Canvas Saya Covers

[Bruce Pennington]

Wanted to post this late-war 95 with, what appears to be some sort of fabric (not canvas) cover.  These are talked about all over the place, especially in the "Show Us Your High Class Gunto" thread, but I didn't want to post this one there (though for a late-war 95, it's pretty nice!).  So, here's a thread to collect these fairly rare items.

 

Not part of the sale.  It was found on fleabay HERE.

[Bruce Pennington]

Adding to the collection. LINK

[Bruce Pennington]

One of Neil's. LINK

[Bruce Pennington]

A picture from Chris (Vajo, not his gunto). LINK

[Bruce Pennington]

Another. LINK

[tokashikibob]

Hello,    Picked up some swords the other day here around Camp Lejeune.  These were attic pieces.   I want to thank Bruce P.  the  Daimyo of WW2 blades for taking a look at there and recommending a post on them.   "Hand Salute"  to Bruce.     This may be a Canvas covered battlefield pickup from Tinian or Saipan.    It has a large Seki stamp,  seems to have a water quenched hamon & hand drilled menkuana,   A WW2 set of civilian koshirae rounds out this odd piece.

 

Best regards,

   Bob

[PNSSHOGUN]

[Bruce Pennington]

18 hours ago, tokashikibob said:

  It has a large Seki stamp,

Bob, here's your guy - Tadakatsu:

Depending on your budget and plans for the piece, it might be worth a polish.  Looks like it would be a beauty.

[vajo]

I'm with Bruce. The Hamon looks very promising.

[tokashikibob]

Nah,  There is a huge chip to the edge,  might be combat related from the looks of the damage as it was a incredible swing.  It does have a nice hamon from a quick glance a  3 point type.   If  it clips to that NLF belt and trop uniform I'll slap it on there,  it is a good display piece as you don't have to worry about people handling it at a gun show when I set up about once a year.

[Michaelr]

Here is a Wakizashi that I own with some type of green cloth cover. When I first received it the tsuka was riveted on with what looked like an aluminum rivet. It was drilled out to expose the signature ( which I could use a translation for ) It appears to be a Shirasaya underneath but it looks like the tsuka part was altered to make it smaller and more rounded. The material almost exactly matches the material on  my Japanese tanker helmet. What are your thoughts?

  Thank you. MikeR

[Bruce Pennington]

Here's one in bad shape.  On a Kanemichi at a Bagwell Auction: https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms-Military-Artifacts/Military-Artifacts/U-S-Vet-Estate-Hand-Forged-Japanese-Samurai-katana-Sword-Kanemichi-Saku-W-Capture-Photo/lotInformation/62012792#topoflot

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Found one on Reddit.  By the looks of the fuchi and seppa, seems to be on a late-war gunto.  HERE.

 

They quite often are found in wooden saya, painted black and covered in leather. In the last year of the war, an edict went out to drastically reduce the use of animal skins (leather, shark, ray, etc) and move to cheaper, easier accessed materials. I believe that is what we are seeing with this one.

[Bruce Pennington]

Another found at Dan Griffin's site HERE.  With a kaneharu blade.

[BANGBANGSAN]

1 hour ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Another found at Dan Griffin's site HERE.  With a kaneharu blade.

I saw that one when it was first posted. Thought about getting it, but didn't.

[Rennz]

On 12/28/2020 at 11:27 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Wanted to post this late-war 95 with, what appears to be some sort of fabric (not canvas) cover.  These are talked about all over the place, especially in the "Show Us Your High Class Gunto" thread, but I didn't want to post this one there (though for a late-war 95, it's pretty nice!).  So, here's a thread to collect these fairly rare items.

 

Not part of the sale.  It was found on fleabay HERE.

Hi Bruce,

I believe I've found the source of your fabric cover. I have an officers' coat that is made of this fabric and think this saya cover actually may have been made from one of these coats. Here are a couple pics of the coat and inside seams for comparison. I think it's some sort of wool.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Interesting idea Zach, implying that they were field-made?  Another idea - the material is the same, but used by different shops, like uniform shops and sword shops.

[Rennz]

42 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Interesting idea Zach, implying that they were field-made?  Another idea - the material is the same, but used by different shops, like uniform shops and sword shops.

Yes, I don't believe a shop would have made such a rough looking example. The stitching and rough, uneven seams look to me as though that one was made with a discarded or unserviceable coat during a bit of downtime in the field.

 Have you seen any others made from this material? I really have no idea what else this fabric was used for, maybe blankets or some such... I am just going off the only example I have.

[Bruce Pennington]

8 hours ago, Rennz said:

The stitching and rough, uneven seams look to me as though that one was made with a discarded or unserviceable coat during a bit of downtime in the field.

Sorry Zach, I hadn't noticed your reference to that one specific item and thought you were talking about all the canvas covers.  After seeing the one you were talking about and the rough stitching, you very well could be right!  Doesn't look like a professional shop's workmanship, but more like a Do-it-Yourself job in the field.

[Bruce Pennington]

@Rennz

Zach, found this one on this Wehrmacht-Awards thread.  Just the tsuka is covered, and it's the fabric you're talking about.  Any idea if it's wool?

[Rennz]

@Bruce Pennington

Yes, the coats are wool. It's difficult to compare that tsuka cover as it's so worn; it looks more like the suede saya cover in the second post.

[robinalexander]

Sold at Pottle Auctions Sydney Aust. last week.  

 

I didnt follow auction as the condition report described it as a very average condition 95 (but with canvas cover ✔).  Bidding was well over 2k aud. a couple of days before the auction.

 

I tuned in late that night, post auction, to see sale price of Aud. 10k.  but there just be something amiss there me thinks.  In any case, it has a canvas cover.

[robinalexander]

Yep Brian, I'm a little confused myself!

[BANGBANGSAN]

28 minutes ago, robinalexander said:

Sold at Pottle Auctions Sydney Aust. last week.  

 

I didnt follow auction as the condition report described it as a very average condition 95 (but with canvas cover ✔).  Bidding was well over 2k aud. a couple of days before the auction.

 

I tuned in late that night, post auction, to see sale price of Aud. 10k.  but there just be something amiss there me thinks.  In any case, it has a canvas cover.

 

That Canvas cover looks similar to mine.

 

[robinalexander]

From what I can see, that is a very nice 95 package Trystan 

[PNSSHOGUN]

What the....! Were there any other swords in the catalogue?

[robinalexander]

No other swords John....one sole blade.

 

From memory this was a whole house contents/estate auction from Sydney's north shore. (Mostly quite upper class, for overseas readers)

Rob

[Bruce Pennington]

An interesting one on a kaigunto, posted by @Eds HERE.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Here's something you don't see everyday!  A kyugunto from the Russo-Japanese war!  Posted by Delibes on this Warrelics thread.

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

 

The one on the bottom with canvas cover.