Interesting Iwo Jima Sword

[FletchSan]

Stumbled across this on YouTube - seems like a very interesting sword he has there based on the tsuba, habaki and saya. Would love to see that tsuka removed and some more images...

 

[Mister Gunto]

It could be. I just wish they had kept some oil on that blade. The rust is getting bad. 

[vajo]

 Ben what you see on the video?

 

I see an old shira saya, a edo Tsuba, a rusty blade and a complete destroyed tsuka. Ok the habaki is nice. I doubt this is the original koshirae to this unknown blade. So what should i notice? 

[ChrisW]

Potential is always there, no matter how ugly.

[FletchSan]

The same - though I guess also some potential.

 

I’ve invited him to post some pics on the forum should he want to find out a bit more about it.

[rask_michael1]

Hello All, 

 

I own the sword that is pictured in the YouTube video that was posted on here.  My grandpa brought it back after fighting at Iwo Jima and I have at home the slip of paper that says why the US that he is allowed to bring back home the sword and also a Japanese rifle.  My grandma was the one who gave me the sword once I got older way after my grandpa passed.  She also said that the rifle was lost or something many years ago.  I do not know much of anything about the model or who made the sword or the origins of it. She took it to someone who restores actual old Japanese swords and she said it would be very expensive to get the handle and blade restored. I'm wanting to do that at least later in life once I have the money. 

 

Thanks everyone, 

 

 

Michael      

[Greg F]

Hello Michael and welcome, its not in good condition but still a cool thing to have passed down in the family.

I hope you can afford to have it restored sooner rather than later. Please keep the blade lightly oiled. People here may tell you its not worth restoring financially but Because its a family treasure I think it is.

Please learn as much ax you can on Nmb and even get some books.

 

All the best

 

Greg

[SteveM]

I'd love to see more pictures of the scabbard (saya in Japanese) so that we could see what's written on it. From your video I can make out a bit, but it is quite mysterious to me. The sword looks like an old (as in 100s of years) old sword that was re-purposed for the war. The handle is a write-off, and the split-open scabbard doesn't offer much protection anymore, so if you do decide to restore it, I would start with a polish and new, plain scabbard. You are looking at a cost of about $2000 for that whole treatment. Often we find that the sword is a fake Japanese blade and so these are obviously not worth spending any money on. Or, we sometimes find blades that are authentic, traditionally-made blades, but they have serious flaws like cracks or deep pitting, rust, or deep chips in the blade area, and these swords tend to have less value than the $2000 or so that a polish and saya would cost. But if you are looking at preserving a bit of history, and are not so concerned with the economics, that is what it will cost you. Until you decide to make that decision, keep the sword lightly oiled as Greg says above. And, there are a gazillion threads similar to this one that have other hints and tips, so dig around on this board for more info. 

 

From what I can see of the scabbard

 

長貮尺壹寸 length of two shaku, one sun (about 23.99 inches)

代金参百枚 value of 300 gold mai

 

The long writing on the scabbard is what is puzzling to me. If we could see more, we might be able to figure it out. 

記之洛北鷹峯隠士徳友囗光悦九世之

This is some reference to a location in Kyoto, Takagamine, where the Hon'ami family had a villa. Hon'ami Koetsu (whose name appears towards the end of this inscription) was established there.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hon%27ami_K%C5%8Detsu

 

Edit: removed a wrong character

[Ron STL]

Michael, it is interesting to read about your interest in your grandpa's sword picked up on Iwo Jima. Most likely he picked up a souviner to bring home from a pile of swords and rifles gathered after the battle, as is often the case. Good to see he survived the battle. Back in February 1957 I spent one night on Iwo Jima and while there made the drive to the top of Suribachi to see the monument. It was humbling. Over the years I've bought a fair number of swords picked up on Iwo, but today only have managed to keep three. Why? Just because they came off Iwo Jima. A piece of history. 

