Wwii Sword - Looking For Advice And Parts

[dsol]

I created an account last year but there was a glitch after I made a posting about this blade my son found in the bottom of a cabinet in a really cool and disorganized antique store in Louisville. Got some confirmation on the translation here then the posts disappeared and my account was gone.

 

I had some photos posted here before, but they were photobucket links which no longer show up. I think I have a couple attached, will see how they show up after I finish the post...

 

Anyway, I haven't had time to mess with it until lately. We took it to the big OVMS show in Louisville hoping to find out a little more about it and some parts to assemble it back to a officer style sword. I don't know much about the different types and variants or what parts would be best for "restoration".

 

I do not plan on polishing the blade or anything like that, but I would like to find a tsuka, tsuba, and other small pieces to display it as a WWII officer's blade. From several people at the OVMS show, it is a hand forged blade, punched hole in the tang, sig is from a pretty decent smith that someone looked up in a big book. Probably made in the late 1930's. At the OVMS show, I would have bet money there would have been several people with boxes of misc parts, but had no luck at all finding a WWII tsuka.

 

Advice and suggestions on what to look for are welcome, if anyone has a box of old misc parts that could be used to put this blade back to a WWII configuration for display, please feel free to contact me.

 

Darrin S

[ROKUJURO]

dsol,

please sign all posts at least with your first name plus an initial so we can address you politely.

As you can see from the accompanying tag, the smith is KANEZUMI from NOSHU province. This may have been a Rikugun Jumei Tosho Swordsmith with family name SATO. But this needs to be researched further with the right books which I don't have.

[vajo]

兼住 (Kanesumi) 

 

Seki Swordsmith. Could we see the full Nakago and the whole blade please?

[dsol]

兼住 (Kanesumi) 

 

Seki Swordsmith. Could we see the full Nakago and the whole blade please?

 

Here are a few quick snapshots

 

Darrin S.

[Bruce Pennington]

You might want to send a PM to DaveR. He has some experience at refitting blades. I've heard some success stories, but I personally found it hard to do. Each blade has it's own curvature and size. Your best hope is to to get a complete set of Koshirae, as all the small parts are custom fitted to each other, and it's difficult to get individual pieces from here & there to all come together.

 

My mantetsu has a locking latch that is missing the spring. I bought 3 lactches to replace it, and NONE of them fit!

[dsol]

dsol,

 

please sign all posts at least with your first name plus an initial so we can address you politely.

 

As you can see from the accompanying tag, the smith is KANEZUMI from NOSHU province. This may have been a Rikugun Jumei Tosho Swordsmith with family name SATO. But this needs to be researched further with the right books which I don't have.

Heh... don't worry about being polite with me. I work in a hangar...

[reeder]

I'd dump it and try to find a complete example in better shape, you'd have a nice original wartime example and way more money left in your pocket vs trying to restore and piecemeal this one back together.

They're plenty of complete gunto mounts out there, but would be tough to find something where everything fit.  But how many collectors are into mismatched, post war put together swords when you decide it's time to move on?  It's hard enough to sell nice stuff with all matching, original parts these days.

[ROKUJURO]

Heh... don't worry about being polite with me. I work in a hangar...

Other than being polite, it is a rule here on NMB. Please read about board etiquette.

[Dave R]

Ebay is your friend here, lots of bits turn up all the time. For other stuff, depending on how much work you want to put into this... http://www.namikawa-ltd.com/  

 

They do a lot more than just polishing stones, and all of the best quality. They accept paypal, and have really improved their mail order process.

 

Ideally you want a gunto tsuka that fits, you are very unlikely to get one. I suggest buying a junk one and either refitting it, or using it as a pattern for an all new one made in Honoki.

 

Have fun,..... I find it to be an absorbing and rewarding endeavour, and you will learn a lot about gunto while doing this.

[paul griff]

Hello,

Very useful site Dave...Thanks for posting..

Regards,

Paul..

[dsol]

Ebay is your friend here, lots of bits turn up all the time. For other stuff, depending on how much work you want to put into this... http://www.namikawa-ltd.com/  

 

They do a lot more than just polishing stones, and all of the best quality. They accept paypal, and have really improved their mail order process.

 

Ideally you want a gunto tsuka that fits, you are very unlikely to get one. I suggest buying a junk one and either refitting it, or using it as a pattern for an all new one made in Honoki.

 

Have fun,..... I find it to be an absorbing and rewarding endeavour, and you will learn a lot about gunto while doing this.

 

Yes, been checking eBay and found a few items, (then get sniped at the last second). I did not know the term, but Koshirae was what I was trying to find and now that I know a little more on what to search for, I can narrow it down some. Thanks to all that took the time to reply. I had hoped to get lucky and find something at the OVMS military "Show of Shows" here in Louisville but spent the day walking the place and had no luck other than really helpful very nice people that jumped at the chance to look it up and tell me what they could.

 

This is just for a simple display, I am not a serious collector (yet... maybe some day). Kids in college preclude a bigger hobby budget for now.

 

Thanks all!

[PNSSHOGUN]

Better off getting a separate Gunto Koshirae with Tsunagi & having a Shirasaya made for the sword itself. You will get the same effect with display without the real headache that is trying to get a random Gunto Koshirae to fit your blade.

[IJASWORDS]

John is 100% correct. Trying to find a SAYA that fits your curvature and blade width is nigh impossible, as is finding a TSUKA that first of all fits, but secondly has the peg hole line up perfectly is also a fruitless quest. All outfits were made to suit specific blades. Buy, or trade this on a complete original sword.

[dsol]

Found a Gunto Koshirae on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/Excellent-WW2-Japanese-Shin-gunto-sword-mounts-with-wooden-filler-blade/132532429561?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

In excellent condition and fit my blade perfectly. Will  probably just dummy up the tsuka peg hole since it is for display only, don't want to drill a new hole. Thanks to all for the advice!