Info on a signed sword I found

[Yamamoto]

How did I do Ive been looking at this for quite sometime...got for a steal if its a good blade.

[Yamamoto]

Has a paper with something in writing which I'm hoping my mother can translate or if you guys have any Idea. Thanks for any help!!!

[Yamamoto]

[gunto]

Ito looks newly wrapped , IMO.

[Yamamoto]

Newly wrapped as in rewrapped and unoriginal?

[GHP]

I could be wrong, but ....

I don't think the handle is newly wrapped. The same [ray skin] are panels (which is common) and not "fully wrapped;" you can actually see the wooden handle core showing. I think if this handle were recently wrapped, the tsukamaki-shi [handle-wrap craftsman] would ensure the wood core does not show.

I had a WW2 gunto with a handle that looked as if it were wrapped yesterday.

--Guy

[Yamamoto]

Interesting how does the blade and everything else look?

[Brian Robinson]

It's a wartime mass produced blade...oil quenched and not traditionally made. Maybe retrofitted for iaido or other martial art.
Has the "sho" arsenal stamp. Will look at the signature a bit later for translation.

Brian

[nickn]

as brian says oil quenched factory made

[Yamamoto]

Thanks guys what about value?

[gunto]

The ito knot looks poorly made, IMO.

[Brian Robinson]

Value is difficult to give, but since militaria collectors like them for their history and don't worry too much about traditionally made or not, you are still looking at about $600 to $800 imho.

Brian