WW2 🇯🇵 Gunto (Real or fake?)

[Tristan MacEwen]

Hello everyone. I recently picked up this shin gunto from the ww2 era ( Showato) gendatio I was told. It looks old but would like to hear what anyone else has to say about the authenticity. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks. 
 

blade is pictured below, blade is unsigned.

[John C]

Tristan:

From those pics it seems legit, however the tassels are different in some of the tsuka pics.

 

John C.

[Tristan MacEwen]

  On 3/29/2025 at 6:49 PM, John C said:

Awesome thank you Sir. My conscious is now eased lol. I put the new red general tassel on just for looks as shown in pictures, still have the other torn off one. I’m 90% sure it’s authentic but you just never know. 

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[Navy]

To me too is a legit Japanese sword. But without better pics is hard to say if traditional made or not, or evaluate the period in which has been produced.

[Tristan MacEwen]

I was told the blade was Showato gendaito, perhaps made in Seki around WW2.

[John C]

  On 3/29/2025 at 7:42 PM, Tristan MacEwen said:

new red general tassel

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The red and brown tassel is a field grade tassel (Major or Colonel); the brown and blue is a company grade (WO, captain, lieutenant). General tassels would have yellow fringe.

Also, I'm not sure about the tsuba and seppa. The tsuba nakago ana does not seem the right shape and the seppa seem too shiny (aluminum perhaps?).

I would wait for the opinion of others before making any final conclusions about it. 

 

John C.

[Tristan MacEwen]

Will do. Thanks.

[Navy]

"Showato" means a sword made during the Showa empire, thus including WW2 era, but among collectors it labels a non traditionally made blade, while "gendaito" a traditionally made one (use of tamahagane, hand forged and water quenched). And it makes a substantial difference.

[Navy]

  On 3/29/2025 at 8:22 PM, John C said:

 the seppa seem too shiny (aluminum perhaps?).

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Could also be silver.

[John C]

You're right. I meant to say chrome but it could be silver coated.

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

Tristan,

Do us a favor and post pics of both sides of the nakago (tang).  Also would love good shots of that haikan (belt hanger loop) and the blue/brown tassel with the cut off ends.  We have threads interested in those things.

 

If you want an evaluation of the blade, whether traditionally made or not, we'll need a couple or close, clear shots of the hamon (temper line) and surface steel.

 

It's a nice looking Type 98 in combat saya.

[Tristan MacEwen]

Ok. I will get some more pics tonight. Thanks.

[Tristan MacEwen]

[Tristan MacEwen]

[Tristan MacEwen]

[Tristan MacEwen]

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Tristan!  You can see the cut ends of the tassel in person.  Does it look like it was deteriorating or just cut off?  Was the end melted to prevent unraveling?

[Tristan MacEwen]

Np. By the looks of it it looks like it was just cut off, but could have been just deteriorating. Hard to tell. 

[Tristan MacEwen]

Can you guys identify the blade with those photos? Or will you need more? 

[Scogg]

Hi Tristan,

Your photos are good for identification, and thank you for sharing your sword with us! Unfortunately, there's no signature or stamps to make ID easier. 

You sword appears to be a wartime manufacture Type 98 ShinGunto with leather saya cover. I suspect it's a non-traditionally made SHOWATO rather than a traditionally made GENDAITO. Seki made is believable, to me. The tang (nakago) is original length (UBU), and it's unsigned (mumei). 

Hopefully more people render their opinions to confirm or deny my suspicions. 
Interested to hear what others think, 
-Sam 

[Kiipu]

The red painted character on the tang looks like the katakana character オ.

オ = O, the letter and not the number zero 0.

[Kiipu]

As for the school and make, I would recommend posting the question in the "General Nihonto Related Discussion" forum.  Be sure to provide the blade measurements and pictures of the bare blade with no fittings.  The tip of the blade should be at the top and it does not hurt to place a yardstick in the picture as well.

Sword Blade Measurement

 

Good luck, Tristan!

[Navy]

Hi Tristan, you have a nice, original WW2 sword. About if she's nihonto or not, and I surely can be wrong, to me the hamon seems to indicate oil quenched. 

[Tristan MacEwen]

Beauty.