Droocoo

Superb blade Neil

Thanks for all of the responses, I am glad that this stimulated some discussion

Three is a crowd! I am going to embark on writing up the sword's history soon, after I learn a little more about RJT. I have been reading through some excellent threads here and on other forums linked from here.

Bruce, Have you got a photograph of that sword? Andrew

Chris and Jesse, Thank you for your explanations. I am half way through reading your website on RJT Gendaito Chris, and am keeping your remarks in mind when making my way through the content. I have been looking at higher quality blades/nihonto to increase my pattern recognition. Some of these points I have managed to deduce myself, but the activity of the hamon has been something that has been hard to quantify. You have done an excellent job putting this into words. If anyone else has further contribution, I would love to hear. Andrew

Can I just ask (apart from tang signature), from the blade itself what type of attributes distinguish gendaito from showato?

I use beeswax on my leather goods, and it does a pretty good job of keeping them moist and supple

The recycling of these blades is what surprised me

An interesting discussion - I suppose if war materials and labour were an issue, then potentially the wooden scabbard has some drawbacks. After all, it is more labour intensive and cannot be simply cast like a metal saya can. I would have thought that metal sayas provided better protection particularly from crushing forces than wooden/lacquered scabbards due to the tensile strength of metal. This would be particularly relevant when soldiers had an expensive, historic or ancestral blade mounted. The Rinji katana that I possess, has a high-quality blade but is mounted in a lacquer saya. Sure it is lighter, but metal does provide better protection when you have gone to all of this trouble to purchase an expensive blade. I am aware that Rinji swords rarely have metal sayas, but that is beside my point. Furthermore, theoretically a painted metal saya somewhat negated the requirement for a leather combat cover, requiring less protection from moisture than a wooden saya. I am also aware that a lot of troops carried metal sayas inside leather coverings. Food for thought, Andrew

Bruce, Aren't those excerpts great? I wonder what became of those swords, and what service they saw both in China and the Second World War. The sword "fete" and demonstration that Nick describes is also very novel and interesting. There were many Western examples of this as commissioned officers took to Saville Row to purchase uniforms, and Sheffield cutlers for swords. I can imagine the excitement of young men as they fitted inherited blades before mobilising for war. I find it interesting that Japanese shops carried antique blades to sell to troops, rather than these being solely inherited. The concept that an old blade could still outclass a new blade is very interesting. Andrew

Appears to me to be a genuine Type 19. Any more photos of the handguard?

Thankyou Neil and John, I have purchased a copy of Dawson’s book which is on its way! Yes that was partly why I asked. The saya on my sword is lacquer with an RJT blade and an iron tsuba. The picture is pointing towards a premium variant optimised for combat. However, it is fascinating that the metal scabbards were not preferred given the hard operating conditions that these swords endured. I wonder if this has to do with rust and moist climates. I don’t think that I have ever seen a Rinji sword in leather mounts if I am honest? Kind Regards, Andrew

Neil, We both know which sword we are talking about! Yes that is totally plausible and the fact that swords were upgraded even towards the end of the war, shows their intention to be used in combat. There is an argument to be made that swords with standard blades/Showato could have been surplus, but those with RJT are more likely to have been issued. My next question has been triggered; did they government acquire blades from manufacturers or did individual personnel on a private basis? Surely the government would have requestioned all swordmakers’ blades as their own in such a time of crisis? Kindest Regards, Andrew

Hi all, Exploring further differences between Type 3 and Type 98 officers' swords, I have noticed that many of the Type 3 swords seem to be fitted with wooden, lacquered sayas whereas Type 98's and indeed Type 95's are fitted with painted metal sayas. To me, this is somewhat confusing. What was the more desirable saya; the lacquer or metal variety? The lacquer may have taken significantly more care to apply in coats, but was less durable than the metal. If this was the case, why then was the Type 95 given a metal saya and not a lacquered one? After all, the saya in many instances would be covered by a leather combat covering. Hope someone can shed some light, Andrew

Pretty interesting John, still no sign of any Rinji there! Andrew