Black Oil Cloth for Type 97 Tsuka?

[Kolekt-To]

I've been wondering about this for awhile and can't seem to find definitive information on the topic - what do we know about the use of black Oil Cloth as a substitute for ray skin or shark skin on the Type 97 Tsuka? Is this a late-war phenomenon to minimize the use of animal skins? How common was the oil cloth in terms of production numbers? What information do we have about who authorized this? What are the details about the oil cloth itself (example: where was it sourced?)? So many questions! See attached image for reference.

 

Thanks in advance for information provided.

 

Best regards,

 

Geoff

[Kolekt-To]

This appears to me to be another example of a Type 97 Oil Cloth Tsuka. 

[Bruce Pennington]

Sounds like a good research project for you Geoff!

 

Good reading here:

 

From Rinji-seishiki to Daiyou-seishiki of Weapon Specs (warrelics.eu)

 

and here:

 

1945 Rinji Seishiki on the ICU Ventilator (warrelics.eu)

 

I can't find the thread where Nick listed the changes in materials for the swords.  Maybe it's in the 2 I posted, and I just missed it.  But there was a spec change that ordered manufactures to avoid using animal products, which would have included rayskin.  I think this came in '43 or '44.  Obviously, since we have seen many '43-'45 gunto with rayskin, the industry didn't really comply.  But the style you're posting certainly did comply.  

 

I haven't tracked these, so I don't have data to say, but off the cuff, I'd say all these will be found to be in the last year.

 

Maybe you can start a study tracking them.  Dated blades would tell the story.

 

[Kolekt-To]

Thanks Bruce!

 

Also, I don't think I've ever seen oil cloth "Same" on anything other than Type 97 Tsuka. Appears that this is particular to late-war Navy swords. The army had their own late-war downgrade - the "Pineapple" sword.

[jeep44]

Here's my type 97 swords. the bottom sword obviously has a paper same-I don't know if that is what you are looking for, but here it is.

[Kolekt-To]

  On 1/21/2024 at 10:00 PM, jeep44 said:

Here's my type 97 swords. the bottom sword obviously has a paper same-I don't know if that is what you are looking for, but here it is.

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Interesting that you refer to the Same as "Paper". I've always known the term "Oil Cloth" used for this type of Same. And, yes, that's a good example to which I am referring.

[jeep44]

I'm pretty sure it's some sort of paper, rather like sandpaper. You can see how it's torn around the mekugi hole. The bottom blade is a standard arsenal-made blade, while the top one has an old, hand-forged blade in it.

[Bruce Pennington]

  On 1/22/2024 at 1:09 AM, jeep44 said:

The bottom blade is a standard arsenal-made blade, while the top one has an old, hand-forged blade in it.

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Sort of surprising - an old nihonto in standard fittings, and a showato in custom fittings!  Must be a factor of either taste, or finances of the officer.