Bruce Pennington

Neil, You always amaze with the unusual, and beautiful, things you find! The only reference I've ever found that discussed cost/style variations is the Ohmura site. He shows one, which I've never seen except for his site, that he calls an expensive upgrade. So cost clearly may have been a reason for some variants.

Also, you got me curious about katakana and I found a chart. Isn't this one of yours "Fu" rather than "Wa"? The wa should have a 3 stroke, and yours looks like 2 stroke?

Bruno, I was re-reading the Ohmura page for another thread and noticed that he has a nakago with "Hi 226" listed (the one on the right of the 3 depicted). For some reason, he doesn't show a picture of it, it's just listed in the text below the picture of the nakago.

After re-reading Ohmura-san's page, it seems he is claiming that the difference in nakago inscriptions were simply changed at March 1943. No change in manufacuture is discussed or implied: The blade Tang AFTER MARCH 1943 (caps added for emphasis). Mei: "Nan" Mantetsu Kore o Tanzō Uramei: Spring. 1943 Manufacture number: Hi 226 I'd never caught that before, thanks!

Stephen, we mean the kanji above the number. Any idea?

Bruno, As far as I know, no one really knows what the serial number is for at all, so the reason for the katakana isn't known either, I'm afraid. Someone, maybe it was Ohmura, tentatively called it a contract number, but it was speculation. I always assumed the one on mine was the number 10, but now that you've raised the question, I wonder. Do you read these? If so, what is mine, it's neither of the ones you showed:

Justin, I'm a little out of touch on Type 98 market value. The market seems to be down just a bit right now, so John's figure might be right. They used to sell for $1,000 and over, but in nice condition. Personnally, I thing $750-1,000 is a good ballpark range, depending upon what you what, what you're going to do with it, etc.

Great! Pictures came in! The small stamp is the "Seki" stamp. 70% of all war sword were made in that province. It also means it is made by non-traditional means. Someone else will have to translate the smith name.

Neat story! Can't see pictures though! I see

Steve, just killing time while we wait - I agree the saya is good. Also the "plugged" mekugi-ana may be a trick of lighting. But on the issue of copper-handled tsukas - mine only has one, at the top, and I thought that was true of most, if not all, copper tsukas.

I see what you mean. When you look at the kissaki end, the "fuller" seems to meld into just reflections, maybe from the lighting or ceiling. Looking at the tsuka, though, there appears to be a filled mekugi-ana at the fuchi end. Plus, and Shamsy, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but none of those stamps looks like the Kokura stacked cannonballs. Didn't ALL the copper-handled gunto have the Kokura stamp? But, again, poor pics. ............. {growing old waiting for more word from seller!}

Wow, never heard of a double fullered copper. Picture obviously too poor to read the serial number. Please let us know if you get a reply. Zooming in gives the impression there are 5 numbers plus stamp. If so a clear fake. We'll see what response you get.

Steve, you're right, I didn't feel right about my '45 date. On the numbers, one of the reference books listed over 250,000 officer and as many NCO swords surrendered. So that's over 500,000 at the END OF THE WAR.

Welcome Jim! You have a nice shingunto made in January of 1945 (could be off as I'm reading this in the mountains on my cell phone). Someone else will be able to give you the smith name.

Wow Johh, thanks for the link! Sobering.

Wow, interesting!!!

Jay, The fact that this blade was cut in two supports the probability that this was surrendered after the war. Thousands of blades were destroyed this way beacase they were war weapons. Very tragic. I've seen several pictures of soldiers carrying old blades in combat saya. It was common. There was a serious shortage of officer swords and many private blades were donated to the war effort. Some were totally refitted with army or navy fittings, while others were simply put into combat saya. This looks legit.

According to Nick, the images showing the cutting edge horizontal were showing how to sharpen. The images with the edge up are readied for dulling. So, when you say all the blades were issued without edge, do you mean that every blade made had to be sharpened by the soldier? The thing that really got Nick's discussion going was the "cring-worthy" requirement to dull the cutting edge of weapons once in a peacetime setting - something I was completely unaware of.

Thanks to Nick Komiya at Warrelics for this very important insight to the practice of sharpening and dulling blades for wartime and peace. This went for all blades including bayonetes: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/sharpening-dulling-blades-were-taken-granted-675938/

Just when you think you've seen it all!!! And the boar's eye holes on the tsuba are filled!

Update: I tried the habaki from my Late-war 95 and it fit pretty good. Before I go searching for another like it, I've decided to pack some steel putty in the top edge to see if I can get the original one to fit better. I'll update that tomorrow.

Soooo - "2178" means that you've bought that many swords over the years?!?!

Jean, I'm sorry if you thought my comment was aimed at you- it wasn't. I was speaking generically. Even Matt's statement above highlights the differences in perspective - he's looking for nihonto art - where the military collector is looking at a beautiful weapon made for WWII soldiers. Not the same thing. Not the same beauty.

I agree Wayne. It reminds me of "wine snobs" that look down on California wines or Chilean wines. We all have our "tastes" and specialties. It is when one starts looking down on other's tastes that we are getting into character issues not item values.

Very nice Sean! You'll be enjoying that one for a long time! I especially like the addition of the combat saya.