WWII Japanese SWORD at auction

[Bruce Pennington]

It seems that the gendaito found in this form of mount always have lacquered tsukaito and a rough texture black lacquered saya.

Bob, thanks for the clarification! I went back to the thread I was referencing (commments by StuW, Nihonto Message Board), and found both guys had the saya type you mention. I wonder what the significance is? Does this say there was an IJA "spec" requirement that Type 3 with gendaito were to have the double latch & laquered saya; or were these made by a particular factory and that was their koshirae preference?

[Gunto]

Bob, thanks for the clarification! I went back to the thread I was referencing (commments by StuW, Nihonto Message Board), and found both guys had the saya type you mention. I wonder what the significance is? Does this say there was an IJA "spec" requirement that Type 3 with gendaito were to have the double latch & laquered saya; or were these made by a particular factory and that was their koshirae preference?

Depending on how much owner wanted to pay for his sword.

[Bruce Pennington]

Depending on how much owner wanted to pay for his sword.

So if all known versions of the Type 3 with gendaito have this style koshirae I'd take it to mean that guys who could afford a gendaito blade also valued the lacquered wood saya and double latch? Maybe the style was popular and/or was considered a status symbol?

[DaveR]

A Gendai blade was expensive, if you could afford one of them then you wanted to protect your prize. There is a thread on this very forum about these swords, here. https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/japan...ersion-584796/

[ghp95134]

So if all known versions of the Type 3 with gendaito have this style koshirae I'd take it to mean that guys who could afford a gendaito blade also valued the lacquered wood saya and double latch? Maybe the style was popular and/or was considered a status symbol?

Plus, carrying a wooden scabbard is much easier than humping around a steel scabbard.

--Guy