Bruce Pennington

You can read all about the Type 95 here: Japanese NCO Gunto - Type 95 - Ohmura

Brden, I would appreciate a picture of the full serial number on the back edge of the tang, please! Good reference for sword care: Sword Care Guide Here’s a more comprehensive Mantetsu article: South Manchurian Railway - Mantetsu

Yes, the tassel was for Feild grade officers - Majors and Colonels. Unusual to be on an NCO sword. It could have been added after the war but it is possible that an officer bought the sword during the periods of sword shortages. Officers were permitted by regulations to rent or purchase NCO gunto during those times.

@Scogg - one NCO in there

It is the Showa stamp of the civilian Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association, used from 1935 to 1942, with the massive majority of them found in ‘40 and ‘41.

The answer to both is yes! Like I was discussing with Thomas,, we have no documentation to prove that the great leaf pattern was tied to the Gunzoku like the Sakura and bamboo patterns depicted in Dawson and Ohmura, but they could be. But officers were also allowed to use civilian blades ref fitted for the war. The fitting came in various degrees of completion.

The mei is “Koa Isshin Mantetsu made” koa Isshin was a wartime slogan meaning Asia is United or Asia is One Heart. The slogan for uniting the seven “tribes” of Southeast Asia. You can read all about these swords in this document- South Manchurian Railway- Mantetsu Also, there is a lengthy discussion of them here:

According to Nick Komiya, Warrelics, the Gunzoku had the right to wear the same swords, both officer and NCO, as their equivelants in the IJA. The only specified item for them was the all-brown tassel, but our only source for that is a Uniform Regulation change of 1943. So, before that, as far as any uniform regulation we know of, swords of Gunzoku could be the identical thing we see from IJA personnel including the tassels. So, the idea that there was a specific Gunzoku tusba (and associated other fittings) was generated by Ohmura's work (I'm away from my books and don't know if Dawson or Fuller referenced this topic).

I have: 1939 Kanemichi, full civil koshirae (leather missing) No Date Kanesada, Showa stamped, full Type 98 except with Budo fuchi ND Kanezane, Kokuin, Kikusui on blade, full civil w/leather ND Kanemitsu, leafy Kiri on nakao, incomplete fittings - wood saya missing kagutogane, Army menugi ND Mumei, possibly pre-WWII, full Type 98 except Budo tsuba ND Yoshitsugu, full civil w/leather Looks like I only have that 6, not 7. Two of them were the same sword. Most seem to be WWII era blades, however the majority, 4 of 6, were fully civilian fitted before their impression into service. Another thought - These "Gunzoku" tsuba seem to be more mass produced than your run of the mill civil tsuba, simply based upon the fact that we see "many" of them compared to the purely civil tsuba that we see on civil swords fitted for the war, which are individualistic and random. What does that mean? I guess we are guessing (beside Ohmura's page). Another thought - If I were a regular IJA officer, would I buy a sword with a "civil" tsuba or one with an army tsuba? Just brain-storming here.

I'm no mei expert, but that one looks pretty questionable for Emura. I'm often wrong, though.

Ok, sure. The only reference we have is Ohmura's page, showing the bamboo, sakura, and "mallow" shapes on the Gunzoku swords - Army Civilian Swords - Ohmura

Russ, I don't have yours on file, may get some pics? Would love to hear your thoughts on that, Thomas. I had lumped them in with the other Gunzoku specific tsuba patterns, but that's just due to thier general shape and that they are found on the typical styled gunto with leather cover. I have 7 on file, some in full civil fittings w/leather cover, and some with Type 98 kabutogane and/or tusba. I even have one that was fully Type 98, but had a grape leaf fuchi.

Haven't seen that shop logo yet. I've added it to the growing section of unknown shops on Type 19 cavalry swords in the Stamps doc. We have a number of these logo on file now, and almost all of them are in the "unknown" category.

It should fit snuggly. So if the threads are sticking out past the nut, he might have made the bolt a little too long.

The fittings are type 98 Japanese Army officer sword fittings. It was a common practice to refit older family swords in World War II for the war.

Appears to have a Showa stamp at the top?

I also think this is a reproduction or fake. Your suspicions are valid. Serial numbers on habaki are a classic Chinese fake practice. Also, Kyu gunto had 3 wire strands on the handle, not 2. Like you, I have always been amazed at the time and effort that must have gone into making fakes. When they are sold and advertised as a reproduction, they are usually asking $150. But they must get the labor so extremely cheaply that even that is a profit for them. Then if someone is willing to pay $1000 they just hit the jackpot.

An older family blade re-fitted for World War II.

when the Japanese military decided to turn away from Western styled swords in the 1930s, and go to traditionally shaped and manufactured samurai style swords, they immediately created a shortage of the new swords - shingunto. As the sword industry tried to increase production to meet the increased demand there were a good number of poor quality blades hitting the market, damaging the industry’s reputation. Industry representatives went to the Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Association asking them to inspect all blades made in the Seki area. This was an effort at self policing, or self quality control. The Showa and large Seki stamps were used until the army took total control of sword production in 1942.

May 1944 Kane(Nao)?

It has actually been done a few times, but it is very rare. Dale, you have to have the name of its wartime owner, and without a surrender tag that is not possible.

Thanks Jean! that is the larger size of the stamp used by the civilian organization.

Haven’t seen that one before.

Sam, this looks like a legitimate copper handle NCO. I don’t know why it has a steel tsuba and field saya. Maybe a personal modification or repair/replacement?

Good example Frank. To add to your point, the bohi is tapered whereas it should be rounded/squared for a Tokyo blade. you will also see that the dimples in the white diamonds of the handle are punched rather than formed.