Gunto Tsubas

[kinnza]

So I dug around looking for information on Shin Gunto tsubas, and found bits and pieces, but not a lot of consolidated info. So I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread about different tsubas used on Shin Gunto swords, differences between different types, what to look for, examples of authentic and replicas, things like that.

[Guest]

Great idea Kinnza 

 

Perhaps these links  should be the starting point:

 

http://ohmura-study.net/906.html#Guard_Tsuba_

 

http://ohmura-study.net/905.html

[Bruce Pennington]

Just thought this was an interesting one. Found on a civilian sword re-fitted for the Navy during the war. Navy fuchi and kabutogane, but they left the original same' in white. Don't see too many re-fitted swords for the Navy, so I don't know if leaving the white same' was normal practice. Might also explain some war pictures of Naval officers wearing what appears to be gunto with army tsukas (white same').

 

Found over on Gunboards:https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?1114013-Recent-Sword-Find&p=9919627#post9919627

[Stephen]

Boy is that a lot of pop ups.

Not signing up to see images

Interesting sword what other pic are there?

[Bruce Pennington]

Yes agree on the pop-ups! Here’s the rest of the pics.

[Stephen]

Munetsugu...hope he saves it. Bet it was civilian mount. Well never know why what used May be just what was available.

[Dave R]

Remember, these guys were Navy personnel, (Yokusuka naval base) and look at the variety they carry.   

[Bazza]

Crikey, they're a sad, tired, bored looking lot!!!!

 

BaZZa.

[Dave R]

Crikey, they're a sad, tired, bored looking lot!!!!

 

BaZZa.

 

 1945 and surrendering to US marines.....  More photo's from a fairly famous set. Very useful for the variety of swords shown, from a credible and dated source.

 

[Bazza]

Ahhhhhhh, I should have added 'crestfallen'!!!

 

BaZZa.

[Bruce Pennington]

Sorry Kinnza, I mistook your title and was thinking "tsukas"!

 

Here's an interesting one posted on Warrelics, http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/Japanese-sword-translation-needed-746608/. Note the kamon imprinted on the tsuba.

 

[Dave R]

 Getting back to tsuba, one intriguing thing I found was how often even a regulation metal saya mounted blade had a non standard tsuba. As for the field scabbard types.........

 

 

 

[Geraint]

Dear Bruce.

 

That sword appears to be a civilian sword in Tachi koshirae, not so?

 

All the best.

[Bruce Pennington]

Getting back to tsuba, one intriguing thing I found was how often even a regulation metal saya mounted blade had a non standard tsuba. As for the field scabbard types.........

That is interesting Dave, I had never noticed that. Plenty in combat saya, of course, but in standard metal saya? Do you know about the blades in these? Were they older? Were they shingunto?

[Bruce Pennington]

Dear Bruce.

 

That sword appears to be a civilian sword in Tachi koshirae, not so?

 

All the best.

Yes, Geraint. The guy said it was a bring-back by his grandfather. But that doesn't mean it was carried in the war. It could have been, I suppose, but there were many privately owned swords that were confiscated at war's end. It doesn't appear to have been re-fitted at all.

[Dave R]

That is interesting Dave, I had never noticed that. Plenty in combat saya, of course, but in standard metal saya? Do you know about the blades in these? Were they older? Were they shingunto?

 

 I have no idea of the distribution of these. I posted a question  about this very thing some time ago on this forum, but there was little interest, and little response.