This Nakago Looks Weird

[LakeBum]

I'm not buying this sword, just purely for my own curiosity.  The nakago looks like it was added on after the sword was forged.  Wondering what your better trained eyes would see. http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-Japanese-SAMURAI-ARMY-OFFICER-SWORD-LATE-WAR-KATANA-/222668947215?hash=item33d81a7f0f:g:xvwAAOSwCbtZ1wDX

 

Thanks for your time,

 

Jason

[Kai-Gunto]

Just rust under the habaki.

[Ray Singer]

I would say it is more than that, and that the nakago has been deeply ground in the area below the habaki-moto.

[Geraint]

Dear Jason.

 

As I enlarge the image I think what you are seeing is a chip from the ha, that accounts for the fact that the machi appear to be different heights.  Oh, and the uniform rust under the habaki.

Be interesting to see the rest of the nakago, I suspect an older blade.

 

Edit to add. Hmm! See what you mean Ray, that last image in particular.

 

All the best.

[LakeBum]

Ray you hit it, that is exactly what I was talking about.  Thanks for enlarging it!  The blade itself actually looks OK, but that one spot just looked off to me.

[Bruce Pennington]

This must be an old blade that had some damage. The two large mekugi ana are either from an old blade or the nakago is from a Type 95. WWII officer gunto only had one ana. So it could have been an old blade, damaged and repaired, or a damaged shinguto with a Type 95 nakago reattached.

 

I'm puzzled by the non-military fuchi. That would be fine if this were a pre-WWII blade refitted in combat IJA fittings, but the ito and same' look very new. But then why would the fuchi have standard WWII paint scheme?

 

Other than the fuchi, it all looks legit Japanese, but it's definitely got a story it could tell.

[Kai-Gunto]

Bruce . Some times the fuchi is plain with small dots on gunto’s.

[Dave R]

I don't like this one. I am perhaps too cautious but the ito-maki is odd for a Shin-gunto. The saya cover not what I would expect. Plenty more fish in the sea.