Latest Edition... ‘Civilian Officer’ Sword?

[Windy]

Picked this up this week. Not really sure what it’s all about. Signed Seki blade in partial Type 98 mounts and civilian tsuba and saya. Officer tassel and surrender tag.

 

[Windy]

Trying to get other pics on, but files are too big. Working on it.

[Fuuten]

Depending on the app/program you're using, image processors often have a tool for this.

 

Mostly found under >tools >resize/ adjust size.

[Windy]

[Windy]

[Stephen]

Munemichi or chika

 

Showa ju shichi 

 

nice clean gunto good pick up

[Windy]

Number 4 in my collection, first with a tassel.

Not sure about the saya?

Whats likely to be written on the cotton surrender chit? There are black ink/painted kanji.

 

[SteveM]

Whats likely to be written on the cotton surrender chit? There are black ink/painted kanji.

 

 

Name and address of the person who surrendered it, most likely.

[Grey Doffin]

The mei is Munechika.

Grey

[Windy]

Anyone got any ideas re the saya and kabutogane/sarute?

 

I think the saya and leather cover are very similar to the one shown in Dawson’s on page 209, chapter on civilian swords in military use.

 

The kabutogane and sarute are of much lower quality than my other two Type 98s.

 

The tsuba is quite nice, I not sure if the pics show it well, but some of the detail is in silver and gold.

 

The tassel is in really good condition, 51cm in length.

 

I’m toying with the idea of carefully flattening out the chit to get a pic of the kanji.

 

All in all, it seems an odd sword....I’d love to know it’s story.

[Windy]

The mei is Munechika.

Grey

Many thanks Grey. What is the date?

[Stephen]

Already told

[Baka Gaijin]

Morning Matt.,

 

Here's a good site, not Nihonto but excellent for explaining Modern era dates:

 

http://shinhanga.net/dates.htm

 

Here from the site is a quick way of working out dates for Taisho And Showa:

 

 

A helpful shortcut to converting Taisho years to Western years is to add the Taisho year number to 1911.

 

For Showa, add the year number to 1925.

[Bruce Pennington]

Matt,

 

I don't understand what bothers you with the saya. There were many variations of the leather covered combat saya, and were carried by military officers as well as civillian Gunzuko.

 

The wire-type sarute is found on Type 98s fairly commonly. Not as common as the higher-grade sarute, but I've seen plenty.

 

The civilian tsuba is a mystery to me. I understand civilian tsuba on an old blade converted to IJA use, but this is a showa blade. Unless the blade wasn't made FOR the army! I have not heard or read anything about swords made during the war, but made for private sale, not military. Has anyone? Maybe this blade was a private purchase, not inspected by army arsenal personnel, therefore considered "civilian."???

[Windy]

Matt,

 

I don't understand what bothers you with the saya. There were many variations of the leather covered combat saya, and were carried by military officers as well as civillian Gunzuko.

 

The wire-type sarute is found on Type 98s fairly commonly. Not as common as the higher-grade sarute, but I've seen plenty.

 

The civilian tsuba is a mystery to me. I understand civilian tsuba on an old blade converted to IJA use, but this is a showa blade. Unless the blade wasn't made FOR the army! I have not heard or read anything about swords made during the war, but made for private sale, not military. Has anyone? Maybe this blade was a private purchase, not inspected by army arsenal personnel, therefore considered "civilian."???

Just haven’t seen one like this before matched with military fittings, then I referred to my trusty Dawson’s and noted the similarity with the civilian sword as described.

 

The blade is Seki stamped, and is super sharp!

 

Re the date.....1942, is there a month in there? I’m still pretty hopeless with this translation lark!

[Windy]

Anyone able to make any sense of the writing on the surrender chit?

God only knows when it was last opened out properly like this.

 

[SteveM]

香港郵便局

酒匂三男

 

Hong Kong Yubinkyoku (← Hong Kong post office)

Sakō Mitsuo  (name)

[Windy]

香港郵便局

酒匂三男

 

Hong Kong Yubinkyoku (← Hong Kong post office)

Sakō Mitsuo  (name)

Cheers Steve.

That’s very interesting, might explain the civilian fittings, but what about the company tassel?

[Dave R]

 I have seen (online) quite a few old iron tsuba on Showa era Gunto. A bit of customisation,, a nod to the samurai heritage, or the desire for a tsuba that could not be cut through in combat?,Not rare, but a nice piece of individuality on a uniform item.

[Bruce Pennington]

The blade is Seki stamped, and is super sharp!

 

Re the date.....1942, is there a month in there? I’m still pretty hopeless with this translation lark!

No month. There are many variations they used on the date, from NO date, to just a year, to month/year, to "a day" in month/year, and sometimes "a lucky day" month/year.