new sword for review

[larry]

you can see my prior post for Tang

thanks for looking---

[larry]

pictures

2 more pictures

[larry]

more pictures

pictures

[larry]

pi

blade

[larry]

last picture

thanks for looking

[Beater]

Larry,

Obviously it's impossible to comment much about the blade, other than it is in very clean condition. I can just make out a sanbonsugi style hamon - fairly typical of Seki work?
Nice clean company grade tassel. Fairly scarce foul-weather hilt cover, which is a nice additional feature. Couple of unusual features - the clipped habaki...I've seen a few with piercings, like boar's eye etc, but that's a different one on me. Also, the material covering the tsuka, under the ito. That's usually same but yours appears to be something else (possibly canvas?) I know that as the war progressed same became a rare commodity and they even used a type of plastic (imitation) same, but yours isn't that either?
Can't imagine your sword has seen a great deal of action - the combat cover is just so clean. Usually they are filthy from grease from the carrier's hand, especially around the top, where they carried them. Also the poppers on the leather have virtually all their paint - that usually gets worn off and they rust.
Exceptionally clean example with some unusual features. A keeper I'd say Larry!

Regards,

Kevin.

[BruceP]

Kevin,

You're right about the Seki smith, Yoshimitsu - good eye!

ID'd at this post: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=865191

I've seen the canvas ito on late war kai-gunto, but this is the first one I've seen on army. But this one is dated 1941, so it seems early for canvas. Also, the tassel seems too new, maybe a repro addition; but very nice gunto.

[MAUSER99]

Larry good to see you found a fine looking war time gunto.
The leather is in amazing condition ! Combat cover clearly kept the officer tassel in pristine condition. Blades can be very hard to photograph. If you wanted a minty ww2 gunto you found one..

[Beater]

Kevin,

You're right about the Seki smith, Yoshimitsu - good eye!

ID'd at this post: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=865191

I've seen the canvas ito on late war kai-gunto, but this is the first one I've seen on army. But this one is dated 1941, so it seems early for canvas. Also, the tassel seems too new, maybe a repro addition; but very nice gunto.

Bruce,

This one is Yoshiaki from the thread Larry started immediately before this one...
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=870101

Regards,

Kevin

[GHP]

...Also, the material covering the tsuka, under the ito. That's usually same but yours appears to be something else (possibly canvas?) ...

Kevin,

That material looks to me like regular run-of-the-mill shark skin that you'll find on European sword handles.

--Guy

[Bob Coleman]

Kevin,

That material looks to me like regular run-of-the-mill shark skin that you'll find on European sword handles.

--Guy

I agree. It was far more plentiful and cheaper than same. A definite later war economical move. Nice to see a sword that the vets kids did not play with or was used to trim the bushes.

[Beater]

Kevin,

That material looks to me like regular run-of-the-mill shark skin that you'll find on European sword handles.

--Guy

Yes Guy, could well be?

On European swords it was indeed sharkskin (known as shagreen) whereas, as you know, the Japanese used the skin of the Giant Ray, which they called same.

As a side note, I've had a couple of Mantetsu / Koa Isshin swords which all had imitation (plastic like) same which has a very even and regular texture of equal sized nodules.

[larry]

thanks

Many thanks for all the comments--