Windy

Apologies for the untoward thread drift folks.

Yup, happy it’s genuine. He also had the pilots SLP and dagger. The parachute silk was used in my aunts christening gown. I had read somewhere that some crosses have tiny stamps on the ribbon rings?

Slight drift, but I’ve got an Iron Cross my grandfather took from a Luftwaffe pilot he recovered from the sea. He was a ML commander in the later stages of the war. What is there to look for, it seems pretty plain?

“Measure twice, cut once” Get a decent set of needle/hobby files...tool steel. They’re not expensive.

Fairly sure my Akihisa 3 has two buttons....

Little mark on top right corner of mon. Looks the same.

I’ve go the Hawleys mon book, if anyone wants to see the relevant page.

How common is it to see a fullered blade in Type 98 koshirae? Where present, should a fuller terminate prior to the habaki, or run right under? Cheers

Good spot.

There weren’t any other photos of the tassel, it was all blade and nakago shots.

Ouch....

It sold for £950 plus auction house (usually 23-30%). Description as follows: A Shinto Japanese Katana with Special Order Shin-gunto Mounts, the 67.5cm blade with large irregular hamon, bo'hi running for 24cm from the one piece copper habaki, the tang signed ''MUSASHI TARO YASUKUNI'' and ''MA JU GO MAI DO FUKU SAKU'', with parcel gilt bronze tsuba, the yellow braid bound same hilt with triple chrysanthemum head menuki, the prunus decorated copper kashira set with silver family mon, hung with yellow and brown cord and tassels, the browned scabbard with copper mounts matching the hilt, with a later mahogany display stand; together with, oshigata and research material, a hessian label inscribed TAKIYAMA, OFFICER, a leather and red velvet belt and pistol holster richly embroidered with flowerheads and leaves in raised gold bullion thread, and a printed photograph of the surrendering office in a leather folding frame (4) Provenance:- surrendered at Bangkok, Siam on or around 11th January 1946 by a General of the 18th Japanese Army. Blade with hagire 18cm from the tip. Numerous areas of delamination. Braid on hilt is soiled, otherwise good.

This

My Munechika is similar. 1942, surrender tag states Sako Mitsuo, Hong Kong Post Office.

Touché Brucé

Nice to see you ‘Muricans’ using them newfangled cm’s

Loving the Akihisa. Similar to mine.

Can confirm Grey does sell the book. I bought a copy and it arrived in the UK safe and sound having been very nicely packaged.

My Munechika, surrender tag states Soldier was at Hong Kong Post Office.

Cheers Steve. That’s very interesting, might explain the civilian fittings, but what about the company tassel?

Anyone able to make any sense of the writing on the surrender chit? God only knows when it was last opened out properly like this.

Just haven’t seen one like this before matched with military fittings, then I referred to my trusty Dawson’s and noted the similarity with the civilian sword as described. The blade is Seki stamped, and is super sharp! Re the date.....1942, is there a month in there? I’m still pretty hopeless with this translation lark!