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Introduction to the Type 94, Type 98, & Type 100 Gunto

Kiipu

By Kiipu
in Military Swords of Japan

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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1938 "Type 100" Contingency Sword design started.

Disposal of manufactured saber for equipping warrant officers

将校准士官軍装用軍刀製作払下の件

https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/imageen_C01001632300?IS_KEY_S1=C01001632300&IS_KIND=SimpleSummary&IS_STYLE=eng&IS_TAG_S1=InfoSDU&

 

1940 Introduction of the "Type 100" Gunto.

Selling manufacture of sword for officer and warrant officer

将校准士官用刀製作払下に関する件

https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/imageen_C01002426200?IS_KEY_S1=c01002426200&IS_KIND=SimpleSummary&IS_STYLE=eng&IS_TAG_S1=InfoSDU&

 

This sword was introduced in 1940 and should be called Type 100 to distinguish it from the Type 94 and Type 98. See this article by Nick Komiya for more details.

http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/deflating-another-myth-type-3-army-officer-s-sword-expanded-version-584796/

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Ganko Proficient

Ganko

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I recorded dates on many star stamped Type3(?) and type 98  swords for over a decade from numerous sources (115 pieces total)and the earliest I observed was Mar 1942 for type 3 and Feb 1942 for type 98. There were type 3 by Gassan Sadakatsu, Miyairi Shohei, Tsukamoto Okimasa, Kato Sanekuni, and Mitsuoki(Shibata Ka pseudonym) as well as well as many other well thought of gendai smiths. Could it have taken two years for smiths to start making them?

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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My Akihisa Type 3 is December 1941

Well this is a start.

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/23862-timeline-type-3-gunto/?hl=komiya&do=findComment&comment=241712

 

In the post above they are using the navy designation of Type 0 and not the army designation of Type 100.  Since this is an army sword, it should use the army designation.

Imperial Japanese Navy = 1940 = Type 0

Imperial Japanese Army = 1940 = Type 100

 

In the last few days I also came across another 1941 dated Type 100 Gunto in one of the other forums.  I will keep my eyes open for it again.

 

Thank you for the information about the earliest date for a star material stamp.  This information will be useful down the road.  What is the latest date that you have seen for a star stamped gunto?

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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General Araki was the driving force for the adoption of the Type 94. Below is what Hillis Lory had to say about it.

It was General Araki who, after the Manchuria campaign, urged all officers to abandon the cheaper commercial weapon of the West and adopt the samurai sword as their priceless birthright.  The beauty of the traditional Japanese sword, the excellence of its steel, the exquisiteness of its detail evoke spontaneous admiration from the most impartial observer.

 

A Japanese officer today will mortgage his house and go into debt for years, if necessary, to own one of these swords.  Five hundred yen ($115) is not considered a high price, although it is over thrree times the monthly salary of the highest ranking captain.

 

In addition to his sword, the officer must pay for his food and uniforms.  His food is inexpensive but clothes are high---often amounting to another 500 yen.

 

Lory, Hillis. Japan's Military Masters: The Army in Japanese Life. New York: The Viking Press, 1943.

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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The latest star stamped type 100 I found was may 1945 and the latest star stamped type 98 was April 1945.

 

Fuller & Gregory (F&G) mention a June 1945 blade on a Type 100 but do not state if it is star stamped.

 

I think this was the thread about early Type 100's but they are discussing photographs and not blades.  F&G mention this as well.

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/17717-deflating-another-myth-the-type-3-army-officers-sword/

 

Fuller, Richard, and Ron Gregory. Japanese Military and Civil Swords and Dirks. Charlottesville, Va.: Howell Press, 1997. Pages 78-82.

Bruce Pennington Grand Master

Bruce Pennington

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Thomas - great thread! Thanks for posting!

 

This gunto suffers quite a bit, though, from the many names it goes by - Late War; Navy Landing Forces; Type 3; Type 0; Type 100; and counting. In Nick Komiya's article, which you cite, he argues quite strongy against using the "Type" term at all, stating the "Types" are created by Imperial edict. The Contingency model had no such edict and was an interim fix to the problems caused by the expensive 94s and 98s. The Engish name for the gunto, according to Nick, is "Contingency Standard Sword" or Japanese (in English!) "RINJI SEISHIKI GUNTO". I hate typing all that, so I call it the "Rinji" or "Contingency model."

