Help Identifying Japanese Kantana

[Obal7]

As I mentioned on my previous post " Help with WW2 Kantana and Translation" , I am also looking at, what I believe is also a WW2 Japanese Kantana that was also, a suspected Vet "bring back''. I would like some help identifying this Kantana as WW2 and any interesting information as to it's markings, Officer, enlisted man, etc. Especially the character on the blade. I do not know the exact length, but it appeared to be almost 1/2 the size of the original Kantana. Thank you.

[Bruce Pennington]

Dang, I hate seeing these oddballs. I was thinking Island-made, but that ugly kanji on the blade screams “FAKE.”

See if you can get DaveR to look it over. He’s more experienced with the island swords.

[Shamsy]

This is FAR above islander quality. While no nihontoite, I would put money on that being a completely legitimate Japanese Wak. You can see the hada in the last photo pretty clearly and a hamon (which looks legitimate, not an ugly acid wash). The gomabushi, or twin bohi (Nick; sorry if I am stuffing up the Japanese translation) look well cut to me.

The kanji does look poorly done though. The rest of the sword though looks pretty good. I would have just said standard little wakizashi.

[ghp95134]

Sorry guys, but that is “Bonji” — Sanscrit — not kanji. Japanese Buddhism borrowed these from India.
It looks like the bonji associated with Dainichi Nyorai, the cosmic Buddha (if I recal correctly). The bonji is on the bottom left of the chart here:
www.tozandoshop.com

This is a wakizashi that was probably donated during the sword drive of the 1930s. I’m betting that it originally had a leather combat cover on the scabbard.

—Guy

[Obal7]

Thank you for the information and your knowledge. It is very impressive. Especially on a subject I know very little about. So if I am correct, this is pre-WW2. And from the posts, both swords appear to be genuine? In your opinions, if possible, would you think this is worth acquiring?

[DaveR]

Looks like a traditional blade with "Bonji" engraving, and Showa era mounts. Not an "Island Blade" in any way. The Itomaki is good, and the mounts are what we call "Handachi", as in "semi tachi", a tachi type mounted sword worn in the obi rather than slung from two haikan. As said above, probably picked up in a sword drive, and put into field mounts for the war.

[Bruce Pennington]

Ha!!! I knew the real pro's would jump in if I made some rookie comments on this baby!

Obal7, as to "should you"... That totally depends upon your tastes and reasons for collecting. They are both legit Japanese swords, therefore collectable to anyone interested in these styles. Personally I really like this one! (agree with Guy, that this saya (scabbard) was made for a leather cover. The covers often go missing by the time we get them in our collecting circles.)

[Shamsy]

Thanks for clarifying the Bonji Guy. It was the only bit I wasn't sure about. It doesn't look very well done, but perhaps that's just the photography.

That's my daily learning ticked off.

[DaveR]

The Bonji may have been cut to remove a flaw, or equally may be distorted by repeated polishing. The saya looks a bit too good for a standard field cover, usually the lacquer is pretty crap on them, and in fact this looks more like Showa era "piano varnish". I would not be at all surprised if there was the remains of a kurigata hidden by the haikan mount.
Summing up it looks like a collectable sword,... and final judgement rests on inspection in the hand, and at the very least a good photo' of both sides of the nakago. This could still be an early Showa-to, with a decent but non traditional blade.