Shin Gunto purchase

[dsp]

Greetings,  I am new and found this forum while trying to research a WWII Japanese sword.  I have the opportunity to purchase the sword pictured below.  This would be my first Japanese sword.  Thank you in advance for anyone willing to help out a newbie with information and advice.  Is it real?  Is it traditionally made?Is it old?  What is the value?  It is a WWII vet bring back according to the vet's son.  Let me know if more photos are needed.

[ChrisW]

It has a Seki stamp (or what I believe to be a Seki stamp on it). I cannot read the signature, but based on the Seki stamp alone, it would be a showato (nontraditionally made blade). It looks like a very clean, well-cared-for legitimate piece. As for the value, you'll have to wait for another member to chime in, but my gut says north of $900usd for such a clean example. It being located in the states speaks to a high chance of it being a bring-back and having a single post-war owner but there's no guarantee of that without more evidence (such as photographs/a surrender tag).

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Scott, this is a very nice example and rare for a sword made during the war to have bohi grooves in the blade. Many collectors would be happy to have such a nice example in their collection, so if the price is not outrageous I say buy it quick!

 

Make sure to gather as much information from the son about his father and how he acquired the sword.

[ChrisW]

I would follow John's advice, the more provenance, the better!

[Brian]

But bear in mind it's a nice example of militaria/wartime Japanese sword, and not a traditionally made "Nihonto" so depends where your collector interests lie.
 

[george trotter]

The signature says "Seki Taniguchi Yoshikane saku"

Seki (town), Taniguchi (family name) Yoshikane (smith's art name)  made 

(translation) Resident of Seki town, Mr Taniguchi Yoshikane, made this.

As said, a nice example.

Regards,

[dsp]

Thanks to everyone who has replied with this great information.  Here are more photos.

[Bruce Pennington]

Scott,

Really nice quality fittings on a custom blade.  I don't know what the seller is asking but this item would run to the upper end of market prices, in my opinion.  $1,200-1,800 USD (more if at auction). 

 

The large seki stamp puts the likely date of the blade in 1942.  It's found on blades from 1940-1944, but he massive majority of them are in 1942.  The more I study these, the stamp seems to be on really gorgeous blades.  If they are showato, they are at least made very well and likely water-quenched, and maybe it's the type steel that sets them apart from being traditional.  Maybe there is no folding?  Who knows.  But I'm being more and more impressed with the blades that have the large seki stamp.

 

The Seki city website, in discussing the history of the city during the war, say that the swordmakers making showato were concerned about poor-quality showato hurting business.  The Seki Cutlery Manufacturers Assoc began inspecting blades and stamping those that passed.  So the implication is that stamped blades were showato.  Ohmura's discussion of this supports the idea in that the tally chart of inspected/stamped blades did not include gendaito.