chrome mounted Mantetsu

[Grey Doffin]

Just yesterday I picked up a gunto, signed, "Koa Issin Mantetsu" (Asia one heart, Manchurian steel). What's unusual about it is that the standard army Shin-Gunto mounts have been chrome plated: saya, ashi, koiguchi, sepa, tsuba, fuchi, kashira, and even the menuki. The chromed menuki are under intact, period tsuka-ito that shows appropriate age so I know this was done by the Japanese before the sword was surrendered. I've seen blades chromed in the US after the war but never one done before surrender (this blade isn't chromed; just the mounts).

Have any of you seen this before? Any idea what it means?

Thanks. Grey

[Geoffrey Ward]

Hello Grey,I also have a Mantetsu gunto with the original owners tag on it.All fittings appear to be standard gunto fittings.However I also have a gunto which I believe was a special purchase item.The saya is finished in a high gloss copper/brown.and all fittings with the possible exception of the seppa are made of copper! Perhaps your fittings could be a "Custom "option??I am very curious about gunto "Options" There are many opinions regarding sarute. Some say All Army sarute were made of metal.Some say only the Navy had cloth sarute.I have several gunto with replacement sarute made of wire and such.I believe these are field expedients. The same copper fitted Army gunto had a cloth sarute!Can anyone elaborate on the options were availible on military mounted swords?Being new to the forum I do not wish to offend anyone by posting questions about shingunto.I know this forum is dedicated to the study of Nihonto.I am trying to educate myself. Gunto is a vehicle for me to move foreward.I am at the crossroads so to speak.so the opinions of the more advanced collectors are important to me.All comments welcome, Geoff

[Geoffrey Ward]

So as not to be confusing.This is the Army Gunto not the Mantetsu piece.Thanks Geoff.

[Guest Simon Rowson]

Dear Geoff,

 

Gunto simply means "army sword" and refers to the military koshirae.

 

Whist the majority of Showa era Shin-gunto had machine-made blades, many others had either older, ancestral blades or contemporary, traditionally-made gendaito and are therefore fully worthy of discussion on this forum. In fact, my own favourite sword is a Shin-gunto with a blade made by Yasutoku of the Yasukuni Shrine in 1938.

 

My friend, Ohmura Tomoyuki san (who is the foremost expert on gunto in Japan), strongly feels that even the machine-made examples have a significant place in recent Japanese history as every IJA and IJN officer who carried a sword viewed it as both a symbol of his rank and as a physical embodiment of his personal integrity. It was his most treasured possession, regardless of how it was made.

 

As to your questions, I have encountered many army swords with a brown lace sarute that are not field replacemnets - including a general's gunto. The options for the customization of Shin and Kai-gunto were vast, especially in the pre-war years before raw materials became scarce.

To see some of the many variations possible, I suggest you visit Ohmura san's site at:

http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_002.htm

 

This is probably the most exquisite custom-gunto I have ever seen and shows you just what the officer could do if he had the budget.

http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_022.htm

 

All the best

Simon

 

PS Grey, if you can post or PM me some pictures of your chrome Mantetsu, I'm sure Ohmura san would be interested to see them and may be able to shed some light on this sword for you.

[Henry Wilson]

... post a few pics here? I am very curious about the said sword.

[Guest Simon Rowson]

Hi Henry,

 

Thanks! I just saw your message(s) and will reply properly later today (Just about to pick the wife up).

 

Like you, I'm very interested in seeing Grey's Mantetsu as it sounds like the "Quadrophenia" version of the gunto!

 

All the best,

Simon

[Grey Doffin]

Here are links to pictures of the sword:

 

 

I'll try 2 to see if I've done this right. If so I'll post the rest.

Grey

[Grey Doffin]

That wasn't what I was hoping for but at least you get to see the pictures.

 

I've never seen the "W" mark at the top of the nakago. As you can see I'm missing the ishizuke at the bottom of the saya. If any of you have a spare I'd like to get one before I sell the sword

Any info anyone can supply will be appreciated.

Grey

[Stever]

Hi Grey,

 

I've seen some references to the 'W' stamp before, I'll try to see if I can find them again. I did find this (very small) reference on Dr. Stein's site, perhaps it will help you along the path:

 

http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/showa.htm

 

By the way, beautiful sword and mounts!

 

cheers,

/steve

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Hi Grey, Hi Geoffrey.

I know a guy that is making a Mantetsu's blades factory numbers

datatbase. I dare to ask you if you can share the one on your blades.

I can ask him to contact you directly if you prefer to deal the matter in private.

 

Thanks for your time.

[Grey Doffin]

No problem. The number on the mune of the nakago is 345, followed by an incredibly small Kanji.

Grey

[Geoffrey Ward]

I would be happy to contribute .I will try to post pictures as soon as possible.Thank you all Geoff.

[Geoffrey Ward]

I am trying to post pictures

[Geoffrey Ward]

again

[Guest Simon Rowson]

Amazing sword Grey!

 

Is there any chance of a close-up shot of the menuki before I forward this on to Ohmura san (as they provide the absolutely conclusive proof that the chroming is contemporary with the blade)?

 

Steve, regarding the "W" stamp: John Slough says in his "Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868 - 1945" that:

 

The W stamp appears on blades made by Takehisa and Haruhisa, it has also been found in conjunction with the Na stamp (Nagoya) on Nambu pistol magazines.

 

All the best,

Simon

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Thanks ! I'll provide a link to the person interested.

Many great info on other details of the mounting and great pictures

available too, so a link is finer then sheer numbers.

 

Thanks again.

[Stephen]

Grey

 

nice find I think I have see one other gunto with the chrome works, and five or six Mantetsu with the w stamp.

 

Geoff

 

Please check your pix before you post. I think I deleted about 4 repeat and some post just saying more or pix. I would like to see the stamp on the side by the mune stamp...is it a Seki? this would be a rare find to have a Mantetsu with a Seki stamp.

[Grey Doffin]

Here is a picture of the menuki:

 

 

Grey

[Geoffrey Ward]

Thank you for deleting the redundant photos Stephen.I"m not sure what happened here is the stamping you asked about . Thanks Geoff.

[Mark]

Grey

 

the sword looks interesting, i have never seen one with chrome mounts. I noticed you are planning on selling it. I hate to see it go on eBay before list members have a chance. What did you want for it?

[Grey Doffin]

Gee, I thought you'd never ask. I'll sell it for $2,000 plus post & insurance. I have other pictures and specs on the blade; contact me directly: gdoffin(at)cpinternet.com if you're interested. Phone works also: 218-726-0395 US central time.

Grey