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Thank you so much Thomas! Very cool. You’ve been a huge help. I owe you big time. -Sam edit, just saw your request. Stay tuned

You’re totally right, and it’s a common problem. Sometimes they can be really stuck, and especially if any adhesive was used. Hard to know without inspecting it in person. Typically the peg will be tapered, or slightly conical shaped. It should come out one way more easily, and not the other. Inspect both sides, and push on the smaller end. If all else fails, you may need to gently tap with a block of wood. Tough to say without having it in hand. I’ve struggled many times to release a tsuka from the nakago, and it’s not always an easy or simple task. Overall, the value of the bone peg pales in comparison to the information it hides; but no need to break anything if you’re careful. Best of luck, proceed gently and with caution, and remember “time is on your side” so don’t rush it. -Sam

Until we see and know more, it’s totally fine in this section. Not everyone knows if what they have is a Nihonto or not before they post. It’s the nature of the forum All good here Thomas , Best of luck in your search for answers. -Sam

Thanks Bruce! The first thing I did when I got it home was gently apply a thin layer of antique leather conditioner to the leather loop. Hoping to rehydrate and strengthen it a bit so it lasts another ~100 years. It’s a nice addition to have next to my 95’s. A nice visual aid to help tell the story of the inception of the Type 95 sword. Now I just need a copper that won’t break the bank; and maybe a Ko to keep the Otsu company. I’m sure I can think of more swords that I want too -Sam

Found this at a militaria show for a great price, and decided to add it to my collection. I know a little bit about these and have read all the ohmura material. Saya number does not match. Can anyone put a date on it based on the stamps and serial number? Otherwise mostly just show and tell! Enjoy! Neat sword. -Sam

Koshirae is made specifically for each individual blade; so the fit is tight. It would be very difficult, maybe impossible, to find a loose blade that fits a random set of koshirae properly. You might get lucky someday, but it's generally not a recommended endeavor. Best to find a blade that already has it's koshirae - if that's what you're looking for. All the best, -Sam

Yes, that’s a genuine Type 95 NCO Shin-Gunto. It’s the pattern 2 variation with a brass tsuba and aluminum tsuka. It’s pretty common that the scabbard number does not match, but it does detract from the value. A matching scabbard would be more desirable. I’d highly recommend taking the advice of@Lexvdjagt . A great opportunity to view swords and get an idea of what you like. -Sam

Hard to keep up with this thread... I highly doubt the Tsuba changed color, I think it's just different lighting conditions. Looks like the same tsuba to me. It appears that the Tsuba, fuchi and seppa have the digit 3 stamped on them, and the tsuka has 33 cut into it. These were typically assembly numbers that were stamped on the fittings to keep them together. But 3 and 33 are 30 digits apart. So, are they matching? Or are they not? I cannot tell for certain. When you ask if there are any swords or gunto that are reasonably priced, I am a little confused, because the koshirae in question is not a sword. It's just the fittings on a tsunagi (wooden blade). WW2 Gunto can be found for reasonable prices. I've seen many sell for between $750 and several thousand dollars. BUT if you're just looking for a set of fittings, then you can easily find something for under $1,000. What are you looking for, exactly? Hope this helps, -Sam

I agree with Colin. I think it's an assortment of genuine WW2 era parts that have been put together after the war; and likely outside of Japan. We have various threads in the Military Swords section that feature different Gunto and relevant fittings. With the many variations of gunto (94, 95, 98, Type 3/100/rinji, Kyu, Kai, etc?...) it's probably easier to address each sword individually rather than have a fake gunto thread that covers them all. Either way, I don't think this koshirae would belong in a "fake" discussion anyway. @Bruce Pennington thoughts? All the best, -Sam

I think this is what you’re thinking of. It’s a web archive article, so scroll down a little for the content. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022000337/https://blog.yuhindo.com/hozon-is-a-test-juyo-is-a-competition/ For more Darcy artcles, Ray Singer generously put this together on his site, see below: https://swordsofjapan.com/nihonto-library/darcy-brockbank-articles/ Hope this is what you’re looking for, -Sam

Great work @Bruno. Would love to see them all together sometime. Could be a valuable reference image

CLUB UPDATE: We've got 16 members (and counting!) in the PNW that have signed up to join the club. That's more than I anticipated, which is great! I think that's plenty of people to justify the club, and plan annual meetups. I hope to have a flier on a club members table at the SF swordshow. Hopefully to scrounge up some more local membership. After the SF show, I will be booking a meeting space, and scheduling our first meeting hopefully in the fall or winter. Stay tuned in AUGUST for meeting dates and details. Thanks again everyone, -Sam

