WWII Samurai Sword

**money** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 7:45am

Here's a pretty good picture of what I assume he's referring to:

(Pic courtesy of GIS and http://www.nihonto.com.au/html/shin_...michizane.html )

**Craig Jenkins** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 8:39am

There is an incredible range of values and types of swords. My understanding is that not only were swords surrended to individual servicemen, but that huge piles of swords were confiscated, buried and left to rust away. Quite sad really.

Machine manufactured gunto are not particularly valuable, and very common, but it was not uncommon for people to refit older blades with gunto fittings.

I agree on the tang markings, if there are any, but it might be best to find a local group that can advise you properly.

**Craig Jenkins** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 8:40am

Double post - sorry

**money** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 9:05am

Originally Posted by Craig Jenkins

There is an incredible range of values and types of swords. My understanding is that not only were swords surrended to individual servicemen, but that huge piles of swords were confiscated, buried and left to rust away. Quite sad really.

Machine manufactured gunto are not particularly valuable, and very common, but it was not uncommon for people to refit older blades with gunto fittings.

I agree on the tang markings, if there are any, but it might be best to find a local group that can advise you properly.

I've also been told that a prime position for the cream officers from important families was in the navy, so many ancestral blades were lost at the bottom of the sea. :(

If he can get a good enough image/rubbing of the markings on the nakago I still have some contacts in the japanese sword world who might be able to identify it.

***battlefields*** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 10:29pm

Originally Posted by Money

Here's a pretty good picture of what I assume he's referring to:

(Pic courtesy of GIS and http://www.nihonto.com.au/html/shin_...michizane.html )

That isn't the button I was talking about, but it did have one like that. In fact, from what I can see that is the same sword. The button I was referring to is about an inch to the right of the photo, under the leather (?) grip, it goes through the handle, you push it out either side and it releases the handle to reveal what I am assuming to be the nagako.

**money** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 10:49pm

Originally Posted by battlefields

That isn't the button I was talking about, but it did have one like that. In fact, from what I can see that is the same sword. The button I was referring to is about an inch to the right of the photo, under the leather (?) grip, it goes through the handle, you push it out either side and it releases the handle to reveal what I am assuming to be the nagako.

Oh, that's the mekugi, they all have one or two of those (unless it's a cheap pos that has the handle glued on). That's one of the handy things about a Japanese sword, it's really easy to change out the the parts that aren't going to last as long as the steel.

For example, here is my shinken with a 150 year old blade but a completely new Tsuka & Tsuba that I had made for it a few years ago.

***battlefields*** · Posted On: 5/11/2010 11:06pm

Just quickly, I seem to remember the guard (?) to be a little more ornate in design than the one in the picture I reposted. Don't quote me on it, but would that make a difference?

**money** · Posted On: 5/12/2010 9:57am

Originally Posted by battlefields

Just quickly, I seem to remember the guard (?) to be a little more ornate in design than the one in the picture I reposted. Don't quote me on it, but would that make a difference?

Since the tsuba is easy to switch out, that is not necessarily a sign of quality or value. What is important is the inscription on the nagako of the blade itself. Smith's typically signed their work along with the date and sometimes other information. My old sensei had one from the 16th or 17th century that noted it had cut through 3 bodies. (They sometimes used convicts for blade testing)

There are entire books on identifying the signatures on these blades. I got mine at a steal because there is a very slight discrepancy on the signature that puts a doubt onto whether or not it's an authentic Kurihara Nobuhide blade from the mid 19th or a forgery done by a lesser smith in the early 20th century. If it is authentic, the value is 8-10x what I paid for it. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure would be to spend a couple grand and send it to Japan for a few months to be verified, and if they decide it's not then they would remove the signature.

**Craig Jenkins** · Posted On: 5/12/2010 10:35am

And mine has a fragmentary signature - looks as though it was shortened. Life. I'm still very proud to have it.

**money** · Posted On: 5/12/2010 11:29am

Originally Posted by Craig Jenkins

And mine has a fragmentary signature - looks as though it was shortened. Life. I'm still very proud to have it.

Same here man, proved authentic or not it's still a beautiful heirloom and one of the 2 physical possessions I have that I consider irreplaceable. Whenever I go on business trips, I take it to my parents house to hold on to while I'm gone just in case I get robbed, lol.