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IJA officers factory made sword?

1K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Bruce Pennington 
#1 · (Edited)
I picked this up a few months ago. In your opinions is this a good sword or bogus? The handle has no wrap. The blade is very poorly made only markings seen are what is pictured. Was this made in WW2 for the Japanese in China? . Thank you all for your help I guess I need to purchase a few more refrence books on Japanese swords. I knew enough to realize the originality of this sword. As you can see there is alot of ware to the hanger ring and the scabbard cover. I would like to get the handle rewraped. From my research this should have a primitive looking IJA menuki so I may invest some money into this. Again Thank you for all your very helpful informaton. I have added more photos. Chances any of you want to study this sword I will be at the Show of Shows in Feburary I can bring it. This is not for sale. Thank you everyone for your comments and help on this interesting sword of Japanese collaborators origin.
 

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#2 ·
The pierced guard has a Chinese "mum" design on it, as well as the kabuto gane (pommel cap). The handle appears to be held on with 2 pegs? We need to see pics of the blade tang to e sure, but I'm guessing this was made in China during Japanese occupation, possibly for an Chinese officer attached to Japanese forces.


Most Japanese officer Gunto have cherry blossom designs on their guards, and pommel caps, ect, although there are some exceptions to that rule.
 
#4 ·
I'm on the road and don't have access to my reference books until tomorrow, but I think your guess is correct - made by Chinese for Chinese forces working with Japanese occupation.

I'd like to see the nakago too. But even if it says "Not Japanese", the age and quality of the work makes me think it was war-period legit, not a fake.
 
#5 ·
Sword

Well, theres absolutely no wear to the same (ray skin) wrap which gets brittle over time, there is no pattern on the skin from where the wrap would have protected some areas better than others, and two screws in the wrong spots to secure hilt to tang. Also handle is fully wrapped with skin verses the normal strips used on each side. Is skin even skin?
 
#6 · (Edited)
Period in my opinion; not a recent fake. Fittings follow Army Gunto pattern. My books are also somewhere else, Richard Fuller and Ron Gregory's Japanese Civil and Military Swords and Dirks has a great chapter on swords made for or in occupied territories or for civil organizations (this is not police or fire). I am leaning towards occupied territory manufacture, likely Manchukuo, because of the symetry of the tsuka (grip) being a little thick when wrapped compared to Japanese norms. Wrap has also been gone for a long time... Likely contemporary to surrender.
 
#9 ·
Now I see the tang. It tells me the blade is clearly not made by a Japanese smith, not even a Japanese trained smith. It'll not qualify as a genuine Japanese sword. No need for any further study on this part.

Is it period? Or, is it a collaborator sword? That's a whole different discussion.

In other words, if you're buying a Japanese sword, this is not a real one for you.
 
#11 ·
So, Dawson and Fuller DO have examples of Manchukuo swords, but they were made by the Japanese for those forces and have different emblems than this. This was clearly made by the occupied forces, for their own people. I know I've seen one similar, but my searching skills suck and I can't find it.

I'd go with it's a sword made by Manchukuo forces for their troops working with the Japanes.
 
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