Need Help With WW II Katana Blade ID

[keno]

This WW II Katana belongs to an 85 year old retired Special Forces Colonel friend.  He obtained it between 1949 and 1960.  I volunteered to look into the identification of the blade.  To my untrained eye it looks like sword number 36 on the Military.com site...http://www.quanonline.com/military/military_reference/Japanese/sword_36.php. There are NO markings on the tang. Please see the thumbnails below,  Thanks Ken

 

[francois2605]

You'd probably get more answers by asking in the "Military Swords of Japan" section of this forum.

 

Maybe Brian can move the topic there ?

[keno]

Thanks!!!!!!

[Bruce Pennington]

Ken,

Appears to be a standard Type 98 Japanese officer sword. You can read more than you ever can know at Ohmura's site: http://ohmura-study.net/900.html

 

Hard to tell if traditionally made or not due to condition of the blade, but my guess is non-traditional. Doesn't mean "machine made", that's a misnomer. Mostly it means oil-quenched rather than water, but he nihonto guys can give you a more expert opinion on that.

 

The wood/leather cover is often called a combat saya. The all-brown tassel is now believed to be used by the ciivian forces that worked with the army, called Gunzoku (read about it here:http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/what-were-regulations-army-civilian-employees-carry-swords-701783/). Both the NCO and officer equivelants were authorized to wear Type 98 officer gunto.

[BANGBANGSAN]

Its' Type 98 Gunto with older Mumei blade.

[keno]

Thanks for the help!!!!!