Broken ww2 type 98 Blade Ueno Hiroshi-soku

[phil reid]

Picked this up out of Japan as a bit of a curio but does anyone know why these wartime blades were snapped and why they were keep afterwards?? ( the fittings on this are pretty ordinary but its probably just a put together with some modern copy seppa / sheath cover) I have the blade translation as Ueno Hiroshi-soku

cheers

Phil in Perth Australia

[cabowen]

It is signed Ueno Sukenori Saku

 

It was broken because it was thought to be a non-traditionally made blade and those are illegal in Japan. They are not allowed to be imported and when they turn up, they are often destroyed like this.

[phil reid]

Thankyou for that and the corrected translation . Does anyone know why the broken swords were keep afterwards ? Did the officer have to hand his blade in for breaking and then allowed to keep the broken blade as a token of his military service or were the swords just collected on mass with the blades snapped and scrapped and the fitting just sold off as curios to whoever would buy them or kept as a tally of illegal swords destroyed ?

[cabowen]

Once broken they are allowed to be kept as souvenirs.

[phil reid]

Is this a province name on the blade 上野 ? Kozuke ?

[Brian]

These weren't broken as some goverment initiative or anything organized. These were cut by dealers or owners who were scared they were in posession of an illegal sword, and wanted to sell the fittings. So the broken blade serves as a tsunagi.

Let's say as a militaria dealer you come across some old guy who still has his sword at home. You buy it...cut the blade, and then sell the koshirae since all dealers know they have value.

In Japan I saw many Gunto koshirae sold without blades or with cut blades, and when you asked about them, the dealers became very cagey and defensive.

I think it happened (and still happens) a lot, and there are probably LOTS of swords out there that are not registered. Even at the various flea markets I came across quite a few unregistered swords.

 

Brian

[cabowen]

The government will do it as well if they are brought it for license or are attempted to be imported. Yes, there appears to be quite a few unregistered swords in Japan.

[Bruno]

It seems there is a core steel. Phil, may you confirm/infirm please?

[phil reid]

Hi Bruno , Ive added a a cross section shot . Looks to have been machine cut then snapped . I know a couple of chaps with a good knowledge of metal that ill get to checkout and post results if they show that its actually a core but dont think so .

Phil

[Bruno]

Thanks Phil. Nice cross section shot, I am no expert but it resembles to a core steel to me. I do not see arsenal stamp, so maybe traditionally forged with Western steel. Chris Bowen will probably know.

[cabowen]

You would need to properly polish the cross section. Sometimes showato are made with core steel in a kobuse construction. Still oil quenched in nearly all cases.

[Dave R]

I think this blade was ground all round the blade to a certain depth and then snapped to complete the break. The semi polished ground area contrasting with the granular broken area gives the impression of a core steel within a case steel, ie Kobuse.

I could be wrong, I frequently am, but that is the impression I have... I have done similar to shorten (an already broken) Western Military blade.

[ROKUJURO]

As Chris said, you would have to grind even the cross section cut and then polish it without inducing too much heat. In Japan they would bring out different steels or hardnesses that way, but a composite construction can also be made visible by etching the cut with ferric chloride.

[bluboxer]

I agree with Dave R and think it is a gunto with homogeneous steel.

If it were truly kobuse construction you might be able to see it in the mune.

Just my opinion.