Scogg

Hi @Tyler sword, welcome to the forum, I have deleted the posts of your sword from the others threads. We don't want to remove focus from other people's discussions. I've left this post you've created for your sword, so the info can be consolidated here. @Ray Singer and @Rawathat included one of your replies on those threads, I hope you do not mind. Apologies for any confusion. All the best, -Sam

If I get the opportunity, I’ll try to pick his brain about the topic at the upcoming show. I’ll make a note of it, because now I’m curious too

I searched around and could not find an image example to share of a seppa with profile for a bohi. So it must not be super common. I already pester Brian enough and he's super busy, otherwise I'd ask him I think most seppa that I've encountered "in the wild" are generic ones too; but as @Stephen points out, a properly fitted seppa should be snug, therefore one should fit slightly higher then the other. Some more speculation: During WW2, we know that seppa were sometimes numbered on outfitted swords - presumably to keep the individual fitted parts together and not to mix them up during production and outfitting. BUT, WW2 also brought a lot of mass production and standardization; It would not surprise me if they pumped out seppa blanks to then be machined for individual swords. Furthermore, it would not surprise me if many of those seppa blanks worked "good enough" as is, especially later in the war or for civilian gunto. Sorry for all the speculation, but hey, seppa info is hard to find . If I get the opportunity, and if I remember, I’ll ask and maybe get a photo of a “bohi seppa” at the SF show in a couple weeks. -Sam

Good question. Apologies, adhere probably wasn't the best word here . To answer your question: yes, that's how I understood it. In the scenario where bohi extends through the nakago, the nakago-ana on the seppa needed to mimic that profile, including the bohi. What spurred my question, was watching the amount of precision and effort it took for him to get it to fit "just right", and I imagined a bo-hi in that area would only make it more challenging. Hope that makes more sense, All the best, -Sam

Brian Tschernega did a demonstration on seppa at the last Vegas sword show. He demonstrated a few different styles. He went into depth explaining how important the fit of the seppa is to the blade, and that it needs to sit tight under the habaki without falling down from gravity. I asked if seppa need to adhere to hi groves on blades where the hi extends through the nakago, and he said yes. It was quite an impressive demonstration, and the precision that goes into fitting the seppa was eye opening. This leads me to speculate that seppa are made for specific koshirae at least on the nicer pieces. Obligatory disclaimer: This is from memory of his demonstration, and I am not a Tosogu expert or craftsmen. His demonstration may have been filmed, I wonder if there’s a copy of it anywhere.

Amazing work! It was a pleasant surprise to find this in my inbox this afternoon, and a great read. These posts of yours are a real benefit to the forum and community. Thank you so much, and I look forward to the next one! -Sam

I doubt it will affect the price much. Personally, as someone who researches these swords, it adds a level of interest for me. Although it detracts from "factory mint condition" status (but very few 95's meet that criteria anyway.). They are factory made blades that appeal to the militaria collectors, so some "wear and tear" is acceptable, and sometimes that even adds to the romance/allure of the sword itself. These Type 95 Gunto are usually dinged up a bit, and often altered - so it's pretty normal to see some funky paint schemes; and at least the black paint is believed to have wartime origin. I've seen a Type 95 spray painted entirely pink (post war obviously), so take that as you will . Below is a photo of a couple of my beloved Type 95 Gunto. You can see the one with the string wrapped saya. An example of some of the customization/alterations found on these. I can’t tell if my string is wartime or not, but I think it makes it stand apart - like the black painted saya does on your sword. All the best, -Sam

Hi Shaun, much of what you gathered is correct You have a very nice Pattern 2, Type 95 NCO Shin Gunto. From Suya Shoten Co at Tokyo First Arsenal. Nice early serial number. These are often called NCO Gunto for non commissioned officers, and are not associated with the navy, as far as I know. The black paint is less common, but not unheard of. Whether yours is wartime or later, hard to say. I can say that I’ve seen several with black painted scabbards, and it’s a nice look. Cool sword and thanks for sharing! It’s definitely genuine, incase you had any doubt. All the best, -Sam

I agree with what has been said above, I believe it's legit. Looks nice. A bucket list sword for me. Pattern 1, Type 95 Shin Gunto When it comes to these hard to find Pattern 1 swords, one cannot be too picky about the saya matching. The fact that it's a saya for a copper handle, and not a pattern2 saya, is a bonus. I've seen these go for big money lately. All the best, -Sam

It's wild isn't it? Glad I got mine when I did... It seems I just barely beat the price hike. For the last year or so, i've noticed that they've been commanding ~$1000 bottom dollar. Good ones seem to be listed for $2000, pretty regularly. Just a few years ago, you could find them for $500-$750, and that now seems impossible.

