Recent Purchase, Kai gunto - frankenstein fittings

[Lareon]

Hi All,


Bought this on a whim on the back of a couple of other items, the price was cheap and I like the beaten up swords.

not looking for any real value in this one but more interested in the way it carries itself.

 

The fittings are a mix of naval parts and bits and pieces of shin gunto parts (fuchi etc) some pierced some not.

I dislike this as it speaks to me of someone putting fittings together to make a sword, could also be lack of parts at some point and putting it to service

 

has the bearing of a kai gunto but with an ornate gold tsuba section that i've never seen before, anyone seen anything like this on a kai gunto?

 

has a family mon on the mekugi, looks to be a moon.

 

the habaki is silver looking, will look into this more when it's in hand, looks to have a few marks on it that could be from fitting.

 

 

blade is damaged with fairly big  chips from the cutting edge, not signed,

 

question 1.  was this meant to be a naval sword or is it just a Frankenstein of parts?

 

question 2. should that wooden saya have 1-2 Haikan and a leather cover. could even be a lost cloth cover what do people think? 

 

question 3. the tsuba centre is pierced but the naval insets are not, one seppa is and the fuchi is a gunto button press missing the button / latch

 

here's a link to the lot with some more pictures.

as i said, i'm not looking at value in this one, just interested in people's opinions

 

https://bid.sofedesignauctions.com/lots/view/4-4L7HMK/good-ww-ii-mounted-Japanese-samurai-katana-sword-koto-to-shinto-era-blade-nice-gilt-hilt-mounts-probably-for-a-naval-officer

 

 

 

310.101.jfif

[Bruce Pennington]

It has an interesting mon, too!  Unusual for a kaigunto. 

To your question on the haikan, I've seen both single and double, I have a single one myself.  It's undated, but I believe it to be late-war, with the single haikan and canvas ito. 

 

Personally, there's no way to know whether this was a piece-together item or a late-war kaigunto.  My gut says piece-togther, with the army fuchi, bright finish to the naval fittings, and mixed tsuba/seppa parts.

[Lareon]

9 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

It has an interesting mon, too!  Unusual for a kaigunto. 

To your question on the haikan, I've seen both single and double, I have a single one myself.  It's undated, but I believe it to be late-war, with the single haikan and canvas ito. 

 

Personally, there's no way to know whether this was a piece-together item or a late-war kaigunto.  My gut says piece-togther, with the army fuchi, bright finish to the naval fittings, and mixed tsuba/seppa parts.

 

yes that's what my gut says too. 

once i have it in hand in a month or two i'll be able to tell better