John C

This one is interesting. Claims to be a paratrooper sword based on the sarute. Wants 4,500. https://www.ebay.com/itm/126127983975?hash=item1d5dd04d67:g:TMAAAOSw3OdlIfiY&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwD87uaYXiuVHI6N3Vz8pzwFEEin%2Fk8a8f2JLoWpQCjLwgrVPKBXqTVPrg932r5Z3dlvAfYfdVd2iChOoO0f%2FZpc%2BXCcCbZgmMw5%2FycDDI3gn71YzE5AHlnVOdoUk1SVZEtQF4X6aVxaRaNyuTCkJjZJIBRN6hc2an0kuHXzA9YLvw7G0HjLui1haNpQoJufZYtFm9qlHB2rXiUAepfiYHXba6nf5hRjhnMth71X3lvxRbE%2Bt2Wh5U4WGNQU2bXqpuw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR-CShqbtYg John C.

It reminds me a little bit of the gensui-to shown on page 149 of Dawson. John C.

In the close ups, the tassel looks blue/brown, which would make it a company grade (Lieutenant, Captain, or warrant officer). Also, the ito may be a re-wrap. Note the uneven spacing and direction of the twists. Rob would be able to give you a better answer on that, however. John C.

John: I think phonetically it is: to si no tu ka yo But what that means, I have no idea. John C.

Paul: From those pics it does look like a showato type 98, however wakizashi were not made during the war to my knowledge. Two things could have happened; a sword meeting the minimum specs could have been donated or taken from home; or it could have been shortened during a field repair. There was an entire unit that did those. If the tassel is original, that is a plus. Just my opinion, John C.

@Bruce Pennington You have this label recorded already. Wasn't sure if you wanted to record the sword (saya actually) it came from: Kikumitsu dated 1945. https://www.ebay.com...3:g:wZwAAOSw3e5lLyNH John C.

Tom: You may need to wait for those folks who are acquainted with kantei to help out, however I can give you some of my observations. It looks to me as if the kissaki has been re-worked. Note the sharp angle. Also, it seems there is a filled mekugi-ana, which would suggest it has been remounted. These in conjunction with the deep sori suggest to me this is an older blade in gunto mounts. But again, take with a grain of salt until the experts weigh in. John C.

Yves: In general, polishing is very expensive - about 2,000 to 3,000 dollars (1,800 to 2,800 euros) per blade. Once polished, we go to great lengths to keep it as pristine as possible. I suspect that a sword that is going to be used for iai or any other form of martial art, would damage the integrity of the polish very quickly. Just something to consider. John C.

Dragonfly motif is interesting. Symbol of the samurai due to its strength; national symbol of Japan, buddhist symbol for the path to self-awareness or truth. Can't see the menuki very well. Does that match the dragonfly motif as well? John C.

Just something interesting (I hope) for those who have not seen it. Below is an example of using 2 twos rather than the traditional number 4 to avoid alternate meanings of the word "shi." The date would be Meiji 43. Here is an explanation from Japan-forward.com There are some variations of some of the characters. In the case of the number four (四), it is pronounced “shi.” This is the same sound for the pronunciation for the character 死, which means “death.” Similarly, the character for nine (九) can be pronounced “ku,” which also invokes the idea of “kurushii,” or extreme pain. Therefore, inscriptions containing these two characters are often avoided and alternative characters are used instead. For example, the character for four will almost always be written as two two’s. John C.

Here is a 45,000 dollar tanto offered by Komonjo for your perusal. Note the number of family mon represented on the saya. https://www.ebay.com...d:g:wT8AAOSwkVplMjDh John C.

So in re: Ron's sword above, it would most likely have to be traditionally made and water quenched to receive NBTHK papers, though there are recent exceptions. John C.

Ron: I have a question: I know oil quenched blades cannot receive a torokusho (generally), however can they receive shinsa papers? John C.

Patrick: I am far from an expert on the type 95, however the tuska and tsuba look legit to me. That said, the blade is giving me some concern. 1) the bohi is cut crooked and has that tapered ending toward the tip that is typical on fakes (look at the top of this page for an example of a real one). 2) the style of numbering is wrong. I believe a different font was used. So maybe some real parts on a fake blade?? Not sure. John C.

The smith's name is Kanenaga. It basically translates to Kanenaga from Seki made this. The Seki stamp would be a military inspection stamp. The date would be read Sho+wa+10+7+year+4+month = Showa 17 (1942), April. John C.

Looks a bit like a type 19 warrant officer's sword, but the pommel is different (see Dawson page 115 for comparison). John C.

Agree with it being unauthentic. Acid etched hamon; civil tsuka. John C,

The price notwithstanding, is that supposed to be St. George slaying the dragon but with a katana? John C.

Makes me wonder about the fakes we see often (the ones with the number on the habaki). Could they be stage swords made for the movie industry? John C.

Agree with the above... a "cut down" piece from a broken blade with short grinder-made bohi. No habaki? Probably for the tourist trade. John C.

Adam: Just my opinion, however I agree that the blade may not be of Japanese origin. Modern Japanese smiths need to be registered and certified; consequently there are not very many of them. Having gone through their training, apprenticeship, and certification, I would find it odd that it would not be dated as well as signed. Indeed, I believe a modern sword must be dated (this could be wrong, I just remember reading it somewhere). It very well could be a nice sword made in the Japanese style, however I suspect somewhere other than Japan. John C.

@Bruce Pennington Bruce: Any idea what the x above the Suya Shoten mark represents? https://www.ebay.com/itm/256186490944 John C.

Theories are proven OR disproven. Search for evidence and let that guide you. Just in general, many investigators run into trouble trying to "find" evidence that proves their theory. Remember too, that disproving and eliminating a theory is just as important, since you would no longer waste time researching it. IMHO, John C.

I assume so. Nomenclature seems to fit (although I did buy it off of ebay from a dealer in Texas). There isn't anything else special (identifiable) about it, although I believe the scabbard insert has the number 66 written on it in western numbers. John C.

This is the one I own. John C.