PNSSHOGUN Posted August 27, 2017 Report Posted August 27, 2017 I'm wondering if any of you have swords in your collection that retain evidence of war time use (or older such as kirikome etc)? The only true example I have seen is in the Australian War Memorial and had been used on an Australian soldier during combat, cut from the shoulder to the hip. The blade was severely chipped and bent in the process. I believe he survived and killed the Japanese officer and took the sword back with him. I'd be very interested to see other examples, especially with provenance, if you have them. Personally I think a Gunto with Kanbun blade I recently bought has evidence of wartime use, mainly a bend near the monouchi, light scuffs/scratches consistent with cutting, spidery rust marks and very fine edge damage in one spot that I can't really capture. Quote
vajo Posted August 27, 2017 Report Posted August 27, 2017 I see ware and scratches and maybe a hagire on the first pictures. Not a typicall kirikomi. Btw how you will find out if all that is coming from a battle? Maybe it comes from bad treatment. Regards Chris Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted August 27, 2017 Author Report Posted August 27, 2017 I see ware and scratches and maybe a hagire on the first pictures. Not a typicall kirikomi. Btw how you will find out if all that is coming from a battle? Maybe it comes from bad treatment. Regards Chris My photos are not very good, but fairly sure those aren't ware but stabilized spider rust. The marks (to me) don't look like post war abuse such as cutting trees or the like. Of course I don't know for sure, I'm just going with the evidence I have, the mounts have heavy use as well. Quote
Shamsy Posted August 27, 2017 Report Posted August 27, 2017 I've got swords that I strongly suspect saw use... But absolutely no concrete evidence to back that up. Chips in the cutting edge, sharpening, wear and stains consistent with use... I used to have a gendaito with a .45ACP impact in the tsuba. It was a good sword, but I moved it on a while back. It's likely we all have swords that saw use, but difficult to verify unless you buy it off a veteran. Waiting for Stegel to share his sword. 3 Quote
Death-Ace Posted August 28, 2017 Report Posted August 28, 2017 Thats pretty neat! I've seen a few on the web and in the person that could be attributed to bullet strikes. One I saw on the WAF has a .45 lodged between the tsuba and fuchi, wrecking those and lodging it self between those and the mune of the nakago. There was a Mantetsu on sale once that had a strike in the same place, obliterating that area of the tsuba and fuchi, but leaving a moderate dent on the nakago. Guess those blades definitely have a reputation they uphold! 1 Quote
paul griff Posted August 28, 2017 Report Posted August 28, 2017 Hello, This one has a bullet strike to the nakago showing the damaged tsuka and the subsequent replacement..Bought of a board member some time ago who I believe obtained the sword from a dealer in the U.S.A ( also uses the board ). A very nice sword signed Emura... Regards, Paul.. 5 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted August 28, 2017 Report Posted August 28, 2017 John, I wish I had better pictures of my dad's Mantetsu, Koa Issin, before I had it polished. It's dated Spring 1941 and had scratches and stains fairly all over the blade. Only 2 small nicks in the cutting edge. I felt it was from use during the war. I'll post what I have: Quote
Stegel Posted September 13, 2017 Report Posted September 13, 2017 is in the Australian War Memorial and had been used on an Australian soldier during combat, cut from the shoulder to the hip. The blade was severely chipped and bent in the process. I believe he survived and killed the Japanese officer and took the sword back with him. That sounds like a real nasty cut, hard to see anyone surviving that! If the sword was bent and damaged, i suspect it was of a 'poorer' quality to do so, or the soldier was wearing some of his gear which may have helped with the damage. An awkward Knock with not much pressure can cause the edge of a blade to chip (even on wood), so i would discount edge chips as obvious 'battle' damage. It may just be post war mistreatment and too hard to prove as conclusive battle damage such as a bullet for example. A bit different to World War type damage from bullets/shrapnel and such, I have a sword with what appear to be knicks along the back edge or spine, although the rest of the blade is in fine polish. i've been told these could be from actual sword to sword combat, as the practice was to preserve the edge and block with the back of the blade if possible. A polish would fix edge chips, but not really the deeper gouges on the spine of the blade. The blade is by Ujifusa from 1770. I havn't got any photo's, but will try to get some and post when i get a chance. 5 Quote
vajo Posted September 13, 2017 Report Posted September 13, 2017 This was a Dotanuki Wakizashi that i had in my collection. In Gunto Koshirae. Two deep kirikomi. 4 Quote
Dave R Posted September 13, 2017 Report Posted September 13, 2017 A not particularly good or clear picture of a cut to the mune of one of my mumei wakizashi, with other pics of the blade. It arrived as a bare blade, so no idea of when it was last carried. 5 Quote
