Translation assistance - approx date

[Eds]

Translation assistance - approx date. May be gimei

[Ray Singer]

Takayama-to Kanenao kore o saku 

[Kiipu]

Postwar souvenir sword.

The Mysterious Naval Landing Forces Sword

[mecox]

More examples and explanation here:   

 

 

[Eds]

Amazing.  Spot on.  A clue is the one piece fuchi / seppa.  The longer I looked at the sword, I noticed that there was no evidence of there ever being an integrated locking mechanism.  Dead give away for me.  Makes you wonder if these have any monetary /  intrinsic value at all.

Thanks to all

Ed

[Bruce Pennington]

2 hours ago, Eds said:

Makes you wonder if these have any monetary /  intrinsic value at all.

Depends on your perspective.  The Tenshozan factory was one of several Japanese businesses that MacArthur kept running after the war to try to bring Japan back to life.  Some of these souvenirs have blades made during WWII and therefore hold the last swords ever made by Japan for war.  They mark the end of centuries of Japanese war blades.  So, to me, quite a significant part of Japanese sword history.

 

Dollar value?  They run $400-500 USD when people know what they are buying.

 

@John C @Jcstroud

[Conway S]

 

15 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Dollar value?  They run $400-500 USD when people know what they are buying.

 

 

That's the key, Bruce. When they are labeled as late war Kai Gunto on eBay and other militaria sites they go anywhere from $1000 - $1500 when buyers don't exactly know what they are bidding on.

 

https://griffinmilit...okawa-naval-arsenal/

 

Conway

[John C]

2 hours ago, Eds said:

Makes you wonder if these have any monetary /  intrinsic value at all.

I would agree with Bruce. But I would also add that if people are willing to buy them, assuming they know what they are buying, they do have some intrinsic value. I suppose that is true of anything; value is set by the invisible hand of the market (Adam Smith, "Wealth of Nations").

John C.