unknown sword

[Bodey]

Hello everyone,

Today i inherited a sword from my uncle, who got it from his father who brought it back from the war in the Philippines (not sure if he actually got it from the Phillipines ). I know that the markings are under the grip, however I do not want to take it apart because i fear something may break or not go back together properly. The only marking i have noticed on the exterior is the number three. I do not know anything about swords and i would like to know if anyone could tell me what kind of sword this is, and how much it is worth. I am also aware that the tassel is not original.

Thanks,
Michael

[rbminis]

Hello,
This is referred to as a Kai Gunto.
There are others here who will be able to help you. Taking the handle off will not harm anything as long as you keep track of the pieces that come off and put them back on in the same order.
You only need to find out which end of the peg is smaller and push or tap it from that end.
Then, holding the sword firmly with your left hand close to the guard with the tip pointing up, strike down firmly on the top of your left hand with your right hand. As the tang is a wedge shape, this should jar the handle loose and it can be taken off with ease. Be as careful as you can to avoid touching the sharp edge of the blade, as well as any other part of the blade. If you do, make sure to wipe any fingerprints off afterwards.
Ralph.

[Bodey]

Hi Ralph,
Thanks for the info. Do you know if the sheath is also a Kai Gunto? I just did some research and all the sheathes that come with this sword look a bit different.

Thanks,
Michael

[BOB COLEMAN]

The sword and the scabbard are a mismatched marriage. The scasbbard is from a 1944 pattern Imperial Japanese Officer's sword. The yellow tassle on the handle is not original to the sword. Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your family heirloom.

[rbminis]

Hello Michael,
Bob has pretty much covered it.
I believe this is probably a machine made blade and would not be of any great worth. If you believe there are markings on the tang, you could take it apart, post some photos here, and then you would at least know who made it. The photos should be taken and posted as per the advice given here.
When Posting Japanese Sword Tangs For Translation
Ralph.

[Bodey]

Thanks everyone for the info, I found it very helpful. However, I do not think im going to take it apart as i said earlier. My uncle told me that his father just picked the sword out of a big pile of weapons, so that could explain how they got mismatched.

Thanks,
Michael

[Alan M]

Hi Michael , i love these swords that have family history attached . The sword itself looks to be in great condition and i like seeing traces of the gilding remaining on the fuchi and kabuto gane ( the collar between the handle and the handguard and the pommel cap on top of the handle ) , a really nice example . As Bob has stated , it is missing it's original scabbard and that is a pity , but it still represents a part of your Grandfathers military history , which is really nice to have !

[Stu W]

Agreed, Army Officer scabbard for the Type 3 sword (I'm surprised it fits) and also referred to as 44 pattern as Bob mentioned.

Here is a link to what a full Type 97 Navy Kai-gunto would look like ...

Navy commissioned officers Shin-GuntM 1937 (Type Tachi GuntM)

and here is one to the Army Type 3 ...

The wartime type Gunto for army officers 1943 (Type 3 GuntM)

Now, am I correct when I say that the seppa (washer) in front of the tsuba (hand guard) has a rectangular hole cut in it through which I am able to see the "3"? Or is it stamped into the seppa?

Your tsuka (handle) has a push button release on it and a portion of the release mechanism would have passed through the tsuba and seppa to the attachment or catch point on the original saya (scabbard).

See here for a visual although using Shin-gunto rather than Kai-gunto as I shamelessly harvested pics off the Net.

Regards,
Stu

[Stu W]

By the way Michael, taking a tsuka off is only terrifying the first time and we can walk you through it much as Ralph has done. If it does not come off easily by his method there are others ways to deal with it. Main points are to go slow, get the peg out the correct way and don't get your fingers near the blade edge. Three finger Mikey is not a knick-name you want to acquire at this stage in life.

Or you can just leave it as it is too ... that's just as good if it suits you.

Regards,
Stu

[Bodey]

Stu,
Yes there is a rectangular hole cut for the three. What does that mean?