lonely panet Posted September 13, 2017 Report Posted September 13, 2017 I had a 2 handed kyu gunto with a taisho blade, it was send to Andrew Ickeringill to repair a bend in the blade. He pointed out after the repair the it had been reground on the HA towards the center, to repair the cutting edge so possible battle damage or just damage, just very interesting. 1 Quote
tokashikibob Posted September 17, 2017 Report Posted September 17, 2017 This one has a hole through the scabbard and the blade. Also, may come with bothersome ghost. I should sell it.... Best regards, Bob 7 Quote
Kai-Gunto Posted September 18, 2017 Report Posted September 18, 2017 Got this Kaigunto with bullet strike on the tsuka and nakago. Last photo shows the sword to the right, it got a wakizashi blade mounted. 6 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted September 29, 2017 Author Report Posted September 29, 2017 I went back to the AWM and got a few pics of that sword I mentioned before: 5 1 Quote
IJASWORDS Posted September 29, 2017 Report Posted September 29, 2017 WOW, great photos and a great story. 1 Quote
Shamsy Posted March 19, 2018 Report Posted March 19, 2018 Here's one for the thread. A Type 95 with two bullet holes. The first has passed through the saya, slightly bent the blade and carved a smooth channel through the steel, to blow a big hole out the other side of the saya. On the tsuka there is a smaller bullet hole passing just by the locking latch and straight through the aluminum and wood without too much mess. This has blown out the bolt screw. Overall pretty worn and stained blade, the old girl earned a quiet retirement. 7 1 Quote
BANGBANGSAN Posted March 19, 2018 Report Posted March 19, 2018 This one has a hole through the scabbard and the blade. Also, may come with bothersome ghost. I should sell it.... Best regards, Bob come with bothersome ghost sounds scary... Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted March 19, 2018 Report Posted March 19, 2018 Here's one for the thread. A Type 95 with two bullet holes. The first has passed through the saya, slightly bent the blade and carved a smooth channel through the steel, to blow a big hole out the other side of the saya. On the tsuka there is a smaller bullet hole passing just by the locking latch and straight through the aluminum and wood without too much mess. This has blown out the bolt screw. Overall pretty worn and stained blade, the old girl earned a quiet retirement. My guess is that the soldier wearing this had gotten some much unwanted attention! Wonder if he faired any better than the gunto did?! Quote
paul griff Posted March 22, 2018 Report Posted March 22, 2018 Hello, I sold this gunto some time ago to a friend who wanted something interesting as a display piece..It came as part of a consignment from a museum a number of years ago and the dealer who was selling them couldn't move this one because of the damaged blade..I bought an expensive gunto off him and got this one for it's history..The sword looks like it has seen some heavy use and judging by the wear on the heavy duty ashi was carried for a considerable amount of time..The only parts of the sword not original to it are the tsuba,seppa's and sarute...The third party who picked the sword up for me switched them and kept them and the nice pierced tsuba that originally adorned it , he denied it and I couldn't get them back....lesson learned...! That's the only reason I let it go...A sad fate for many gunto..! Regards, Paul... 4 Quote
Jon MB Posted March 25, 2018 Report Posted March 25, 2018 This one has a hole through the scabbard and the blade. Also, may come with bothersome ghost. I should sell it.... Best regards, Bob Sorry Bob, but could we hear a tiny bit more about the ghost? 1 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted March 26, 2018 Author Report Posted March 26, 2018 Some absolutely corking examples here, thank you all for sharing these. I would also like for Bob to clarify what spirits are attached to the sword! Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted April 22, 2018 Report Posted April 22, 2018 Here's a navy dirk, posted by "Clay" at Gunboards: 7 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted May 2, 2018 Author Report Posted May 2, 2018 Looks like that was a "below the belt" hit.... 1 Quote
Bruce Pennington Posted May 2, 2018 Report Posted May 2, 2018 Couple more type 95's with damage here: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?1002922-Battle-damaged-sword 1 Quote
Joe Choi Posted May 6, 2018 Report Posted May 6, 2018 Hello... Long time no post... I have a Hattori Masahiro in Civilian Mount that has the "Battle Scars" It has the damages in the right places... 2 Quote
Greg F Posted May 7, 2018 Report Posted May 7, 2018 Hi Joe my guess would be this damage would have happened after the war from an owner playing Samurai. I could very well be wrong and hope i am. Greg 1 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted May 7, 2018 Author Report Posted May 7, 2018 That's what it looks like to me as well, perhaps an ex stage piece or Dojo sword. Quote
Johnny Barracuda Posted June 5, 2018 Report Posted June 5, 2018 Hello there, Long time no see! I have a kyu gunto with battle scars, probably a clash between two officers between the Russo-Japanese war, because the blade is slightly chipped. Cheers 1 Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted June 6, 2018 Author Report Posted June 6, 2018 Any pictures Thibault? Though rare I suppose the Russo-Japan and Sino-Japan wars were the last time sword on sword fighting was likely to occur. 1 Quote
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