M44 Sword period

[sturmann]

Hallo Gents,

Can you please take a look at this sword and confirm that it is an authentic commissioned officers Shin-Guntō army Type 3 made between 1943～1945 ?
The seller has not taken the tsuka appart and therefore at that stage I dont yet know who is the sword-smith who made it.







I did notice that the one has not been fitted with the usual dust guard frequently found on this model and that one of the menuki seem to have been replaced by a screw, I guess post-war .

At that stage I am only concerned about the sword to be a bona fide WW2 pre 1945 period made piece .

Many thanks for your appraisal.

[DanielSvensson]

It's an authentic Showato in Type 3 mounts.
Best Regards
Daniel

[gunto]

This type 3 also called late war 44. The blades date from 1942-1944. Gendaito and showato blades mounted in this type.
Not all type 3 has the dustcover seppa ,but I think this one once had one.
The screw is original to this type and the bamboo is sure a replacement.

The ito looks newly wrapped and there is some mistakes in the design of wrapping.

[Steve Flanagan]

Sword

Yes definitely a wartime pre 1945 sword and you can probably find a seppa for replacement,,,

[Stu W]

As has been said above it's a Type 3 from the late war period. I'm aware of examples dated 1943, 44 and 45. Production ceased as the war came to a close.

It's also not unusual to find them with wrap variations, lacking a part here or there, or to see the tsuka held in place with combinations of bolts and /or traditional bamboo mekugi. If the bolt has frozen in place over time I'd be inclined to leave it alone.

Regards,
Stu

PS: If you have access to Dawson's recently updated work "Swords of Imperial Japan 1868-1945 Cyclopedia Edition" you can find more information on the example in Chapter 14 starting on page 175.

[GHP]

Yes, it is a pre-1945 Japanese sword. Is it possible for you to remove the mekugi so I could look at the nakago? I've used these type swords for iaido -- many will have markings (enameled numbers), stamps, or even names/dates engraved even though they are arsenal swords.

This type of sword was often erroneously called "Landing Force/Marine" sword untill Fuller & Gregory's book Military Swords of Japan 1868-1945 was published in 1986.

This type sword is highlighted in the above book on pp. 41~43:

P. 41:

ARMY OFFICERS' PATTERN SHIN-GUNTOU, LATE 1944

Towards the end of 1944, according to Nippon-no-Gunso by Sasama, the standard shin-guntou was superseded by a new ersatz pattern designed to conserve brass -- an essential war material. Often referred to as the naval landing forces (marines) or kempeitai (military police) offers' sword, no evidence supports sole usage by either group....

Plate 55. Bottom: a late-1944 pattern shin-guntou with a metal scabbard. (R. Fuller collection.)

Same sword style, different website:





Description of above sword and source HERE

Regards,
--Guy Power

[sturmann]

Many thanks Gents for taking the time to give your expert appraisal on this sword.

[Walt Mooring]

Hello help with sword ID and Tang markings

I'm new here and sorry I can't figure out how to make a new post.

I found this thread and that sword is very similar to mine.
Anyone can shed any new info I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...psfvjnyc1r.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ps7xjowo38.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ps4cqbvuv9.jpg

[Bob Coleman]

There really is no reason to take this sword apart as the machine is factory made and not the work of a swordsmith. The lat one I had of these I bought at an estate auction, kept it for four years, sold it and never took it apart. There was no reason to as there was nothing of importance to learn.

[MAUSER99]

to make it simple and to answer your questions one by one.

This is the last pattern officers sword often called type44 NLF ect.

We are narrowing it down to "type 3" based off period documents
Or simplified version.

Machined made blade. These are typically signed and
dated 44 or 45.

There is a spacer missing and it was taken apart poorly
and there is damage to the handle.

The wrap is 100% orig.

Hope this all helps.
These are very very common and I wouldn't pay over 500
for that example.

[Bob Coleman]

Later war handle wraps often became loose due to the fact that women had been pressed in to service wrapping handles as the males had been inducted in to the military. Most women did not have the hand strength that men wrappers had.

[BruceP]

I'm new here and sorry I can't figure out how to make a new post.

I found this thread and that sword is very similar to mine.
Anyone can shed any new info I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...psfvjnyc1r.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ps7xjowo38.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ps4cqbvuv9.jpg

Walt, I've attached an upright pic of the smith name for Guy or someone else to translate for you!

Yours has the double latch buttons, which often is associated with a better quality blade, even a gendaito. Is there more writing on the other side? It could be a date.

[Beater]

This reads "Ichiryushi saku". One of the mei used by Ichihara Ichiryushi Nagamitsu. A very good gendai smith. Dated Nagamitsu blades are rare.

[Stu W]

Keep in mind that this thread is some five years old and the Type 3 designation has since been addressed by Nick Komiya in an informative thread on WRF.

Regards,
Stu