Not something you see every day.

[Stephen]

I had so intended to win this even over my budget. Life seems to always throw me a curve ball when ....or maybe just saves my azz. 

Think ive seen this set up once before. 

Enjoy

 

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/k1029473242?

[Bruce Pennington]

That's the most pristine example of a blackened set of fittings for a Type 98 I've seen.  Posting this on the Type 95 Black Saya thread where we have both NCO and officer examples.

 

Ohmura has almost identical examples on his site: http://ohmura-study.net/906.html

 

But you're right, you don't see this very often!

[PNSSHOGUN]

More here:

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Excellent one John!

 

We need a pinned thread indexing these, like Warrelics has for Nick Komiya's threads.

[Bencld]

Hi all. Another one. Civilian hand guard, ito maybe replaced ?

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

There have been a few like yours with older Tsuba, so could be original.

[IJASWORDS]

Found this one lurking in a cupboard, even has a real gendai blade. All matching numbers. 

[Kiipu]

9 hours ago, IJASWORDS said:

Found this one lurking in a cupboard, even has a real gendai blade. All matching numbers.

 

Out of curiosity, is the crossguard [tsuba] made of brass?  If so, how would they go about darkening it?

[IJASWORDS]

The fittings and tsuba are brass. My understanding is that they are plated with silver, and the silver is chemically blackened. 

[Anfoz]

I love the look of these silver platted fittings they are beautiful. Anyone who has one in there collection are very lucky. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

A silver Kai Gunto version, haven't seen one like this before: https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/e1018268087

 

 

[Smee78]

Wow, That is very interesting.

 

I guess I learned something new again, every time I get on the board I seem to learn new interesting things about Nihonto. So does anyone have any ideas on why they would darken the fittings on these swords?

[Kolekt-To]

Were darkened fittings more of a late-war phenomenon?

[Bruce Pennington]

@PNSSHOGUN and @IJASWORDS this one at the Lanes Armmoury site seems similar.  Yet the fuchi isn't blackened.  From the edge, the tusba looks painted a shiny black, but with it removed, you can see it might be the silver coating you're talking about?

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Looks like a Bronze Tsuba, not sure about the other darkened fittings.

[PNSSHOGUN]

8 hours ago, Kolekt-To said:

Were darkened fittings more of a late-war phenomenon?

Just about all examples have been in Type 98 mounts of good quality, so at least since 1938. This writing on the Tsuka is interesting: "Ginkome Nuki" - 銀古目ヌキ. It may lead to more information. 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Here's one from an old post - Inherited Sword - owned by @wgt63

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Not in great shape, and the tsuba wasn't darkened, but all the fuchi and koiguchi appear to be the darkened silver, on a custom 98.  It has the flat, untwisted ito wrapping style.  Not common for Army, and a nice rayskin saya cover.

 

[oli]

Hi,

 

here is another: https://nihontou.jp/.../katana/1604/00.html 

Very exepensive

[Ontario_Archaeology]

Oh my why havnt I added major kawadas wak to here 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Adding a couple pics from Oliver's link: