Need Help with my grandfather's Shin Gunto sword

[Stu W]

I HATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS ... my earlier comment;

"It was mentioned along the way that the single hanger denotes a Kai-gunto as opposed to a Shin-gunto."

It should have read denotes a "Shin-gunto as opposed to a Kai-gunto".

... and as to your comment Andrew about how many are out there the number is no doubt in the thousands but not nearly as many as were initially produced as a rather substantial number ended up on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean along with about 85% of the Japanese fleet or so I have read.

Any decent shape Kai-gunto will fetch a couple grand these days. Those with high quality blades much more but they are few and far between.

Regards,
Stu

[Stu W]

Hi Andrew,

I have a few more minutes so thought I'd add a couple more random comments.

In post #38 above Bob mentions the importance of keeping the disassembled parts in order so as to enable a smooth assembly when finished with your examination of the nakago. If you have a digital camera I suggest you take photos of the before, during and after phase of the dismantling process. You could also make notes to yourself as you go along. Seppas in a pile all tend to look the same to the uninitiated so a photo or a note to oneself indicating which came off first and which side was the front or back will aid in correctly orienting the parts prior to assembly later.

Also, when you draw the sword from the saya do so with the saya held in such a manner that the sword blade is uppermost. That way when you drag the sword out it will be supported on the back of the blade rather than drawing it along it's cutting edge.

Last, but not least, don't clean the blade before we have a look at it. Any rust on, and color of, the nakago surface will assist with an analysis. Later, depending upon what is there, a cleaning may be appropriate. At that stage you will need to ensure wiping in the correct direction. Blades are wiped away from the nakago toward the tip of the sword whereas a nakago is wiped away from the blade toward the butt. That way you don't drag bits of debris off the nakago onto the blade where they may damage the finish.

Although a bit daunting at first, in hindsight you will find you've enjoyed getting to know your sword. Trouble is it will be lonely without a Shin-gunto to keep it company on display. Then you will want a nice Type 95 Army NCO sword to round out the display ... that is until you learn about Kyu-gunto ... and decide that just one would be a good addition to your now growing collection. Swords are much like Lay's potato chips ... you can't have just one.

Regards,
Stu

[SeoulTeacher]

Got the handle off! Took about a dozen pictures but I'm on my phone right now so I can't upload them all. The metal peices all had the number 18 stamped into them. Got pics of that too. Neither I nor my grandmother can wait to find out what the markings mean. Will post more photos ASAP. Thanks!

[Stu W]

Hi Andrew,

Looks similar to the Tenshozan Tanrenjo mei. That's a workshop in Zushi near Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture. They made swords for the Navy. Most, if not all, out of a stainless steel.

I'll have to get one of mine out to compare it with.

I'm also going to rotate your image for ease of viewing.

Back to you later,
Stu
PS: The numbered parts are assembly numbers and it's nice to have them matching.

[SeoulTeacher]

Hi Andrew,

Looks similar to the Tenshozan Tanrenjo mei. That's a workshop in Zushi near Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture. They made swords for the Navy. Most, if not all, out of a stainless steel.

I'll have to get one of mine out to compare it with.

I'm also going to rotate your image for ease of viewing.

Back to you later,
Stu
PS: The numbered parts are assembly numbers and it's nice to have them matching.

Thanks Stu, I don't know why I couldn't get my imagine North-South like its supposed to be, hopefully these work. Sorry for so many but I wanted to make sure I captured all there was to see. Got the pin in and out no problem, didn't even crack it.

Can't wait to start learning more about my sword!

[Stu W]

Here's one of mine from the Tenshozan Forge.

The mei reads Tenshozan Tanren Jo Kin Saku or Respectfully made at the Tenshozan Forge.

I'll get to comparing the kanji shorly.

Regards,
Stu

[Stu W]

Looks like we have a match.

Regards,
Stu

[SeoulTeacher]

Looks like we have a match.

Regards,
Stu

Well I'll be damned... Seems to be exactly the same. Though the one difference I see and that I noticed when I removed the handle is that mine is missing the Anchor/Naval symbol. Any thoughts as to why that might be the case?

[Stu W]

Any idea would be a guess but if the bombs were falling and the time for rapid production had arrived it might just be that it was overlooked or no longer of importance.

Regardless, you have an interesting sword and story to go with it. I'll send you some thoughts on conservation by PM.

Regards,
Stu

[BOB COLEMAN]

The anchor stamp is a naval acceptance stamp found on stainless steel blades. It is possible it may have initially failed acceptance for some flaw and was later issued due to war time shortages. That is just a guess on my part.