What were the regulations for the Army civilian employees to carry swords?

[Nick Komiya]

I meant the WW2 era. Thank you Nick for the answers!

The brown tassel is alleged to be - and this is by the gunto collectors - a late war universal tassel for the Army and Navy! I was not so sure if that is true. I always had my doubts.

That is only an old wives tale possible in a country where collectors cannot read the original regulations and make stories up to suit what they see. The regs are clear in black and white on this point, they are tassels for civilian employees. So I just debunked another gunto myth didn't I? To kill such fake information for good, I show you below the excerpt from the original document of 19th August 1940, highlighting the instructions on the rear side color of the tassel.

[Sporter90]

Yes, you did!

Now, how to differentiate this tassel from the brown Navy tassel?

[Nick Komiya]

But this Gunzoku dressed military uniform like soldier and officer or civil ? Thanks

They had special insignia and special uniforms, too. But don't overload me by asking me to explain that and do your own research on it.

[Type4]

The light brown tassel used in late war in the army is a fake notice?
thanks

[Nick Komiya]

Sorry, I'm not discussing and researching navy today, so I'll leave that as homework for gunto experts that created the stupid myth. Here's their chance to screw things up further by inventing another fake story.

[Sporter90]

The light brown tassel used in late war in the army is a fake notice?
thanks

Which item? Fake tassel or fake sword? The quality of the original tassel is very good to a point that it stands out. The fake tassel is easy to spot.

[Type4]

I meant if it is correct that at the end of the war the tassels had become all of a single brown color in the officer's katana in Ija

[Sporter90]

Sorry, I'm not discussing and researching navy today, so I'll leave that as homework for gunto experts that created the stupid myth. Here's their chance to screw things up further by inventing another fake story.

Thank you Nick! From the surviving examples, it's difficult to tell which is which - at least to me. Other people say that the shade of brown is different. At this point, I'll put the brown tassel on the navy sword only.

[Sporter90]

I meant if it is correct that at the end of the war the tassels had become all of a single brown color in the officer's katana in Ija

No, No, No. The single brown color tassel is for the Gunzoku - army civilian employees. The regular army used the regular tassel to the end of the war.

[Nick Komiya]

The Japanese version of Wikipedia had this to say about tassels in the Gunto article.

"軍属判任官は海軍の昭和12年制式に類似し茶一色" Gunzoku Hannin-kan ranks wore a all brown tassel similar to the navy's 1937 style tassel. So your question about how to tell them apart is a valid point.

Another Japanese site says they are "extremely similar, but not identical and can be told apart". So let's await comparison photos from collectors.