Japanese Sword

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello All,

To continue with my Japanese sword theme here is an NCO Shin-gunto sword c. 1944. The blade is numbered 206811 and with what I believe to be the Seki acceptance mark. The saya is serial numbered the same as the blade and is made of brown painted steel with one ashi for attachment to the belt. The sword locks into the saya with a leaf spring catch.

The handle is checkered wood and reflects the lack of metal in the period around the end of the war. The blade is machine made and lacks a fuller found on the earlier NCO sword (I'll post that one later). The blades on these are still of fair quality though not as fine as the earlier ones. Note that mass produced machine blades lack a true hamon (wavey line caused by quenching the blade during the process of hand forging).

These have been called "Marine Landing Swords" as they were once thought, by western collectors, to have been issued to Japanese Marines when they were invading the different islands. I have read nothing to support that and in fact I have read just the opposite in that these were manufactured late in the war when there was a shortage of aluminum for the handle (as in the earlier NCO model).

Please note that I do not refer to these as "WW II Samuri swords" as that is NOT what they are. The Samuri was outlawed in 1861(?) and therefore the term "WW II Samuri Sword" is totaly wrong.

I hope you like this one, more later.

Cheers

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Here is the wood handle for the 1944 NCO Shin-gunto

Cheers

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Here's the NCO Shin-gunto's tip.

Cheers

Brian

[JimZ]

Lovely item Brian! ALthough not the quality of the earlier samurai swords, its still a truly lovely item to have! My facination for Japanese swords is a childhood one, although it has never progressed to anything more than that!

Jim

[Brian Wolfe]

Lovely item Brian! ALthough not the quality of the earlier samurai swords, its still a truly lovely item to have! My facination for Japanese swords is a childhood one, although it has never progressed to anything more than that!

Jim

Thanks Jim,

I will post my officer's swords another day as well as my much older specimens. Two from the 1650s and a No-dachi that is probably an old copy as they have not made them since the 1390s. I got it in a trade with some other items many years ago. I'm listing the swords saving the best for last.

Cheers

Brian