Request help with sword

[hftiii]

Hello,

Just thought I'd post a Type 32 cavalry sword that I picked up a few years ago. It's in good shape (except for the dent in the scabbard and missing leather finger loop) with matching numbers. Many of the examples that I have seen have a dent in the scabbard in about the same spot as mine.....any ideas as to why? Could it have to do with being used by a mounted troop?

If anyone could help with translation of the marks on the hand guard, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Tom

[Sporter90]

I read a Type 32 without the finger loop was meant to be a makeshift NCO sword.

[ghp95134]

明四三
Meiji 43 [明治] = 1910

Kokura Arsenal Mark

＊作
*[unk] Made
I can't read that stamp on the lower right


--Guy

[Bruce Pennington]

Dawson states that all 32's were made for enlisted men. As to the loop, he states "...late in the Type 32 production run, finger loops fell from favor and were eliminated."

Some handguards still had the rivet, some had the hole, but filled, and some clearly had reworked machining and didn't have a hole at all.

Which one is yours? Can't quite see that spot from the picture.

[hftiii]

Thanks for the translation Guy. I appreciate it!

Bruce, I'll take a look at the sword tomorrow and take another pic. It may be that it never had a loop. I assumed that it had one and it had not survived. Thanks for your comments.

Tom

[Stu W]

Perhaps you can also tell us if it's the ko or otsu model?

Thanks,
Stu

[Stu W]

You may also want to be aware of this info from Dawson before you decide you have a "cavalry" sword.

The Type 32 Army Sword first series, "ko", intended for all NCOs and men in the Cavalry, had a blade length of 32 3/4 inches. The second series, "otsu", for NCOs and men in the military police, transportation corps, as well as master sergeants in the infantry, engineers and artillery has a blade length of 30 1/2 inches.

The heavier of the two drags is found on scabbards for the otsu types which makes sense as they were far more likely to come into contact with the ground.


Regards,
Stu

[RH1941]

Tom very nice sword I picked one up a couple years ago .Gary

[Shamsy]

The 32 are a nice and underappreciated sword. You can make a decent go of collecting them, as there are a few variants. From memory the easiest way to tell if it had a finger loop is to check for rivet marks around the piercing in the tsuba. If present, then it did!

I agree that the 32's and 25's seem to have a fair few dents either at the terminus of the scabbard and at that midway point. Personally I think that the midway point is just a natural point of weakness, but I'm basing that on speculation really which I don't love.

[hftiii]

Thanks for all the comments and information....much appreciated. I have not had a chance to take a closer look at the sword (and measure length, ect.) but will do so.

Tom