gab72

First one thank a lot at all for very good and interesting discussion. @Kevin From your posts I undestand then hada in Mantetsu sword is comingout for the process to fold the steel to avoid brittle fracture when under very low temperature of Manchuria winter. So despite the purpose is different, the result is true hada and not a simulation of it ?

Bruno I know Saidan-mei gold inlay signature technique. But this particular mei look very strange for me. But maybe I can mistake because I don't have see a lot of this mei from live, and I respect your opinion like artisan of this gold leafs metode.

The Whole blade look strange and just made yesterday. But nakago is more funny stuff: The kanji look like painted instead carved(but is a gold leaf). Te colour of nakago seem artificial painted and not rusted. The Yasurime are strange near and beneath of kanji. Maybe are the pics to be strange but i will stay away from this thing.

Hello, Take a look to this gunto on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Shin-Gunto-WWII-Swo ... 4aaa7894c0 If you look well it have a very strange variation; instead use Same(ray fish skin) it have a "Snake Skin", or maybe lizard, beneath the ito wrap. I have see artificial same, cloth, and other material but I never see use Snake skin before! :|

Strange Koshirare yes and doubtless a stainless steel blade. Maybe this is a last navy production koshirae when there is a shortage of materials to put in sword production or maybe a post war assemblage make with different pieces from different koshirae. In anyway the price i fairly for a gunto if you looking for it, else is better hold the money for better purchase.

Sound strange for me too. If you take a look to message the stuff seem too good to be true. I think this is arctifact to rise up the final price of this auction. In anyway I like a lot the koshirare but blade don't look so good for my taste, IMHO.

A very beautiful Japanese sword example in western style. Thanks for share.

Yes if you look well to menuki they appears like silver defoliation. Strange days this. The peoples look to koshirae instead the blade and tosho than have made it. Seki blade is not a sign of bad blade, think to Kanefusa work or similiar, but the conditions and geometries of this pieces make you shout Arghhhh!!! I think if you get a lot of good koshirae and put inside it a lot of medriocre/bad sword you will get the deal of your life! :D

Thanks for the reporting Junichi, Never see before a silver plated shingunto fittings! I think this is a work of some vet after the war and not a custom koshirae, but i can mistake. The navy tassel instead military one seem strange too. But if the vet, or who for he, have done the work i can't explain how paint the menuki in silver without take if off and rewrap the Ito on the tsuka ?!? In anyway $ 2,325 is crazy!

I have a Emura blade in full shingunto koshirae where the Sarute and two tube are missed. Maybe the solution is more simple and sarute and tassel are removed after the war from the owners to sell it separately and the little two tube never re-puted on the sword for a estetic question. I don't know it just a speculation, but I tried it on a my different gunto koshirae and the tsuka look better without the two tubes instead with it mounted.

Can you take and post best close up pics of the hada in a clear area ?

Hi, Uhhmm the mei look poorly ceselled. The balde is out of polish but maybe can you see the tipical Ayasugi Hada pattern of Gassan Sadakatsu on the blade ?

Auction now is over and I can see only the main pic of the sword. In anyway for me it look like a stainsteel blade or likely of same. Nice koshirae all covered of same but the price is crazy for this kind of sword. Militaria collectors are mad in this times!

Hi Francis, Here you can find some info on Emura and some mei to compare with your one: http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/emura.htm But please post some pics. Gabriele

Habaki with a "Raising Sun Flag"! Chinese are very incredible fun people Sorry Frank, Gab