Is it real WWII Wakizashi or not?

[oli]

  On 1/1/2024 at 4:33 PM, MaxMorelli said:

It is all brown @Bruce Pennington  what can you tell me about this sword? I have few infos for now, it’s funny because I knew this swordsmith through @oli the day before! 

Thanks

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Hi Max,

 

its not the same swordsmith. Please have a look in the download section under Ehime Showa Swordsmiths (btw very nice document). 

Did you bought it?

 

Regards

Oli

[MaxMorelli]

  On 1/1/2024 at 4:44 PM, oli said:

Hi Max,

 

its not the same swordsmith. Please have a look in the download section under Ehime Showa Swordsmiths (btw very nice document). 

Did you bought it?

 

Regards

Oli

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Ah ok, I thought he was, yes I bought it at 2300€ it is in really nice condition. I will remove the blade from the war koshirae and put it in a new tsuka/tsuba/saya to use it and practice the katà and extractions, taking obsessive care of it for sure! I'll keep her old uniform aside. You say it's not the same Yoshimune? I downloaded the file, I'll read it tonight, thanks!

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Max.  The sword is a Type 98 Japanese officer sword.  You can read about them here: Military Swords of Imperial Japan (Guntō) (ohmura-study.net)

 

The all brown tassel is a discussion all of it's own.  Both Dawson and Fuller listed them as "late war" army tassels, but more recently, an August 1940 WWII uniform regulation change was found specifying the all brown tassel to be used by the Gunzoku - the civil branch of the military.  Previously, Gunzoku used standard officer tassels, but the uniform reg change specified they use the brown tassel to reduce confusion.  Gunzoku wore military uniforms that, at a casual glance, could be mistaken for active duty officers.  I believe it was their rank patches (working from memory here, so could be wrong) that were specific to Gunzoku, so the added tassel would help separate them.  You can read about this on Nick Komiya's thread Regulation for Civilian Employees carrying Swords.

 

The earliest year observed, so far, for the all brown tassel is August 1940, and I have 2 on 1942 gunto, so this appears to support Nick's claim the tassel was made for Gunzoku, as opposed to an already established "late war" tassel for active army officers simply being reassigned to Gunzoku.  Besides, August 1940 isn't really all that "late" for WWII.

[Stephen]

As stated NOT the T Yoshimune.

 

He's a big name, doubt one would ever be found with a stamp.

[MaxMorelli]

  On 1/2/2024 at 1:46 PM, Stephen said:

As stated NOT the T Yoshimune.

 

He's a big name, doubt one would ever be found with a stamp.

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AH ok, the other Yoshi-mune I have on the sword is from Edo period as stated, In a week I will receive it and I will make a new thread to share some pics and receive some comments from you all, more expert than me! Thx

[SteveM]

The tag has the name and address of the former owner. It is from a small town on an island off the coast of Okinawa.

 

勝連村字津堅

與那下武不囗

 

Katsuren-mura (name of village), Tsuken (name of island/neighborhood))

The owner's family name is Yonashita. (Can't read the given name)

 

It's a very rare name. There are still descendants of this person living on that island. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/TX4HfuL4vyvjPxp19