Unless you follow Nick Komiya, at Warrelics, you probably haven't EVER heard this before!
Nick has translated a regulation change, dated August 1940, that specified the all-brown tassel for use by the enlisted equivalent of the Gunsoku, civilian officials, both the Ko-in (lance corporal) and Hanin-ko (NCO). This is in conflict with the info in Dawson's book which called it a "Late war" IJA officer tassel; however Dawson doesn't cite his source. I've used the email published in his book to ask about this, but it's an email sponsored by the publisher.
Anyone have contact info for Jim Dawson so we can pursue this?
Further discussion on the page is chasing the idea that the Army all-brown tassel is 51cm long, compared to the Navy all-brown, which is 37cm long! Pictures in the original commissioning of the Type 97 gunto seem to confirm this.
Both Dawson & Komiya affirm that civilian officials were authorized to carry standard Type 98 gunto, so according to Nick, an authintic vet bring-back 98 with all brown tassel was one carried by a Civilian official, NOT an IJA officer.
The conversation is happening here: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japane...swords-701783/
Nick has translated a regulation change, dated August 1940, that specified the all-brown tassel for use by the enlisted equivalent of the Gunsoku, civilian officials, both the Ko-in (lance corporal) and Hanin-ko (NCO). This is in conflict with the info in Dawson's book which called it a "Late war" IJA officer tassel; however Dawson doesn't cite his source. I've used the email published in his book to ask about this, but it's an email sponsored by the publisher.
Anyone have contact info for Jim Dawson so we can pursue this?
Further discussion on the page is chasing the idea that the Army all-brown tassel is 51cm long, compared to the Navy all-brown, which is 37cm long! Pictures in the original commissioning of the Type 97 gunto seem to confirm this.
Both Dawson & Komiya affirm that civilian officials were authorized to carry standard Type 98 gunto, so according to Nick, an authintic vet bring-back 98 with all brown tassel was one carried by a Civilian official, NOT an IJA officer.
The conversation is happening here: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japane...swords-701783/