IJASWORDS

What school? A Chinese or Indian school.

Greg, I didn't believe in the supernatural until I saw ghostly hands with a camera in your prints.

Hey Bruce, I think it is a 1943, can you confirm date, and translate the mune numbers. Thanks mate.

Hey Bruce, if I read Nick's interpretation on Warrelics an NCO Hanin-Kan or Ko-In would have the brown backed tassel. My source is from "long time" collectors who had this tassel on original NCO swords they had since WW2.

As mentioned in another post, my blade photos are normally rubbish. But here goes. Old mumei blade.

Hi Bruce, they are individual pins (nails) as one is lose, and does not affect the other side.

An interesting example, thick pierced open work tsuba, fuchi with family mon, kabutogane secured by pins and the clasped monkey hands sarute.

I have pictured a paratroopers sword (yellow ito with paratroopers sarute), against the same length as a normal sword. I would suggest that carrying a sword of any length in a crowded plane, would cause havoc. And the sword was commensurate with rank, not every pilot, tanker or sub-mariner was entitled to a sword any way. The sword carriers in BaZZa's photo would be officers, with normal length swords, that wouldn't be taken in the plane where space and weight is a premium. Many of the shorter swords came to be when the Government relaxed its minimum length requirement for family swords sold to the IJA/IJN. Officers that had desk jobs and were entitled to swords, often opted for the shorter sword.

Looks like a decent sword at s fair price. Follow the words of wisdom from the other guys on caring fir it. The handle wrap looks a little damaged and fragile, so be careful with it to keep intact and original.

The late war NCO swords had the lighter brown tassel used to replace the leather examples used earlier.

Is it possible that it is just authenticating the mei, and not the manufacturing process.

Tripod.... good idea.

I have been extremely envious of some of the photography that appears on the forum, and commercial sites like Raymond Singers and Ed Marshals. I am trying a different device. So comments on the photos and the sword are welcome. Sword is early 1940's (Mano) Masayasu, Gendaito no date no stamps, in special order koshirae.

No, a single seppa, must be a photographic aberration, or shadow, but certainly made me check it.

Another

Blackened gunto fittings on a Tachi and a Wak.

Thanks Robert and Tom. Much appreciated.

I would appreciate the full translation of this Amahide mei.

Hi Rick, Ray got it. If you want a WW2 sword, depends on what you want and your budget. If this is a nice example, and good blade and the price is OK, it could be a good start collecting and study. Of course traditionally made blades will cost a lot more. So first understand what you want.

Thanks guys, I just needed that confirmation.

A few exist in original condition.

This tsuba is on an old family blade in WW2 gunto mounts. I am looking for any information about it. Thanks in advance.

OK, to average Joe collector, this thread looks like we are just chasing butterflies, so this is my last word on the subject (is that applause I hear?). And I agree totally with the color matching observation. Here are two, one of which is a Minatogawa. Both color match the Ito wrap. I make two final observations, firstly some of the examples sited here do not color match, and secondly, the Navy loves uniformity, so why is it that you see these so called long sarutes knotted every which way? Granny knots, reef knots, some sewn together and some just plain tied together. The Navy loves and prides itself on its knots, first thing a cadet learns.

Mister Gunto, all ranks and swords in the Navy had the same tassel, chocolate brown. My only concession that the long sarute was war time, is that it was a replacement for a broken original during service.

This is a genuine copper handle obtained from the estate of a WW2 veteran when he passed away.