Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition naval-issue officer katana. The blade is in nearly perfect condition with only a few very minor scuffs, it is still sharp and nick free. Blade length is 26 1/2 inches and overall length 37 1/2 inches. It has a factory forged blade, with one mounting hole in the squared off tang where there is a Naval ANCHOR stamp. The blade retains all of the original factory finish, with a simulated temper line. Japanese Kai-Gunto naval officers swords are somewhat rare, given that they usually went down with the ships. This particular example has the higher grade 1937 Pattern fittings with the lacquered sharkskin wrapped scabbard, indicating this may have been made for a front line naval officers.
It has a heavy brass tsuba (cross guard) and the large brass Seppa (spacers) around the tsuba are large and highly stylized. The tsuka (handle) has two gold highlighted Cherry-Blossom menuki (grip decorations), and a nice gold highlighted Kabuto-Gane (End Cap), with the wooden securing peg still present, though it is broken. Excellent oil-cloth (grip) with complete olive-colored Ito (cloth binding) with fine decorative collar. Condition of the blade, scabbard and fittings is very good, indicating light use, though the wrapping on the grip is a bit worn and dirty. As typical of the pattern, Cherry Blossom motifs appear on many of the fittings. The handle is tight to the blade, though the guard and spacers are slightly loose.
The Wood scabbard is wrapped in lacquered sharkskin, and has gilt brass fittings, though they are now faded, and all of the fittings are a bit loose, as the glue holding them in place has degraded over the years. Two hanging loops are present, and the condition is very good, with only a few dents and slight splitting of the sharkskin. The crossguard, and all 4 of the spacers are marked with western number 1798, indicating an original matched set made for this specific blade. The blade itself, as well as the handle (tsuka) and scabbard (saya), are marked with 一 七 九 八, the Japanese characters for 1 (ichi) 7 (nana) 9 (kyuu) and 8(hachi). Combinations of Japanese and Western numbers are very common on sword fittings.
Really a great example of a Imperial Japanese Navy Kai-Gunto, complete with a Clan Marking, ready to display!
It has been over one thousand years ago that the art of making swords appeared in Japan. The swordsmiths of the time may not have known it but they were creating a legendary sword. The Samurai sword has seen combat in many battlefields. From the early days of the Samurai warrior to the fierce battles in the South Pacific during WWII.
Each hand-made Samurai sword is unique because it is forged from steel stock. A tremendous amount of work is dedicated to creating these pieces. They were an instrument of war as much as a beautiful artifact to adorn a room.
The Samurai sword has grown to be one of the most highly desired military antiques.
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