Bruce Pennington

Good catch John. I hadn’t noticed that. It goes along with the rest of the fittings not being gold gilded. Kind of supports the idea that they were using surplus parts initially.

Here's one that checks all the boxes at this St Croix sale: Type 95 Leather covered, tassel, battle damage, early matching Suya Shoten with accurate wrap with screw through the wrap:

@tbonesullivan - David, is it possible to get a shot showing the stamp?

Maybe we can get your answers from @Kiipu @BANGBANGSAN and/or @SteveM? In addition to Jens' question, could I get a double-check on the google translate John provided concerning officers in government buildings and police officers being assigned the Type 32 for wear?

Average waki - $600 Above average- I’ve seen $2,600 Important blade- higher

@Scogg after the translating is complete here, how about moving this over to the military section. I think it would be of interest to the guys that collect Type 32s.

Ah, I thought I recognized the red annotations. If you don’t get help here, I recommend taking the chart to Akira Komiya, Nick’s brother who is currently active on Warrelics. Or I can post it for you.

Who did the translating on this chart? Did you do this, or is it something from Nick Komiya?

The stamp was used from 1935 to 1942, with most dated blades found from 1940-1941.

Quite interesting to see "Officers at government offices" and "military police" being assigned the Type 32 Otsu! Hmmm

These are the two, 3rd and 4th gen, in Sesko's book: "KANESADA (兼貞), 3rd gen., Eishō (永正, 1504-1521), Mino – “Mino no Kuni-jūnin Uemon no Jō Kanesada” (美濃国住人右衛門尉兼貞), “Izumi no Kami Kanesada” (和泉守兼貞), “Kanesada” (兼貞), “Nōshū-jū Kanesada” (濃州住兼貞), first name Uemon (右衛門), according to tradition a student of the 1st gen. Kanesada (兼定, Oya-Kanesada), suguha mixed with ko-midare, notare mixed with gunome elements which tend to togari, jō-saku "KANESADA (兼貞), 4th gen., Daiei (大永, 1521-1528), Mino – “Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kanesada” (和泉守藤原兼貞), “Seki-jū Kanesada saku” (関住兼貞作), “Kanesada” (兼貞), “Izumi no Kami Kanesada saku” (和泉守兼貞作), “Kanesada, Asamagadake ni oite kore o saku” (兼貞於朝熊岳是作, “made by Kanesada at Mt. Asama [Ise province]”), student of No-Sada, he followed his master to Ise where the latter had worked at some time in Yamada (山田) and Asamagatake (朝熊岳), it is said that he moved later to Echigo province, Sue-Seki style, robust sugata and often longer blades, standing-out itame mixed with masame, gunome mixed with chōji, frayed yakigashira, small tobiyaki, ryō-wazamono"

Hi Ambo, The first character is the katakana "SU", then 103. Fittings were marked to keep them all together, as they were custom fitted to each blade. You might even see a painted number on the blade that matches (not always). Love the see the rest of the fittings and blade. Is it signed?

兼貞 (Kanesada)

Plimpton called your version an "early model" of the Type 8 Dress Sword. Most version have more detail on the little curly thingy off the front end of the guard: While most saya (scabbards) were chromed, we have seen several come through with a darkened finish to them. Hard to say with yours with all the corrosion.

Jess, Could you post a photo of the face of the hand guard, better yet, a shot of the backstrap, which also shows the floral work in the hand guard, like this:

I don't understand this last post.

Here's one of those puzzling ones. Found on this Toovey's Auction. Mumei, no observable stamp, #65. Fittings are typical Army, but hey are not gold gilded. Most puzzling is the tsuka ito which clearly had been handled/carried considerably, look at the sweat stains. Adding to the list of souvenirs with sarute ... and this one is a bit unusual.

Akira Komiya pointed out he men he is standing on are Army, and he believes the guy with large binoculars is an Army officer, so your idea that it was a civil sword in leather saya cover seems right on the money.

Brian, I think you can forget about worrying about us. We're here because we love doing this. It's a hobby, not a profession. The guys that like making money at this are already running their own businesses. Do whatever you need to do to Make NMB Great Again, and don't spend another second worrying about compensating us. Complimentary Gold memberships are an honor to receive and quite sufficient. Warrelics does the same thing. Don't know about other sites.

I think Andre is having a bit of fun with us. The handguard, latch and scabbard throat mechanism is trying to imitate a WWII NCO Type 95. The metal ring belt hangar loop is also imitating WWII swords. So, the 'sacred sword' is trying to say it was made in WWII, but it wasn't. Still looking for close-ups of the blade tip, a shot of the temper line and one of the bare tang, if we are still playing.

Hi John! Missed you buddy! Sorry, I've just had a big dose of vodka and pineapple juice! Regardless, your perspective is overdue on the Laugh O' the Day thread.

The real experts will fill in the rest, but this last photo is the cut test mei of Hisahide, December 1665. On a personal note, I never realized they did cut tests on waki. And as an FWIW, this is the earliest cut tested blade I have of his on file.

Like John says, we could use some photos of the blade - is there writing on it? - and the nakago (tang). At best, it is something made in the occupied territories. Photos will help.

Trystan, You caused me to go back to the Wehrmacht-awards thread, and sure enough, he stated the 3 photos were of "naval landing forces." So it was a Type 97. I can see a sarute in the navy kabutogane.

Thanks, Uwe. It is a bit odd. With all that corrosion, I'm surprised the mei is there at all, and I'm tempted to think it was added later by an unskilled hand.