 

Your sword, while it looks a bit sad today, could hod some promise from a collector's viewpoint. While the tsuka (handle) is mounted as an army officer's sword, the scabbard is not. It is quite possible this old shirasaya (resting scabbard) was carried by some oficer and was covered in a leather scabbard for taking it into the field. The tsuba (guard) is non-military and seems a bit large for the sword, but who knows if it is original to the sword. The habaki (color) in nice quality and can be identified to a specific province in Japan, possibly where the owner came from. The old shirasaya has a sayagaki written on it which actually lists a "value" for the sword, often written by the Hon'ami appraisers. If original to the sword, it would be interesting to translate the full sayagaki. As you've read here, much can be learned from gently removing the tsuka to see if a swordsmith's mei (signature) exists. If a very old sword, often this tang is unsigned but still can point to age and maker of the sword. The sword deserves some study, pretty or not at this stage. If nothing else, keep it in memory of your grandfather who survived that time in history. 

Ron STL

[Markus]

The part that Steve pointed out is a wording used by Hon'ami Chōshiki (本阿弥長識, ?-1893) for his sayagaki. It reads:

 

洛北鷹峰隠士徳友齋光悦九世之劣孫

Rakuhoku Tagamanine inshi Tokyūsai Kōetsu kyūsei no resson.

"Ninth generation after Tokuyūsai Kōetsu who had retired to Takagamine located in the north of Kyōto."

[Ron STL]

Interesting, Marcus, to see this a Hon'ami sayagaki. I would guess the part stating "Ninth generation..." is written with old style kanji? Recently, I have been asking about Hon'ami "value" sayagaki under "transaltions" here. Always interesting to learn about these Hon'ami sayagaki. Your book on Hon'ami is very helpful. Maybe the owner of this sword will provide a couple photos of the nakago for our pleasure, signed or not signed. 

Ron STL

[Markus]

Hi Ron, not an old style kanji but just a different term for "generation", i.e. (世) instead of (代).

[scrotty]

Hi Michael,

 

Indeed an interesting topic for me as I am a collector and my father was a Marine Iwo Jima veteran. When I became interested in swords I naturally asked him, whether he had ever found or captured one. He was on Guam before Iwo, the 21st Regiment of the Third Marine Division. He saw some on Guam, being traded by Marines to Army Air Corps pilots for cases of cheap booze once Guam was secure...but he never found one. He lasted 11 or 12 days on Iwo before being badly wounded, he was a machine gunner, he simply told me he did not have any time to look around....

 

Hope you keep us posted

 

Steve

[rask_michael1]

Hello,

 

I will post some more pictures in a few weeks when I am back home. From looking at it before I didn't see any markings on it. 

 

Here are some more pictures from my Instagram account that I took awhile back.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV5rftHgSL1/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYXQMlmABON/

 

Michael

 

[rask_michael1]

New video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z95rAlZDeeg

[rask_michael1]

On 2/1/2019 at 4:07 PM, Ron STL said:

Michael, it is interesting to read about your interest in your grandpa's sword picked up on Iwo Jima. Most likely he picked up a souviner to bring home from a pile of swords and rifles gathered after the battle, as is often the case. Good to see he survived the battle. Back in February 1957 I spent one night on Iwo Jima and while there made the drive to the top of Suribachi to see the monument. It was humbling. Over the years I've bought a fair number of swords picked up on Iwo, but today only have managed to keep three. Why? Just because they came off Iwo Jima. A piece of history. 

 

Your sword, while it looks a bit sad today, could hod some promise from a collector's viewpoint. While the tsuka (handle) is mounted as an army officer's sword, the scabbard is not. It is quite possible this old shirasaya (resting scabbard) was carried by some oficer and was covered in a leather scabbard for taking it into the field. The tsuba (guard) is non-military and seems a bit large for the sword, but who knows if it is original to the sword. The habaki (color) in nice quality and can be identified to a specific province in Japan, possibly where the owner came from. The old shirasaya has a sayagaki written on it which actually lists a "value" for the sword, often written by the Hon'ami appraisers. If original to the sword, it would be interesting to translate the full sayagaki. As you've read here, much can be learned from gently removing the tsuka to see if a swordsmith's mei (signature) exists. If a very old sword, often this tang is unsigned but still can point to age and maker of the sword. The sword deserves some study, pretty or not at this stage. If nothing else, keep it in memory of your grandfather who survived that time in history. 

