Randal

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These menuki are on a sword I have. One seems to have lost it's gold color while the other one seems to be fine. Also one has a lot more detail than the other. Is it normal for sword to have two different menuki on the handle? Is it old / new? I'm still new to this area of edged weapons and would grateful for any help or info. Randal.

Thanks for the info George. I picked this sword up several years ago along with two nco swords and the original shipping crate. What made this sword stand out, aside from the color of the handle was the blade. It is razor sharp along it's entire length. The tip or kissaki is long when compared to other military swords that I have. I am not as experienced Japanese arms as I am with other countries. With Ian's help with the family mon maybe one day I will be lucky enough to be able to put a first name with this sword. Again Thank You to everyone that posted. If anyone has an idea on where to look for a first name for this sword it would be apprecated. Randal.

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This is a sword I have in my collection. It's 34 and 3/4 inches long. The scabbard is aluminum over wood. The fittings look military, but the handle wrapping is a very light color, not dark like others I've seen. There is a mon applied on the rear of the handle. The menuki are not the classic military type. One side has a samurai fighting a tiger and the other side has a dragon. The questions I have are. Is the scabbard original? I have never seen a aluminum scabbard on a katana before. Is the blade hand made or machine made? Can anyone translate the writing on the tang or have info on the mon? I would appreciate any help I can get. Randal.

I would like to thank everyone for the info. Although it is a little over my head. I was thinking of sending it to Tom Buck at Tsukamaki Restoration Services to have the handle repaired. Thanks Again. Randal.

Ken I'm sorry for the bad pics. I hope these are a little better.

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