Sounds like our wives might get along Personally, I believe any weapon, especially one with an unknown history; deserves respect as a potential "death dealer." It can be tough to convince someone, especially a partner, that a blade has “never seen blood.” I usually explain to my wife that it’s impossible to know the full backstory of any weapon. It might have taken a life, but now that it's in my hands, I treat it with the utmost respect and care. In my experience, especially with the “hippy-dippy” types, intention matters a lot. Framing it as a tool you're honoring and caring for can make all the difference. (For context: I live in Oregon; beautiful, green, and the land of tree huggers. ) Anyway, here’s a thread I started a while back in the Izakaya. Might be worth a read, or even something to show your wives.

Thanks! Ya’ll are the best Much appreciated, -Sam

A friend sent me these pictures, and I was hoping to get him a translation. Apologies for the picture quality. Thoughts? -Sam

Really impressive Jussi! This is an extremely valuable document, and I wonder if Brian can add it to the downloads section. As someone who’s recently picked up some cataloging myself, seeing this work of yours is inspiring. I can’t imagine the eye strain you must have experienced during days of heavy data entry Thank you so much! Sincerely, -Sam

I agree with the above, and Bruce’s assessment; and I would personally jump on that opportunity for a cancelled order. It’s not a bad price if it’s real, but I think you can find something that will satisfy your interests more, if you give it time. IMHO, All the best, -Sam

Hi Edward, congratulations on your first Nihonto! Must be very exciting. Your observations on the sugata being similar to Kanbun era, are reasonable. It does appear to have little sori, and resembles Kanbun blades. I wonder though if there are signs of machi-okuri or suriage, but hard to tell from these photos in this light. I'd say chu kissaki. I would also look closely at the jihada. It might be the photos, but personally, I see a blend of masame and itame. Maybe some spots of mokume, too. Does the boshi have any turn-back? Your sword is what some might call an 'old soldier'; it may be a bit tired, but it sounds like you are well aware of that, and it does speak to it's history. More photos with some better light might help the more knowledgeable. Congrats, and thanks for sharing! -Sam (enthusiast and not an expert)

Be careful not to blindly trust the analysis on what appears to be a forged authenticity paper; and be aware of the possibility that an old piece of scrap metal could be repurposed. Nothing about this item is genuine, and I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. -Sam

It's very clearly a fake Japanese sword, and there's absolutely no doubt in my mind. The fact that it's been disputed for ~10 years would imply that someone is not trying very hard. Here is a helpful link to spot fakes in the future: https://www.jssus.org/nkp/fake_japanese_swords.html I am in no way trying to be rude, although I can see how it might seem that way. The fact is, it does not require an expert to tell a pigeon from a falcon. -Sam

I do enjoy that first one! -Sam From the museum's website description: "Sword fitting. Tsuba. Sentokudo. Squarish. A wolf seated on the ground among reeds, gold and silver zogan, turning round and baying at the moon, silver, among clouds. The wolf's teeth beautifully cut in gold. On the other side a kasa lying on the grass all gold zogan. Signature: Ichiiriuku Hisamitsu. Gold, silver, height, whole, 8.4 cm, width, whole, 7.5 cm. Japanese." https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-661628556

He was at the San Francisco sword show the last year or two. Very friendly and knowledgable! He had a Hosho katana in shirasaya+sayagaki that I still think about -Sam

Good eye @Rawa https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?item=336037970198&rt=nc&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211&_ssn=wangjuan58 Interestingly, the 95 fakes seem to have the same miss-stamped serial number. It seems only the Saya color that differentiates them. His fake swords are so alike, it's hard to tell that they are even different listings... Are they? Or is it the lighting? I cannot say for certain. -Sam

Careful, before you know it you'll want an example of all the different patterns (that's what has happened to me) For a deep dive into some of the nuance of these swords, Nick Komiya's contributions to the warrelics threads below taught me a lot; along with some very generous forum members here on NMB: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/short-development-history-type-95-gunto-676112/ This is a good one too: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/ija-type-95-nco-sword-info-228172/

Welcome to the forum Kyle @PhillyKid53! Nice to see new members interested in Yari. Best of luck in your journey! -Sam

Bruce is correct, it's definitely an old myth. Iijima in particular seems to have produced "pattern 2" swords until near the end of the war, while other arsenals transitioned to "pattern 3" earlier. It's easy to assume "pattern 2 is earlier than pattern 3", but it really depends on the specific arsenal and company. All the best, -Sam

It's a good question. @Kiipu would be the one who might have a good detailed answer; as my focus has been mostly on cataloging and dating. (But I am getting there! ) It's my understanding that Kokura administered the 95 program, but did not directly make or even supervise the making of the swords. Therefore your sword was presumably made and stamped at the Tokyo First Arsenal rather than traveling to Kokura to be stamped. Cool sword, and thank you for sharing! -Sam