My First Model 32 Otsu

[Bruce Pennington]

Bought on an impulse. Good thing I didn't take a closer look at the saya, or I probably wouldn't have bought it, but I'm glad I did! SERIAL# 5814! Dawson says the range is from 1,xxx to 130,xxx. If these started production in 1899, then this came out in the second year or so. Dawson also says low number gunto are very rare, so guess I stumbled into a rare one. Just a shame the saya is wrong.

 

Look through Dawson, my guess is the saya from a Model 19, though I couldn't find examples of one with the koiguchi screw holes offset like this one. It's a couple inches short for the blade and someone had actually split the end enough for the tip of the blade to stick through enough for the handle to bottom out on the koiguchi. At first I thought it had been cut open, but a closeup of the area shows tearing of the metal. So I don't know what to think about that.

 

Blade is nice, with several edge-dings. Shows the same rough sharpening marks I've been seeing on almost all Model 32s.

 

The end retention nut had been replaced with a standard nut. The patina on the outside of the nut seems to be inline with the rest of the handle, so it may have been done in the field.

[Bruce Pennington]

Shot of the stamps. Dawson says the stamps, other than the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal, are instpector stamps. Some come with date stamps there, but this one didn't. One of mine is identical to one of these in Daswon.

[lonely panet]

Why buy mistatched type 32s Bruce??

 

Numbers under 10000 are rare. But in incomplete condition with mismatched saya.

 

Should have kept looking

[Shamsy]

I'll have to disagree here. Serial numbers under 10,000 are scarce, not rare. I've seen several matched in the less than 10k range over just a few months.

 

It's a shame that this one was a bit of a letdown Bruce, but hey, you win some, lose some. Like I said, they're only scarce so I'd not worry, you'll find another before long. If I don't get it first! Luckily I'm both poor and primarily interested in 95's.

 

My otsu is a nice one but in the 122k so nothing scarce other than condition. My ko however is a totally original matched 1,000 (1,569 to be precise). Interesting to compare, as you can see how small details changed between early and later models. Up until about 8k the serial numbers were a smaller font and the throats a different design.

 

Good luck mate, maybe I'll point a couple out like the side lock 95 when you're in the market

[Hastur]

The blade seems pretty good, has the same sharpening marks on my type 32 as well. The nut and sheath utterly confound me but the tip on it seems undamaged at the least and I have owned far worse "repair" jobs... one of my previous buys had someone take a belt sander to get rid of a nick... but only sanded that one section leaving a noticeable dip in the blade

[Bruce Pennington]

Yes I was very pleased to see the overall condition and tip considering it was in service for 45 years, probably at least 2 wars.

 

I like the heft of the blade. Very solid, a true weapon.

[Hastur]

they handle well and are very stout for a calvary sabre, very little flex in them compared to my European examples.