Fully Leather Gunto Koshirae

[waljamada]

A few Chicago Sword Shows back I bought a wakizashi in "gunto" koshirae with a fully leather koshirae including tsuka.  Never really saw another one until coming across one today snd thought I'd check to see if anyone else has one.  Always figured it was just a simple utilitarian build out of either need of assembly speed, lack of resources etc...  For example the tsuka construction is simply just ridged wood wrapped in the leather sheath.  Used to think it was possibly a "tanker" variation but I think the latest opinion on that is that category may or may not even exist.

 

Is there any additional info on such koshirae?  Are they acknowledged as a "type"?

 

First pics are from one on eBay I just across.  The tsuba is obviously not gunto.  The tsuba on mine is a smaller gunto tsuba. 

 

Second sword pics are my wakizashi.  Has a mumei blade but NTHK papered to 2nd gen Nobutaka. 

 

 

[waljamada]

Did find this.  Mentioned leather tsukas as part of a 1938 campaign.  Could also be as simple as just repurposing a tsuka wrap as a full tsuka.

[vajo]

Adam i like this full covered leather gunto (ebay offer?). It looks like it has an older blade. 

The color of the leather is amazing and the condition is very nice. 

 

btw

The leather prices rose every year. If you want to buy a good handmade leather belt here in bavaria you pay actual around $150.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[waljamada]

Chris,

 

Yeah came across it on eBay.  Blade is in kind of rough shape but the koshirae is in wonderful condition.  The ridged wood and leather wrapped tsuka actually has a solidly good grip on it so it is definetly function over form.   

[PNSSHOGUN]

Another one recently sold: https://griffinmilitaria.com/product/wwii-Japanese-army-officer-shin-gunto-sword-in-leather-combat-cover/

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Adam,

It's an interesting topic to track.  Maybe guys with better seach skills than my own can call up the few examples that have shown up on NMB over the years.  There aren't many.  In my 2 search attempts, all the waki I could find didn't have the leather tsuka.  Yet, I know they are out there.  I suppose it is about as rare as full sized gunto with such tsuka.

 

I have never read why it was done.  Was it cheaper than a fully traditional tsuka?  Was a look they were after?  

 

I believe it is @Dave R that has often posted an NCO holding one from the China Incident era.  It has been told that NCO were carrying civil waki during that conflict and authorities decided to crack down on the practice.  Dawson said both officers and NCOs carried them.  And finally Komiya found a 1945 regulation finally authorizing NCOs to carry them.

 

But about that particular style, we're at the "who knows?" stage of information.  There were no official types for leather fittings.  It seems they varied either by the choice of the buyer of the whims of sword shops marketing their wares.

 

I should add that gunto, in general, with bare-bones tsuka tended to be seen in the last year of the war.  Material shortages were affecting production and the regs were changed ordering the workmanship to be more simplified.  So, it is my feel that these types were likely made in the last year.

[waljamada]

Bruce,

 

Yeah it seems to be a "it was done" and "they do exist".  I don't know if anything more will be found out because as you said it may have just come down to choice and whims.  The only historical connection I've come across was that mention in one of the descriptions mentioning a 1938 Campaign in China during which I'm sure they didn't just use fully leather fittings as it would then be a wider known attribution....so perhaps "it was done" will do.

[Bruce Pennington]

This is a good thread to start collecting examples as the come up.  It would be interesting to see all the style and techniques.  Yours is the first I've seen with a nicely lacquered wooden tsuka.

[John C]

Just my opinion, however I think the one with the tassel has been done recently. Wet formed leather, hand stitched and burnished. The thread condition is virtually new (not discolored in the least). These would be the same techniques I would use today (I make holsters, knife sheaths, key fobs, etc.). Compare that to some of the others with more worn leather and smaller, tighter stitching, lack of burnishing.

John C.  

[Dave R]

I see the permanent stitched and shrunk leather tsuka covers as a "quick and dirty" fix for dodgy condition hilts, either old and crumbly or new and damaged. It didn't matter much, as soon as you could you got a more permanent solution, but it did the job at the time.