Type 98 with "Late-war Wooden Blade" Ha!

[Bruce Pennington]

Had to post this for the laugh.  Shockingly, it's coming out of Japan!  Maybe a "lost in translation" error?

Here's the full title: "WWII Imperial Japanese Army Type 98 Gunto Sword Mounts w/ Late War Wooden Blade"

 

Here's the link: Type 98 with wooden blade - ebay

 

[Sansei]

"Late-war Wooden Blade". If this is an accurate description, I'm not sure that I understand the "joke" Bruce.

[Brian]

I think just a mis-translation, they mean post-war tsunagi most likely.

[Bruce Pennington]

19 hours ago, Sansei said:

"Late-war Wooden Blade". If this is an accurate description, I'm not sure that I understand the "joke" Bruce.

It is simply a tsunagi - a wooden blade to hold the fittings while the actual blade rests in shirasaya.  There is NO evidence the Japanese made wooden blades for swords late in the war.  Zero.

 

Even to pretend it was a tsunagi made late in WWII is silly unless the tsunagi nakago is dated.

[Kiipu]

Actually the Japanese did use wooden swords.  From memory, it was called a bokutō 木刀 and it was used for training.  However, this is not one of them and I agree with Brian.

[Mister Gunto]

They switched to wooden blades to save metal, and that's why they lost the war! 

[Rawa]

In this auction seller also states that blade is in good condition

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1180786260

 

 

[Kantaro]

Its alsways embarrassing when you have to explain a joke...

 

[vajo]

Albert Einstein — 'I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.'

 

[Sansei]

On 4/18/2025 at 5:55 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

It is simply a tsunagi - a wooden blade to hold the fittings while the actual blade rests in shirasaya.  There is NO evidence the Japanese made wooden blades for swords late in the war.  Zero.

 

Even to pretend it was a tsunagi made late in WWII is silly unless the tsunagi nakago is dated.

 

So, am I understanding that you don't believe the seller's description Bruce?

 

"This is a genuine WWII-era exterior mount (koshirae) of the Type 98 Gunto, the standard sword issued to Imperial Japanese Army officers.

The blade is a non-sharpened wooden substitute, likely inserted after the war to avoid confiscation during the Allied sword collection."

 

This seems plausible to me. Why would a post-war, confiscation-era tsunagi be dated?

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Hi Ray,

I was only looking, and talking, about his title and hadn't seen the description.  But it is easy to see by his description that he still hardly knows anything about WWII Japanese swords.

5 minutes ago, Sansei said:

the standard sword issued to Imperial Japanese Army officers.

He doesn't even know that officers had to buy all their gear and weapons.  Only NCO's were issued swords.

 

6 minutes ago, Sansei said:

The blade is a non-sharpened wooden substitute, likely inserted after the war to avoid confiscation during the Allied sword collection."

The first half is true, but the second half shows that he doesn't know what a tsunagi is and what they were used for.

[Sansei]

36 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Hi Ray,

I was only looking, and talking, about his title and hadn't seen the description.  But it is easy to see by his description that he still hardly knows anything about WWII Japanese swords.

He doesn't even know that officers had to buy all their gear and weapons.  Only NCO's were issued swords.

 

The first half is true, but the second half shows that he doesn't know what a tsunagi is and what they were used for.

 

Okay, Bruce. I understand what you are getting at now. Thanks.