Shin Gunto Saya Colours

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

 

I have noticed that shin gunto scabbards come in a variety of colours. Did different parts of the Japanese military specify different colours, or was it just down to the owner's personal preference?

 

Cheers,

Bryce

[Bruce Pennington]

Bryce,

 

I've never seen, nor heard of anyone who has seen, the official Army spec order delineating saya color. Ohmura, when discussing colors other than IJA green, calls them "special order..."

 

http://ohmura-study.net/714.html

[PNSSHOGUN]

I don't think any of mine have been the same, they all go from brown red, all sorts of army greens to light tan.

[IJASWORDS]

Bryce, good question, and one that I have pondered over as well. Basically because officers purchased their own swords I think you could choose your own color, or were at the whim of the sword maker. I have bright greens, even shark skin covered army swords. On some swords the fittings are not the usual copper color, but could be blackened. Nothing surprises me in the variations that surface.  

[Stephen]

Agree, Neil?

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

 

Thanks for your replies. It seems strange to me that the Japanese army would leave something like saya colour up to the individual. Were most gunto sayas the standard green or brown colour and it was only the special order guntos of high ranking officers or the rich and powerful which were a different colour?

Cheers,

Bryce

[hxv]

I have a gunto with brown/gold tone saya, 100% original, that houses a Muto Yukihiro star stamped blade. I’ll try to post a picture. Always wondered about the saya color myself. Glad the question was asked!

 

Hoanh

[Ontario_Archaeology]

From what I have read, anyone with enough money to afford the custom order could get what ever they want. As for why the Japanese Army would allow variation I have my theories, mostly to make the gunto mean more to the individual than just anther part of the uniform. What they represented and the ideals they projected meant a lot more than their usefulness, by allowing individuals to make the swords "their own" by customization would have made what they represented mean more to the solder I think.

Matt 

[PNSSHOGUN]

I have a gunto with brown/gold tone saya, 100% original, that houses a Muto Yukihiro star stamped blade. I’ll try to post a picture. Always wondered about the saya color myself. Glad the question was asked!

 

Hoanh

I had a Muto Yukihiro with the same light sand colour saya too.

[hxv]

John,

 

Is your saya lightly textured/specked, not uniformly painted like most saya?

 

Hoanh

[PNSSHOGUN]

From memory it was uniform. What year was your Yukihiro signed? I quite like his work.

[Dave R]

Here's one of mine.... The close up is more colour correct.

[IJASWORDS]

Nice vermilion color Dave.  

[Mark C]

Hi All,

 

I've owned most of the colors mentioned above but find this one interesting.

 

It's a gunto with sharks skin ( I think ) covered saya painted the normal chocolate brown. It has a loose leather saya cover as well.

 

All the best

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stephen]

Fantastic!

[IJASWORDS]

I got a few from vermilion through green to shark skin.

[Bruce Pennington]

What’s the second one from the right, Neil? Everything about it looks unusual !

[reeder]

Nice, Neil. Are there a couple there with mon on the fuchi? Any close ups if so?

[IJASWORDS]

Bruce, second from the right is green lacquered shark skin saya, and fittings are the rare "blackened" variety. 

Brandon, yep mons on fuchi. Interestingly both on type'94's and both general swords with provenance.  

[IJASWORDS]

I should have mentioned that both swords have the very thick pierce tsuba. 

[Bazza]

Bruce, second from the right is green lacquered shark skin saya, and fittings are the rare "blackened" variety. 

Brandon, yep mons on fuchi. Interestingly both on type'94's and both general swords with provenance.  

Neil,

 

Can you tell us more about the rare blackened variety, please??  I've never seen one that I can recall.

 

BaZZa.

[IJASWORDS]

Hi Bazza, yes a very rare option. There is a photo of mine, and a screen shot of Ohmura-study web site. He calls it "dying" but from my research it is produced by a special plating process of a silver/gold/copper alloy, some times called "black gold". 

I have only seen one in the flesh (my one), so any others that members could post, would be greatly appreciated.  

[IJASWORDS]

Some comparisons.