Ron STL

thanks, here is a new video

sorry for the late response

[SteveM]

The writing on the wooden scabbard indicates the sword was made by Shizu Kaneuji, maybe 700-ish years ago, and potentially worth many, many thousands of dollars. You need to handle it like you are handling a precious diamond or a crystal wine glass or a Rolex watch - only slightly more precious than a Rolex. You should absolutely not touch the blade with your bare hands and fingers, because each time you do, you potentially devalue the blade. You can already see there are tons of fingerprints all over the blade in addition to the rust. 

 

The sword needs the attention of a trained Japanese sword polisher. I cannot stress enough how important it is to avoid touching, scratching or scraping or using any kinds of solvents or abrasives on this sword, and just keep it in its wooden scabbard for now until a professional can take a look at it. 

 

The WW2 fittings I'm not so fussed about, because they are already in dire condition, and the sword itself sword predates all of those fittings by hundreds of years. If you Google "Shizu Kaneuji" I'm sure you can find a ton of information on him. 

[rask_michael1]

1 hour ago, SteveM said:

The writing on the wooden scabbard indicates the sword was made by Shizu Kaneuji, maybe 700-ish years ago, and potentially worth many, many thousands of dollars. You need to handle it like you are handling a precious diamond or a crystal wine glass or a Rolex watch - only slightly more precious than a Rolex. You should absolutely not touch the blade with your bare hands and fingers, because each time you do, you potentially devalue the blade. You can already see there are tons of fingerprints all over the blade in addition to the rust. 

 

The sword needs the attention of a trained Japanese sword polisher. I cannot stress enough how important it is to avoid touching, scratching or scraping or using any kinds of solvents or abrasives on this sword, and just keep it in its wooden scabbard for now until a professional can take a look at it. 

 

The WW2 fittings I'm not so fussed about, because they are already in dire condition, and the sword itself sword predates all of those fittings by hundreds of years. If you Google "Shizu Kaneuji" I'm sure you can find a ton of information on him. 

Thank you for the comment. I did a lot of research before hand and was able to oil the blade. I have not done anything else. I get out of college soon and plan to take it in to restore. My grandma took it to a local guy to be checked out. I'll need to see if I can find the business card to do background research on him. Thank you again for telling me all of this info. I am into coins and computers and do not know anything about swords in general though I do know history. Everything is much appreciated! 

[rask_michael1]

1 hour ago, SteveM said:

The writing on the wooden scabbard indicates the sword was made by Shizu Kaneuji, maybe 700-ish years ago, and potentially worth many, many thousands of dollars. You need to handle it like you are handling a precious diamond or a crystal wine glass or a Rolex watch - only slightly more precious than a Rolex. You should absolutely not touch the blade with your bare hands and fingers, because each time you do, you potentially devalue the blade. You can already see there are tons of fingerprints all over the blade in addition to the rust. 

 

The sword needs the attention of a trained Japanese sword polisher. I cannot stress enough how important it is to avoid touching, scratching or scraping or using any kinds of solvents or abrasives on this sword, and just keep it in its wooden scabbard for now until a professional can take a look at it. 

 

The WW2 fittings I'm not so fussed about, because they are already in dire condition, and the sword itself sword predates all of those fittings by hundreds of years. If you Google "Shizu Kaneuji" I'm sure you can find a ton of information on him. 

Well what is the chance this sword on the island in the pile of other swords didn't have a scabbard on it so he just found a random one to put on it. I don't know what they used to hold them in war but is there a chance this goes to a different sword? I could send a pic of how it sits in it but I have no clue. 

[ChrisW]

If it fits well in the scabbard? Unlikely..

 

Wartime made scabbards made for wartime blades generally fit less forms than older style blades which have a different curvature by comparison.

You could check, if the scabbard is already split, by laying it in one half of the saya and see how it conforms to the inside. Does the habaki fit well in the mouth of the scabbard? With time, it does wear open wider, but if it fits well, that helps to confirm its correct.

