Navy Sword

[EdWolf]

Hello all,

My first sword. Hope you like it.

Sorry, not the best pictures

Regards,

Ed

[EdWolf]

and the last picture.

[hxv]

Ed,

 

Can you post pictures of the blade and & nakago?

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[EdWolf]

I don't have pictures of the blade. I don't know what part of the sword the nakago is. I will take some pictures next week and post them.

Regards, Ed

[Stephen]

The part you posted with the two kanji is the nakago, it will come its a life long journey, enjoy!

[EdWolf]

thanks! I will post some pics soon.

[paul griff]

Hello,

Judging by the fittings and the saya it looks like a really nice,well looked after sword....Would be nice to see the blade....Well done.,.

Regards,

Paul....

[EdWolf]

Yes, the condition of the sword is very good. More pictures soon...

[Grey Doffin]

Welcome to the crew Ed,

Here's a care & etiquette site; it's important that you know this.

http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm

Grey

[EdWolf]

Hi Grey,

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I have read the page and will buy some Choji oil to protect the blade.

Regards, Ed

[EdWolf]

Some better pictures of my navy sword. The label on the nagako is unreadable. Does anyone know what's normally printed on the label?

Regards,

Ed

 

[Stephen]

wow labels are usually long gone, dont think ive ever seen one left on, standard stainless steel blade. painted on stocking numbers, they might match tsuba and seppa.

[EdWolf]

Will the presence of the label add some value to the sword or is this more a little bonus. Can this kind of labels also found on army swords or only on navy swords or is this more related to the manufacturer of the swords?

[Brian]

Probably the logo of the store or retailer that sold the sword. Not common, so would add a little value to a militaria collector. But these being stainless machine made swords, they are at the lower end of sword prices. Still...probably about a $1000 sword, and the sticker will interest some collectors

[Stephen]

any matching numbers on tsuba seppa, MC see that as a bonus as well

 

 

( Military Collectors )

[EdWolf]

The tsuba and the seppa are all marked with the same number. Looks like 380.

[Bruce Pennington]

Is the other side unsigned? I have a navy gunto with the same Toyokawa Navy Arsenal stamp and the same sticker, unsigned. The blade is a bit different than normal, in the Takayama style with the fat kissaki tip, Looks like yours might be that way too?

[EdWolf]

Nice to see an other sword with a label. Yes, the other side is unsigned. I will compare the tip of the blade tomorrow.

[obiwanknabbe]

Here is an unusual point of preservation protocol. How would one protect the sticker? What could be done (other than just being careful) to keep it from disintegrating? 

 

Kurt K

[EdWolf]

Bruce, my sword has also the fat kissaki tip.

Regards, Ed 

[Bruce Pennington]

Fantastic! I have been told this style was designed by Takayama Masayoshi, who was an instructor at the Naval Academy in sword technique. His concept was developed after studying WWI trench warfare. The idea was draw, strike, kill with one blow. The more time spent hand-to-hand just increase the odds of someone else getting you from behind. So the blade is shorter, heavier, with more mass at the tip for more momentum.

 

There are blades of this style signed by the smith as dedicated to Takayama, and called a Takayama-to. I've also discovered there was a "Takayama Prison" that was making war swords. So I don't know the actual source for our blades, but it's possible they were being made by the prison, or the style was just requested by the naval officer buying the sword.

 

I've posted a couple of articles about Takayama below.

[EdWolf]

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for all the additional information! I still have to learn a lot.

Regards,

Ed

[IJASWORDS]

Hi Bruce, your great photos have prompted me to ask you a question. Why on most WW2 swords in original polish, the KISSAKI end of the MUNE has a frosted (or etched?) appearance, ending at or near the YOKOTE? Neil.

[Dave R]

  On 12/26/2016 at 8:32 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Fantastic! I have been told this style was designed by Takayama Masayoshi, who was an instructor at the Naval Academy in sword technique. His concept was developed after studying WWI trench warfare. The idea was draw, strike, kill with one blow. The more time spent hand-to-hand just increase the odds of someone else getting you from behind. So the blade is shorter, heavier, with more mass at the tip for more momentum.

 

There are blades of this style signed by the smith as dedicated to Takayama, and called a Takayama-to. I've also discovered there was a "Takayama Prison" that was making war swords. So I don't know the actual source for our blades, but it's possible they were being made by the prison, or the style was just requested by the naval officer buying the sword.

 

I've posted a couple of articles about Takayama below.

 Now that has me wondering about my Kaneyoshi blade, quite short, a discernible fumbari and a Bull head kisaki!

[tokashikibob]

Here's a Takayama sword, maybe Masayoshi.   However this blade is in army fittings so maybe not made in the Navy forge.   Direct from WW2 vet who grabbed it on Okinawa.

[SwordGuyJoe]

First two kanji before the "Takayama-to..." inscription is Ujifusa, so I am not so sure about Masayoshi

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 12/26/2016 at 8:49 PM, IJASWORDS said:

Hi Bruce, your great photos have prompted me to ask you a question. Why on most WW2 swords in original polish, the KISSAKI end of the MUNE has a frosted (or etched?) appearance, ending at or near the YOKOTE? Neil.

I've noticed that too, Neil, but have never heard. It would be a question to put directly to a swordsmith I would think.

[Brian]

It is burnished and then frosted over by the polisher, in the same style as the polisher marks under the habaki. Sometimes you see the same lines there. Just polishing tradition.

[Shamsy]

  On 12/26/2016 at 6:47 PM, obiwanknabbe said:

Here is an unusual point of preservation protocol. How would one protect the sticker? What could be done (other than just being careful) to keep it from disintegrating? 

 

Kurt K

A great question Kurt. Renwax perhaps, carefully applied to create a light barrier? I think that may work but won't be a perfect solution. I'm not in favor of the idea, but you could alternatively spray on some varnish, since stainless steel does not patina like regular steel anyway. Otherwise a stable, dry environment and minimising the number of times the tsuba is removed, which may wear the sticker. Beyond that I'm not sure exactly.

[Greg F]

Kurt another possibility to help preserve the sticker could be a layer of cling wrap but you would need to be very careful sliding the Nakago into the Tsuka to make sure it stays flat. I'm not sure how this would effect the patina compared to the uncovered nakago or which would take priority on these blades. All the best.

 

Greg