True, and I think it could have been a valuable discussion. I guess my point was that anything worth while is a needle in a haystack now. Here I am, not helping that situation . In hindsight, I should not have interjected. I re-read this today, it’s a good write up and very interesting. https://markussesko.com/2016/01/20/cast-sword-fittings/ -Sam

"AYASUGI HADA" A hallmark of Gassan smiths. Really nice looking sword! I am jealous of your 200 sword viewing

Imagine acquiring your very first Tsuba, and you're wondering if it might be cast. You do some googling, and find yourself here with 19 pages to sift through - only to find a lot of arguments and hypothetical ideas. How frustrating that must be . Beating a dead horse is right... -Sam

Do you have a photograph of the entire blade shape perhaps? I am a little confused by your question. Can you describe what looks wrong about the kissaki to you? Is it the lack of defined yakote YOKOTE? I suspect the sugata may be SHOBU ZUKURI, which is a blade shape that lacks yakote YOKOTE. See sugata types below: http://meiboku.info/guide/form/zukuri/index.htm Either way, the condition is not great as you note. That's not blood stain, but rather rust/pitting/corrosion. I do hear the 'blood stain' story in the wild pretty frequently; but it's never actually blood. Hope this helps, -Sam

It appears to be a modern reproduction. Here is a helpful link: https://www.jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html IMHO, All the best, -Sam

Hi John, Welcome to the forum! Some good advice on page 1 of this thread about collecting, also worth checking out the "FAQ" and "downloads" section of this forum. That being said, it eventually boils down to personal preferences and budget. If you are able, I would recommend getting to a sword show or two and handling some swords - to see what "speaks" to your interests. If you do, make sure you study up on proper handling and etiquette, because it's very important: https://swordsofjapan.com/nihonto-library/nbthk-etiquette/ I collect both WW2 and older blades, because I simply could not make that choice for myself. I like my wartime swords in "untouched" condition, while I prefer older swords to be papered and in good polish. To each their own! Don't forget the options to collect fittings or armor too . All the best, -Sam

Very nice, Bruce! I always really liked those green ito + combat cover civ guntos. I once had one in very similar fittings. A hirazukuri wakizashi in civ gunto fittings and leather combat cover. Might even be the same fuchi/kashira... Unfortunately, I sold this one a while back; to prioritize another sword project. I think I will always regret letting this one go -Sam

They are definitely more rare, and it’s something that myself, as someone interested in Type 95’s, would desire. I only have about a half dozen cataloged. The problem is, some of these obscure “transitional differences” like the no bohi Suya’s, are so unknown by the general collecting population - that it doesn’t seem to affect price much, if at all. Some people might even try to point it out as a sign of a fake, not ever having seen one like it. Generally the early serial numbers, condition, and the pattern types drive the price more. The rarity makes them cooler if you ask me though, and I’d pay an extra little bit for one if I were in the market. -Sam

Sorry for being off topic, I nearly mistook @loiner1965 for @Lewis B , because they have nearly identical profile pictures Just a heads-up, All the best, -Sam

No biggie. Feel free to add more photos to this thread - but you may have to resize or crop down your images. I saw your posts on reddit so I got to see the fittings over there. As far as authentication goes, Ray Singer there is someone that I would trust. Otherwise, depending on where you are in the US, there are various shows throughout the year you could bring your sword to be examined. There's one in San Francisco, Chicago, Orlando, and Vegas. I'm in no position to opine on weather or not it's a false signature (gimei), But there are some here on the forum that have that eye. Best of luck, -Sam

@Jcusiman08 I deleted the duplicate in the "Military Swords Of Japan", because I believe your blade to be a Nihonto. I will mention though, that your blade is currently in WW2 Type 98 fittings with a nice cutout tsuba. @Ray Singer Included this link in the now deleted post, I figured I'd carry it over here - I hope you do not mind. https://nihonto.com/the-yasutsugu-school-康継系/ There is another duplicate thread in the translation section, but the legitimacy of the mei is relevant. Any further cleaning up I'll leave to @Brian All the best, -Sam

This fake is very common and obvious with the decorative blade. That being said, here is a lesson in safety and how NOT to photograph swords. Even though it’s fake, holding a sword out with one hand, and taking photos with the other, on a mobile raised step ladder?! Glad this guy survived to post his fake .. Safety is no accident, -Sam