Sparr

[Steve P]

Hi, I was given this Japanese sword by an old family friend who was an Army Officer in Burma towards the end of WW2. This sword as told belonged to a Japanese Officer. We would like to know if possible please some information relating to the sword and have pictures showing the identifiers on the sword along with the original tassel that was attached. Any information as to how we can clean up the sword for display purposes would be much appreciated and anyone who knows more of the history would love to hear that too. Thank you

[Steve P]

Is anyone able to let me know what the engraving says please?

[Shugyosha]

The top picture is a date and the lower magnified picture a name. 
 

It’s hard to pick out the characters through the corrosion on the tang, but the date is something like Showa, 18th year, 4th month which boils down to April 1943 if I’m correct. The second digit of the year number is partially obscured. 
 

The smith’s name looks like “Kanemune”. 
 

All in all a fairly standard wartime blade made in Seki during the war. Others may have comments on the fittings. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Steve, you have a Type 98 Shin Gunto with decent quality fittings and original tassel. The blade is signed "Kane_(can't make out the next character) and dated (My guess is around 1943). It is most likely this is a non-traditionally made sword and if you look closer on the Tang you may find a small 'Seki' stamp that indicates this. The blue and brown tassel indicates the Japanese officer held a rank between 2nd Lieutenant - Captain.  All in all a nice honest example of a Japanese officers sword, the important thing is to try and get the history of how it was acquired in the war.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Steve,

Do not try to clean the tang of your sword (the tang is the part that goes into the handle, with signature and date).  Any attempt at cleaning might result in serious degradation of value.  Here is a care and cleaning brochure you should take a few minutes to read (scroll down):

https://nbthk-ab2.org/sword-characteristics/

Cheers,  Grey

[Steve P]

We were told that it was taken on the last day of the war…. Logistics section on the waterways patrol in Burma . That’s as much as we know. It’s really interesting to learn more about it. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Steve,

Some fabulous reading and pictures to get started on understanding your gunto: Ohmura's "Military Swords of Imperial Japan" website.

 

And a great resource for vocabulary and almost anything else you would need to know about Japanese swords:  Rich Stein's "The Japanase Sword Index."

 

If you find an small stamps closer to the handguard (tsuba), and you may have to remove the tsuba to see it, or on the back edge of the tang (nakago), please post pictures!

[BANGBANGSAN]

It's a WW2 Japanese army Type 98 officer sword

Year of made:昭和十八年四月（1943.April）

Smith: 兼宗 Kanemune, Civilian name 福本小市 Fukumoto Koichi.