[noneed2hate]

Fascinating sword, would really love to see this one cleaned up. The nakago is particularly interesting in that it seems to have been filed down pretty crudely, perhaps in order to fit the wartime tsuka fast and quick, but anyone's guess is as good as mine. 

Nihonto aside for a moment:
Regarding the Marine Service dress jacket you were unsure of in the video, that patch is for 2nd Marine Division, and the cord is called a French Fourragere which was awarded to 2nd Marine Division, 6th regiment, as well as the 1st Marine Divisions 5th regiment to recognize their efforts in Belleau wood during World War 1. The French Fourragere is still in use today by units that have not since been disbanded. Stripes on the sleeve signify the rank of Corporal.

Back to the sword, if you are having a difficult time holding it by just the tang, you can use a soft cloth (or a tissue) to hold it so your fingers are not in direct contact with the blade, would recommend cleaning the blade with denatured alcohol to remove any acidic oils such as those from fingers that may be present and re-oiling with a protective coat of a non-chemical oil (such as mineral oil)

[SteveM]

9 hours ago, rask_michael1 said:

what is the chance this sword on the island in the pile of other swords didn't have a scabbard on it so he just found a random one to put on it.

 

Hello Michael,

 

There is a possibility that the sword and the wooden scabbard don't go together. I think it is unlikely because that wooden scabbard is one that wouldn't go to the battlefield. I don't know why or how it came in this condition into your family, but its not super important at this stage. (There are military scabbards that are specifically made for the wartime blades. This forum is filled with pictures of them if you look in any of the military blade sections. The handle (what remains of it) is actually a military-style handle. Again, why the blade has a military handle but a wooden scabbard is a mystery for another day. Right now its best to focus on the blade itself.)

 

The butt end of the sword (the "tang", or in Japanese its called the "nakago") shows that it has been shortened at some point in its life by being cut-off. This means the sword was originally longer than it is now, maybe by a few inches. When it was shortened, the handle no longer matched up where the peg-hole in the tang was. Actually, it was shortened so much that the original peg-hole is now where the sword ends. So the owner had to have a new peg-hole opened up in the tang. Then, it looks like it was shortened again, so once again the owner had to place a new peg-hole in the tang, and had the 2nd peg-hole filled up with maybe a silver alloy. These are telltale signs of a traditionally-made, antique "samurai" sword. Multiple peg-holes are almost never seen in armory swords. (You might find a military sword that has been shortened once, but twice with one of the peg holes filled in would be almost unthinkable). 

 

Also, the tip of the sword has an elegant-looking longish pointed tip (called the "kissaki" in Japanese). This longish tip is almost never seen in armory swords. It is, however, one of the hallmarks of Shizu Kaneuji. 

 

So these clues tell us the sword is older, and traditionally made. 

 

The sword is in bad shape, but hopefully not in such bad shape that it can't be restored. Your job now is to make sure it doesn't get into worse shape while you decide what to do with it. You mentioned you already oiled it - hopefully with a lightweight oil like sewing machine oil or something similar. Any time the sword is handled, it should be wiped down again, using a soft cloth like the kind used for cleaning glasses or camera lenses - and then oiled again. Just a fine sheen of oil is all you need. You don't want so much oil that it will collect and pool up or drip anywhere. Then put the sword away out of sight, out of big swings in temperature or humidity. Leave the furnishings on display if you like, but I would put the sword away from curious eyes and hands. 

 

Then, you have a decision to make about restoration. I would forget about the guy that your grandma sought advice from, unless he's a Japanese sword expert. There are a few traditionally trained Japanese sword restorers in the US. Their names are available in a few posts on this site. Beware of any bubba who claims he can polish Japanese swords. You wouldn't take a Rolex to any dude with a set of screwdrivers and some power tools. You'd take it to a dealer or a repairman who knows Rolex watches. Its the same with swords. Unfortunately, youtube is full of guys who claim they can restore antique blades, and they end up ruining the blades. I mean completely ruining them - so that the blades have no value any more. The goal is not to make the blade shiny and sharp. The goal is to bring out the near-microscopic particles in the hardened edge. You can't do this with power tools, and you can't do it unless you know what you are looking for.

