I have a unidentified blade in WW2 gunto mounts, Please give me any information you can, thank you!

[MajorAny2769]

I had to use a image hosting site these are the links

https://ibb.co/Z8htmRd -mount
https://ibb.co/S0FFjRz -Blade
https://ibb.co/S0FFjRz -blade
https://ibb.co/60PSnDh -blade
https://ibb.co/0mrLvp0 -signature
https://ibb.co/12dKK2L -blade
https://ibb.co/9vVFfBc - blade
https://ibb.co/4NnXvMF -blade
https://ibb.co/4NnXvMF -blade
https://ibb.co/ydwd0Ny - mount
https://ibb.co/h2nmr9y -I don't know what its called
https://ibb.co/NmYMymk - sheath 
https://ibb.co/4jGwsdW -sheath
https://ibb.co/6rM2tm8 -decorative ring

[ROKUJURO]

Eathan,

no, you can post pictures here.

[Brian]

Not when they are that size
(4160 x 3120??... c'mon guys. This is the internet, not a billboard)

[MajorAny2769]

I don't see the problem with the size. It's not like you see it until you click on the post

[Brian]

Someone has to pay for the bandwidth and hosting. And that comes at a cost.

[Tensho]

Whats this piece? Doesn't look like the same Fuchi with hole in it? Perhaps for the sheath? 

 

This is an idea of what everything should look like when together.  Does your sheath have a "square" cutout?

 

To add, the tsuba(handguard) isn't for this(no cutout for latch mechanism) Or, it is for this and the handle isn't.  

[Bruce Pennington]

Eathen,

I see they are discussing your older blade over on this NIHONTO FORUM thread.  Your fittings are what we normally see on old, family blades.  They take some or all of the blade fittings, replacing some parts with military ones, then setting it in a wooden saya (scabbard) covered in leather.  In this case, the whole tsuka (handle) is fully Army and they retained the civil tsuba (handguard).  The extra hole in the side was for a leather retention strap that would have been wrapped around the base piece of the tsuka, called the fuchi, and passed through the hole to snap onto the leather saya cover.  These straps are usually missing by the time the sword gets into our hands after 80 years.  The blue/brown tassel is a Company grade officer tassel for Lt's & Captains.

The seppa (or spacers) are missing on this sword, and either someone during the war, or after, made a spacer (is that wood?) to fill the gap and tighten the fit of handle, tsuba, and habaki (brass collar on the blade).  Here is an example of a full set of tsuba and seppa:

 

I had a Type 95 NCO sword with a similar spacer made of copper.  I tried replacing it with proper, factory, seppa, but the fit was too loose without the fat spacer.

 

The fuchi is the metal end-cap made for the tsuka (handle), and someone has mistakenly put it on the end of the saya (scabbard).  Next time you disassemble, simply switch it over to the tsuka.  It will look like Matt's photo above, minus the latch button.

 

With the missing seppa, and the fuchi made for a saya latch, it's possible this sword was put together late in the war.  Another option is that it started with all the correct parts, but was damaged during the war and refitted with a replacement fuchi, and the wooden spacer.  Of course, the third option is that the sword was picked up by a G.I. missing these parts and he or a later collector made the spacer to tighten the fit.

[MajorAny2769]

Thank you everyone who is helping, I'm not knowledgeable in this, so I do appreciate it 

[MajorAny2769]

[Tensho]

Ahh, I see the "black" piece is solid like Bruce said. Without messing with it all in hand its hard to say what's what. But, I see the sheath isn't notched out for the locking latch. 

 

I'm thinking the handle is not original to this.. Is the handle "sloppy" when you put it on the sword? And does the hole in the handle line up perfectly with the tang hole? Handle would be much easier to fit to the blade  than the sheath.