What have we got here

[John Brandon]

Thanks for all your answers so far. I will take some higher quality pictures later today. As I live in the uk. This"sword" I can guarantee was picked up in Burma in 1945 and brought back to the isle of man. There it has been for 70 years....... no one has had it in a collection before. I know always buy the item not the story ..... but this is such a small island.....😅

[John Brandon]

Double post sorry

[John Brandon]

A few more pictures, sorry but photographing blades is not my strong point

Some quite large files so you can "blow them up"

Thanks

[BOB COLEMAN]

The tsuba is genuine and likely the best part of the whole sword. Not a high quality blade with the nakago cleaned at one time. I think this is a mounting made somewhere in the Southeast Asia theater of war and is period but not of the best quality.

[John Brandon]

Thanks for your help bob. It'll do add a filler. Thank you

[BOB COLEMAN]

Every once in a while, I used to encounter very odd sword mountings that were period legitimate. One of my favorite was a commercial oil tempered katana that had belonged to an individual that had practiced the sword martial arts. When he entered the military, he used this sword, which was mounted like a real samurai sword with all modern parts, had a leather field cover made for the scabbard and two leather hangers mounted so the sword could be carried and drawn with the cutting edge up which was the standard draw for a samurai.
I have also encountered souvenir made swords made by local peoples to sell to naval personel who never saw a real one. My favorite was a gentleman who brought me a sword in the shape of a true samurai sword but completely made of woven rattan. It had a junk steel blade but the outer work, although bogus, was high quality. I looked at him and said "I bet you were in the Navy and bought this in the Philippines. His mouth dropped and though I was some sort of mine reader! He said "I guess this is not what you are looking for."

[Gunto]

I doubt the tsuba , looks wierd with the 2 small holes. Way to small for kodzuka and kogai. Just my 2 cents.

[BOB COLEMAN]

I doubt the tsuba , looks wierd with the 2 small holes. Way to small for kodzuka and kogai. Just my 2 cents.

I noticed that. They would not be necessary if the tsuba was designed for a katana where larger holes would not be necessary.

[AZPhil]

Like i have mentioned. A student in learning here. The Hada? There is no grain just straight lines.(No Grain)? On the Nakago the third hole is not pierced but looks to be torch blown or plasma blown out. Just a student asking questions. So please go easy on me. PLEASE KNOW I am not questioning Mr Coleman's experience. I respect his knowledge and years of experience. I am just trying to educate myself with his years of Hands on!
Semper Fi
Phil

[BOB COLEMAN]

Like i have mentioned. A student in learning here. The Hada? There is no grain just straight lines.(No Grain)? On the Nakago the third hole is not pierced but looks to be torch blown or plasma blown out. Just a student asking questions. So please go easy on me. PLEASE KNOW I am not questioning Mr Coleman's experience. I respect his knowledge and years of experience. I am just trying to educate myself with his years of Hands on!
Semper Fi
Phil

Phil-
It could be the pictures, the condition of the blade or entirely the lack of any. This is an unusual piece which is eas y to dismiss as a fake. Over my many years collecting, I have encountered three swords of similar make and model with a cruder blade and tsuba. I do not like making claims of fake without being able to examine a piece like this in hand. With the provenance John has given, I have no reason to doubt his words. As to the third hole, I do not see what you see as to how it was made. If anything, it could have been drilled instead of punched. My thoughts for what they are worth.