 

The sword polisher should also know instantly what a "Shizu Kaneuji" sword should look like. I think the 3 or 4 guys in the US who are well-trained polishers will know this. Sword polishing is not cheap. Upwards of $3000 for this sword, I think. And, you will want a new wooden scabbard made for the sword, because that 100+ year old wooden scabbard is probably full of rust and mold and other funky stuff. Keep the 100+ year old scabbard because the writing on it is precious, but the sword will need a new, clean scabbard for storage. 

 

If you are ever in doubt, please ping us on this board, or get in touch privately with one of the dealers on this board, and we can give you advise. We are all primarily concerned with preserving these precious historical items. 

 

If you are interested, here is a thread from someone who, like you, had an antique sword that was a bit of a mystery. Your sword could be the same kind of story. Of course, your sword could also be something less than a masterpiece, or it could be cracked or flawed, and this would make it considerably less precious. Anyway have a read through this in your spare time. 

 r

 

 

 

 

 

[rask_michael1]

3 hours ago, SteveM said:

 

Hello Michael,

 

There is a possibility that the sword and the wooden scabbard don't go together. I think it is unlikely because that wooden scabbard is one that wouldn't go to the battlefield. I don't know why or how it came in this condition into your family, but its not super important at this stage. (There are military scabbards that are specifically made for the wartime blades. This forum is filled with pictures of them if you look in any of the military blade sections. The handle (what remains of it) is actually a military-style handle. Again, why the blade has a military handle but a wooden scabbard is a mystery for another day. Right now its best to focus on the blade itself.)

 

The butt end of the sword (the "tang", or in Japanese its called the "nakago") shows that it has been shortened at some point in its life by being cut-off. This means the sword was originally longer than it is now, maybe by a few inches. When it was shortened, the handle no longer matched up where the peg-hole in the tang was. Actually, it was shortened so much that the original peg-hole is now where the sword ends. So the owner had to have a new peg-hole opened up in the tang. Then, it looks like it was shortened again, so once again the owner had to place a new peg-hole in the tang, and had the 2nd peg-hole filled up with maybe a silver alloy. These are telltale signs of a traditionally-made, antique "samurai" sword. Multiple peg-holes are almost never seen in armory swords. (You might find a military sword that has been shortened once, but twice with one of the peg holes filled in would be almost unthinkable). 

 

Also, the tip of the sword has an elegant-looking longish pointed tip (called the "kissaki" in Japanese). This longish tip is almost never seen in armory swords. It is, however, one of the hallmarks of Shizu Kaneuji. 

 

So these clues tell us the sword is older, and traditionally made. 

 

The sword is in bad shape, but hopefully not in such bad shape that it can't be restored. Your job now is to make sure it doesn't get into worse shape while you decide what to do with it. You mentioned you already oiled it - hopefully with a lightweight oil like sewing machine oil or something similar. Any time the sword is handled, it should be wiped down again, using a soft cloth like the kind used for cleaning glasses or camera lenses - and then oiled again. Just a fine sheen of oil is all you need. You don't want so much oil that it will collect and pool up or drip anywhere. Then put the sword away out of sight, out of big swings in temperature or humidity. Leave the furnishings on display if you like, but I would put the sword away from curious eyes and hands. 

 

Then, you have a decision to make about restoration. I would forget about the guy that your grandma sought advice from, unless he's a Japanese sword expert. There are a few traditionally trained Japanese sword restorers in the US. Their names are available in a few posts on this site. Beware of any bubba who claims he can polish Japanese swords. You wouldn't take a Rolex to any dude with a set of screwdrivers and some power tools. You'd take it to a dealer or a repairman who knows Rolex watches. Its the same with swords. Unfortunately, youtube is full of guys who claim they can restore antique blades, and they end up ruining the blades. I mean completely ruining them - so that the blades have no value any more. The goal is not to make the blade shiny and sharp. The goal is to bring out the near-microscopic particles in the hardened edge. You can't do this with power tools, and you can't do it unless you know what you are looking for.

