WWII Imperial Japan Navy Shin Gunto /Kai Gunto sword

  

Imperial Japan Navy Kai Gunto sword. 36'' overall, The tang is marked by a naval anchor on the obverse face and black painted characters on the reverse.

The stainless steel blade shows a bright mirror finish with a crisp straight hamon line, an immaculate razor edge and no discernible blemishes. The hilt features a plain blackened iron tsuba with stamped 64 number, brown company grade officer's knot hangs from a copper sarute.

The scabbard is lacquered black wood with gilt brass mounts. The sword and scabbard is in great condition. Identified on page 138 of Fuller and Gregory's "Japanese Military and Civil swords and dirks" as being a 1934 pattern Army shin-gunto with naval characteristics.. Paraphrased from the book: The pommel, hilt ornaments, scabbard throat, suspension mount, strengthening band, and chape are all standard shin-gunto pattern.

However, the scabbard is wooden with a glossy black lacquered finish over a canvas base, the hilt is covered with a black canvas under a brown tape binding, and the oval tsuba (guard) is blackened steel. These three features are normally associated with the naval kai-gunto.

The'mixed' appearance seems to indicate usage by officers and/or Warrant Officers of the Naval Landing Forces... However, the use of canvas hilt covering instead of same indicates mid- or late-war production, perhaps as a joint Army/Navy sword. The item "WWII Imperial Japan Navy Shin Gunto /Kai Gunto sword" is in sale since Thursday, March 11, 2021. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\Japan\Edged Weapons". The seller is "zilvra10" and is located in Chicago, Illinois. This item can be shipped to United States.

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