 

As to the near 2 year order-to-street time line - it's seems to be true in other areas as well. The stamping of non-traditional blades was ordered in 1938, but the stamps really didn't get going until 1940. I suspect it's simply that it takes time from an order to spin up tooling and manufacturing to make it happen.

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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@Ganko So far, this is the earliest Type 100 I have seen and it is dated July 1941.  Judging by the serial number, production may have only recently begun.

Arsenal Mark on RJT sword Fittings, Post #97

 

Bruce has recorded three Type 100s that are dated December 1941 with serial numbers ranging from 535 to 621.

Arsenal Mark on RJT sword Fittings, Post #136

 

Do you by chance remember who the swordsmiths were that made the star-stamped blades made in February and March 1942 that you mentioned above?

Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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I was referring to post #4 above.  I asked as the earliest star material stamp date in the Fuller data is August 1942.  Yet Ganko gives dates that are earlier.

Informations About The Rjt, Post #17

 

On 9/4/2019 at 5:26 PM, Ganko said:

I recorded dates on many star stamped Type3(?) and Type 98 swords for over a decade from numerous sources (115 pieces total) and the earliest I observed was March 1942 for Type 3 and February 1942 for Type 98.

 

Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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@Ganko Another early Type 100, serial number 470, can be seen at the link below.  This is the earliest Type 100 I have seen which includes a picture of the fittings.  To date, the serial range for this "upside down" serial number is a low of 106 by 宗利 Munetoshi and a high of 798 by 昭久 Akihisa.

Pawn Shop Gunto

 

@kotachi  If this sword is still at hand, can you check it for any markings on the top of the tang (nakago mune)?

Bruce Pennington Grand Master

Bruce Pennington

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If those are brass inserts in each hole, I don't see it being field or post-war Bubba.  The perfect fit required, the flanging of the edges ... looks more like factory/shop work to me.

 

We have recently seen another steel tsuba with a 6-star mon drilled.

 

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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On 9/5/2019 at 8:24 PM, PNSSHOGUN said:

I wonder if there are higher quality photos of the initial Type 94 available? The ones on Ohmura are quite small.

 

Some of Ohmura's Type 94 pictures do not display properly on the English page; however, the same pictures do show properly on the Japanese page.

Japanese: 昭和９年制定陸軍制式軍刀

English: Army Commissioned Officers Shin-Guntō 1934

 

Below is a link to a Type 94 with an old blade and dress belt.  Sadly, the tassel is missing in action.

Type 94 Katana

Edited by Kiipu
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Ganko Proficient

Ganko

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Sorry about the late replay, I haven't been active on the board for a while.  To answer Thomas's question as to the makers of the earliest star stamped pieces I saw which were dated Feb 42 and Mar 42. They were a 98 by Hizen Masatsugu and a type 3 by Kanetsugu respectively. I saw a type 3 by Kanenobu dated Spring (Haru) 1942 also, it could Mar. ?

I have attached a  graph showing the dates, type of mounts and quantity of each that  I observed. I stopped recording these swords about five years ago.Starstampgraph.docx

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Bruce Pennington Grand Master

Bruce Pennington

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12 hours ago, Ganko said:

Sorry about the late replay, I haven't been active on the board for a while.  To answer Thomas's question as to the makers of the earliest star stamped pieces I saw which were dated Feb 42 and Mar 42. They were a 98 by Hizen Masatsugu and a type 3 by Kanetsugu respectively. I saw a type 3 by Kanenobu dated Spring (Haru) 1942 also, it could Mar. ?

I have attached a  graph showing the dates, type of mounts and quantity of each that  I observed. I stopped recording these swords about five years ago.Starstampgraph.docx

Thanks for that, Tom.  Any chance of photos?

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Kiipu Grand Master

Kiipu

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Ran across a reference that stated the Type 100 was designed by Kokura Army Arsenal.  The information is coming from a 1941 dated Japanese magazine.  The rest more or less restates comments already made by Nick.

工學と工業 1941.

小倉陸軍造兵廠で試作研究の結果,新軍刀の誕生となつたもので,今後毎年約 3,000 口を製作,偕行社と軍人會館から戦地用として

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John C Veteran

John C

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A translation of what Thomas posted - I thought the 3,000 per year was good info.

 

Engineering と Industry 1941

As a result of prototype research at the Kokura Army Arsenal, a new military sword was born, and about  3,000 swords will be produced every year from now on, and they will be used in the battlefield from Kaikosha and the Soldiers' Association.

 

John C.

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