 

The sword polisher should also know instantly what a "Shizu Kaneuji" sword should look like. I think the 3 or 4 guys in the US who are well-trained polishers will know this. Sword polishing is not cheap. Upwards of $3000 for this sword, I think. And, you will want a new wooden scabbard made for the sword, because that 100+ year old wooden scabbard is probably full of rust and mold and other funky stuff. Keep the 100+ year old scabbard because the writing on it is precious, but the sword will need a new, clean scabbard for storage. 

 

If you are ever in doubt, please ping us on this board, or get in touch privately with one of the dealers on this board, and we can give you advise. We are all primarily concerned with preserving these precious historical items. 

 

If you are interested, here is a thread from someone who, like you, had an antique sword that was a bit of a mystery. Your sword could be the same kind of story. Of course, your sword could also be something less than a masterpiece, or it could be cracked or flawed, and this would make it considerably less precious. Anyway have a read through this in your spare time. 

 

 

Thanks for the advise, will message here if needed. All of this is still very interesting!

 

 

 

 

[rask_michael1]

4 hours ago, SteveM said:

 

Hello Michael,

 

There is a possibility that the sword and the wooden scabbard don't go together. I think it is unlikely because that wooden scabbard is one that wouldn't go to the battlefield. I don't know why or how it came in this condition into your family, but its not super important at this stage. (There are military scabbards that are specifically made for the wartime blades. This forum is filled with pictures of them if you look in any of the military blade sections. The handle (what remains of it) is actually a military-style handle. Again, why the blade has a military handle but a wooden scabbard is a mystery for another day. Right now its best to focus on the blade itself.)

 

The butt end of the sword (the "tang", or in Japanese its called the "nakago") shows that it has been shortened at some point in its life by being cut-off. This means the sword was originally longer than it is now, maybe by a few inches. When it was shortened, the handle no longer matched up where the peg-hole in the tang was. Actually, it was shortened so much that the original peg-hole is now where the sword ends. So the owner had to have a new peg-hole opened up in the tang. Then, it looks like it was shortened again, so once again the owner had to place a new peg-hole in the tang, and had the 2nd peg-hole filled up with maybe a silver alloy. These are telltale signs of a traditionally-made, antique "samurai" sword. Multiple peg-holes are almost never seen in armory swords. (You might find a military sword that has been shortened once, but twice with one of the peg holes filled in would be almost unthinkable). 

 

Also, the tip of the sword has an elegant-looking longish pointed tip (called the "kissaki" in Japanese). This longish tip is almost never seen in armory swords. It is, however, one of the hallmarks of Shizu Kaneuji. 

 

So these clues tell us the sword is older, and traditionally made. 

 

The sword is in bad shape, but hopefully not in such bad shape that it can't be restored. Your job now is to make sure it doesn't get into worse shape while you decide what to do with it. You mentioned you already oiled it - hopefully with a lightweight oil like sewing machine oil or something similar. Any time the sword is handled, it should be wiped down again, using a soft cloth like the kind used for cleaning glasses or camera lenses - and then oiled again. Just a fine sheen of oil is all you need. You don't want so much oil that it will collect and pool up or drip anywhere. Then put the sword away out of sight, out of big swings in temperature or humidity. Leave the furnishings on display if you like, but I would put the sword away from curious eyes and hands. 

 

Then, you have a decision to make about restoration. I would forget about the guy that your grandma sought advice from, unless he's a Japanese sword expert. There are a few traditionally trained Japanese sword restorers in the US. Their names are available in a few posts on this site. Beware of any bubba who claims he can polish Japanese swords. You wouldn't take a Rolex to any dude with a set of screwdrivers and some power tools. You'd take it to a dealer or a repairman who knows Rolex watches. Its the same with swords. Unfortunately, youtube is full of guys who claim they can restore antique blades, and they end up ruining the blades. I mean completely ruining them - so that the blades have no value any more. The goal is not to make the blade shiny and sharp. The goal is to bring out the near-microscopic particles in the hardened edge. You can't do this with power tools, and you can't do it unless you know what you are looking for.

