Short gunto

[Dave R]

 An interesting sword. Blue/green Ito, which is not all that common and something I like to see. The copper reinforcing bands are different,, but for the leather tab I would actually question if it had ever had a leather cover.

[Ontario_Archaeology]

I think the leather tab is also probably torn and may have had a leather cover like shown above.

[Bruno]

 Not in my possession but a good example I think. Shin gunto wakizashi from Wrldtrvler0203. http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/help-shin-gunto-showato-please-729538/

Interesting.

 

I'd like to get one someday. Those original WW2 wakizashi are pretty scarce.

[IJASWORDS]

Close ups of a couple of short gunto with different securing straps.  

[matthewbrice]

If someone is looking for their first (or second) short gunto, I decided to switch my short gunto from a fixed price listing to an auction.  The auction ends Sunday.  Here is the link:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114216153943

 

 

 

 

--Matthew Brice

 

St. Croix Blades

 

 

 

[Ontario_Archaeology]

Added the sword Matthew had to my collection. I'm very happy with it. Maybe in a year something even shorter will pop up.

[IJASWORDS]

Watching a documentary on the attack on Darwin in 1942. Saw a Zero pilot getting in his cockpit on a carrier. Definitely a full size gunto he is carrying. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Watching a documentary on the attack on Darwin in 1942. Saw a Zero pilot getting in his cockpit on a carrier. Definitely a full size gunto he is carrying.

 

Good catch there, Neil! Looks like an army tsuba. I just realized that I have no idea if their pilots were army or navy, or did they have both like us?

[IJASWORDS]

The airforce was either a wing of the Army or a Naval wing. 

[Ontario_Archaeology]

Found another cool one on buyee.

 

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/e437981193

 

As for the airforce, I belive both navy and army had their own. It is interesting though that there would be an army pilot on a navy Air craft carrier as from what I have read the two branches did not work together.

[PNSSHOGUN]

They had both, Naval units operated from the ground extensively as well.

[Dave R]

I could be wrong, but I have no memory of ever having seen a Kai Gunto carried by any pilot, or Naval Landing personnel either, in any of my photo's. 

[Dave R]

I see plenty of Kyu Gunto with the NLF, and the oddest selection of swords which look neither one thing or the other in the famous surrender photo, but I have no memory of radiate tsuba and very rarely double haikan.... This could easily be a result of research bias on my part though. 

 

 Happy to be shown an example though of a Kai Gunto worn by the above.

[Ontario_Archaeology]

I will keep an eye out when going through photographs for sale and post them here, unless a sperate thread would be better haha.

[IJASWORDS]

This guy is either 9 foot tall, or he has a short gunto.

[Dave R]

This guy is either 9 foot tall, or he has a short gunto.

 

 NCO, possibly Shanghai. I see a lot of short "Gunto" usually wakizashi in improvised militarised mounts both in pic's and on dealers tables. Too many to share in fact.

 

This full size one I find interesting, because it is carried the way the one is in the photo above. Converted bayonet frog or purpose made.These photo's were posted by Geoff Ward some time back but I am not finding the original thread to link to, but here they are anyway.

[Bruce Pennington]

Found another cool one on buyee.

i-img600x450-1590816796v5x328504200.jpg

i-img450x600-1590816796fehyoy504200.jpg

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/e437981193.

This one is quite interesting. Whoever made it used a kabutogane piece for a sayajiri. It makes me wonder if the souvenir daggers we have been discussing are attempting to copy something like this!

 

comparison:

[Bruce Pennington]

Got one to add from Karen's post, here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/32301-please-help-identify-unmarked-short-sword/?p=333592

 

An 18" waki kyugunto! Sakura ground off, likely as part of a sale to a non-military person.

[Ontario_Archaeology]

Something I wish I had jumped on a little bit more aggressively. I can't remember the final hammer price for this one buy it is beautiful.

[PNSSHOGUN]

It was alot from memory.

[Ontario_Archaeology]

This is a cool short one. 40cm I think

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/b477753250

[Ontario_Archaeology]

I thought I would bring back this thread, with this interesting gunto. It is absolutely beautiful! I assume it is going to be quite expensive, even if I could bid on it.

 

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/v789809687

 

[vajo]

WOW chokuto. 

Yasukunito treasure sword for prince kusakabe.

 

But!

And this bothers me. It has no Hozon  and that in Japan.

 

For me it looks nice, but i think its pure gimei.....

[Brian]

I doubt it's gimei. That it simply too much work for it to be gimei. First chokuto Gunto I've seen. It's impressive.

[Bruce Pennington]

The tsuba/seppa are made for a leather cover.  No chuso.  Wonder what became of that?

[Ian B3HR2UH]

It looks very suspicious to me . Look at the almost new saya lining, binding and paint on the saya. On the other hand the fittings show age and as Bruce points out the seppa and tsuba come from a sword that had a retention strap .I would bet the woodwork underneath the fuchi is new as well. All put together I think,

Ian Brooks

[PNSSHOGUN]

Have to agree with Ian, well done but not original. The Seppa, Menuki, Tsuba are all suspicious compared to the condition of the rest.

[BANGBANGSAN]

昭和六十年 would be 1985

[IJASWORDS]

Its a totally made up modern piece of rubbish, using old cut down fittings. If you look the KUCHIGANE has a slot for a locking clip, where as the other fittings are off a koshirae with leather securing strap. 

[Bruce Pennington]

4 hours ago, BANGBANGSAN said:

昭和六十年 would be 1985

Bingo!  Good catch on the date.

 

Who ever did this rebuild did a pretty decent job from mixed parts.