his ear. Bourne said "I have just been informed one of our consignors is bidding on his own items. We do not conduct business that way and will never do business with that individual again". A few minutes later his son returned and handed him a piece of paper. Bourne read a list of numbers and said these items were withdrawn. Ultimately, he ended up having unfortunate personal issues, and that combined with increasing competition caused his demise. But in his heyday he was in a class by himself, and I am grateful for the many fond memories. I have been to many other arms auctions since, but none had near the class, style, and sheer entertainment of a Bourne auction. Steve

Beautiful sword! I have a Hayama Enshin dated Meiji 42 in civilian mounts. It’s a fairly light sword. Steve

Finally, when doing this kind of work, take your time and go slowly. Patience is a virtue. Steve

Also, whatever you use, let it soak the dried grease thoroughly before cleaning it off. Less rubbing is always better. Let the solvent do the work. Steve

I have never tried goo gone to remove cosmoline, always used kerosene to remove it from firearms. The dried grease may be a good sign. Years ago I bought a couple of WW1 German Mauser rifles that had beautiful wood but terrible metal, looked like they were covered with rust. Tuned out it was dried grease. Carefully cleaned it off with kerosene and rags (no abrasives) and underneath it was bright blue and polished receivers. Just like new. You may be in for a pleasant surprise. Steve

More Steve

More, blade pics are tough, at least for my limited technological skills. Steve

More, nakago. Steve

Thanks for the replies. A few more pics. Steve

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Hi, This sword came from an estate sale (retired Admiral USN) many years ago. I researched it a bit, read the signature as Omi (no) Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhira. I see there are several generations, does anyone have any idea which one this is? Steve

Glad you enjoyed it. It was filmed on Okinawa in 1960, all the extras were Marines and Japanese or Okinawans, and it appears most of the Japanese weapons and equipment were real. A few glitches with the Japanese using US small arms, but for my money the portrayal of the appearance and behavior of the Japanese Army was right on. The sword scene has haunted me since I saw the movie as a kid in the sixties, and in some ways spurred my interest in swords. Who were these people who still fought with swords in the 20th Century, who made suicidal charges, and deliberately crashed airplanes into ships? Steve

Best movie to see gunto in use is "Hell To Eternity" with Jeffrey Hunter. Bar none. Be warned, you may not like what you see. Steve

It is true that the camera sometimes detects things the human eye cannot. I operate on the theory that we are all human, therefore we all make mistakes. It's what we do about our mistakes that determines who we are. I recently bought a holster for a Baby Nambu (a VERY expensive piece of leather) that turned out to be a very high quality fake. The pics on the dealer's website looked good, but in hand I discovered several subtle issues that gave it away. I wrote a detailed explanation to the dealer. He thanked me, refunded my money, including shipping both ways, and never put it back on his website. A class act. Steve

Going the other way, there is a Nihon-to mounted in U.S. Navy Model 1852 officer’s sword mounts. Hard to date, because the mounts have been in continuous use since 1852. It was for sale some years ago. My impression is that it was done sometime before WW1. Steve

Ah yes, 1970. A couple of observations. First, a skilled tradesman in those days was bringing home about $100 per week. So $150 was a lot of money for a sword. You could buy a super condition Civil War musket or Luger for a lot less than that. Second, I find it interesting that a gun shop in Iowa would know the signature on the sword. In those days there were very few people around who knew or cared what the signature said, they were just “Jap swords”. Steve

What a spectacular collection! A true collection, not just an accumulation as I have. What a wonderful learning opportunity for the rest of us. Thank you for presenting it. Steve

Over the years I have owned swords with both the foil and paper labels on gunto swords. All of them were Seki showato. Perhaps the foil label as on Neil’s older blade was a retailer’s label. Steve

This is a hot topic on other militaria forums, and there are many conflicting opinions. The serious conservationists (museums, etc) seem to agree the best thing is to put nothing on it and leave it alone. Once leather is on its way out there is nothing you can do to revive it and bring it back, and you will do more damage than you prevent. Proper climate controlled storage is the best care for leather. I generally agree, but depending on the condition of the leather and other circumstances, I sometimes use Renaissance Wax. Steve

This guy is a tanker, wearing the standard winter field hat instead of the winter tank helmet.

Shimazu Kiyoshi, Major General; Chief of Medical Department of 15th Army, Siam, by 1945. Surrendered a sword to Major General G. C. Evans, GOC 7th Indian Division, at Bangkok, Siam, 11 January 1946. From the book Shokan, by Richard Fuller. I recommend it to any collector of Japanese swords. Steve

Swords in Japan were required to be turned over to the occupying forces because they were weapons. Didn't matter if it was a gunto or a National Treasure. Steve