 

The sword polisher should also know instantly what a "Shizu Kaneuji" sword should look like. I think the 3 or 4 guys in the US who are well-trained polishers will know this. Sword polishing is not cheap. Upwards of $3000 for this sword, I think. And, you will want a new wooden scabbard made for the sword, because that 100+ year old wooden scabbard is probably full of rust and mold and other funky stuff. Keep the 100+ year old scabbard because the writing on it is precious, but the sword will need a new, clean scabbard for storage. 

 

If you are ever in doubt, please ping us on this board, or get in touch privately with one of the dealers on this board, and we can give you advise. We are all primarily concerned with preserving these precious historical items. 

 

If you are interested, here is a thread from someone who, like you, had an antique sword that was a bit of a mystery. Your sword could be the same kind of story. Of course, your sword could also be something less than a masterpiece, or it could be cracked or flawed, and this would make it considerably less precious. Anyway have a read through this in your spare time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i was able to find where my grandma took it to, website is http://Japanese-swords.com/ name is fred lohman

[Tensho]

Fred Lohman passed away a while ago. Either way, not a place to have this polished. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Nothing to do with the price of fish, but a friend just got back from a month on Iwo Jima. (Actually it is usually called 'Iwo-To' which sounds like 'Ee-oh-toh' in Japanese. In general of course, 島 can be read To, or Shima/-jima, depending on local usage.)

 

I do not think it is possible for ordinary visitors (?) nowadays, but he was invited there on a Self Defense Forces' flight to work on repairing some of their equipment. 

[rask_michael1]

39 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Nothing to do with the price of fish, but a friend just got back from a month on Iwo Jima. (Actually it is usually called 'Iwo-To' which sounds like 'Ee-oh-toh' in Japanese. 島 can generally be read To, or Shima/-jima, depending on local usage.)

 

I do not think it is possible for ordinary visitors (?) nowadays, but he was invited there on a Self Defense Forces' flight to work on repairing some of their equipment. 

Thats amazing!

[rask_michael1]

6 hours ago, Tensho said:

Fred Lohman passed away a while ago. Either way, not a place to have this polished. 

ah ok, thanks for letting me know. is what is the reason?

[Bruce Pennington]

Michael,

 

They are trying to be very careful, and not say that you have a $100,000-$400,000 sword. But what they are hinting at is that you may. You have something very exciting there, and you should be very selective on who you bring it to for polishing. 

[rask_michael1]

On 2/1/2019 at 4:07 PM, Ron STL said:

Michael, it is interesting to read about your interest in your grandpa's sword picked up on Iwo Jima. Most likely he picked up a souviner to bring home from a pile of swords and rifles gathered after the battle, as is often the case. Good to see he survived the battle. Back in February 1957 I spent one night on Iwo Jima and while there made the drive to the top of Suribachi to see the monument. It was humbling. Over the years I've bought a fair number of swords picked up on Iwo, but today only have managed to keep three. Why? Just because they came off Iwo Jima. A piece of history. 

 

Your sword, while it looks a bit sad today, could hod some promise from a collector's viewpoint. While the tsuka (handle) is mounted as an army officer's sword, the scabbard is not. It is quite possible this old shirasaya (resting scabbard) was carried by some officer and was covered in a leather scabbard for taking it into the field. The tsuba (guard) is non-military and seems a bit large for the sword, but who knows if it is original to the sword. The habaki (color) in nice quality and can be identified to a specific province in Japan, possibly where the owner came from. The old shirasaya has a sayagaki written on it which actually lists a "value" for the sword, often written by the Hon'ami appraisers. If original to the sword, it would be interesting to translate the full sayagaki. As you've read here, much can be learned from gently removing the tsuka to see if a swordsmith's mei (signature) exists. If a very old sword, often this tang is unsigned but still can point to age and maker of the sword. The sword deserves some study, pretty or not at this stage. If nothing else, keep it in memory of your grandfather who survived that time in history. 

Ron STL

Hi Ron, i just uploaded a new video.. an actual video of the sword as well as other items. Here is the link:

thanks for messaging and I know some time has passed.