Item:
ONJR22AS081

Original WWII Japanese Type 98 Shin-Gunto Katana by TAKEHISA with Old Iron Crossguard & Scabbard - dated 1943

Item Description

Original Item: One of a Kind. Recently purchased at a military show, this is a great USGI Bring-Back wartime production high grade Japanese officer Katana in the Type 98 Shin-Gunto (九八式軍刀 kyūhachi-shiki guntō) setting. These type of fittings (koshirae) are slightly simplified compared to the earlier Type 94. The blade tang is signed by the maker, and appears to be handmade in the traditional fashion. A Shin-Guntō (新軍刀, new military sword) is a weapon and symbol of rank used by the Imperial Japanese Army between the years of 1935 and 1945.

The blade on this example looks to have been arsenal forged, and the tang of the blade is signed (Mei) with the characters 武 久, which is read as TAKEHISA. There is unfortunately not much known on this smith, other than they were active during the Showa period. We have confirmed the signature (oshigata) with other examples of their work.

The other side of the tang bears the date when the blade was produced, in the standard long form indicating years into the current emperor's reign: 昭 和 十 八 年 春. This would be read: SHOWA (current reigning emperor) Juu-Hachi Nen (18th year of reign - 1943) Haru (Spring). The markings have been partly highlighted with white to make them easier to see. We think we can see a very faint arsenal stamp above the markings, but it is not clear.

As far as we can tell, this is an arsenal made blade, however the condition of the surface unfortunately makes it very difficult to determine. It suffered water exposure to the entire surface at some point, and then was put back in the scabbard, which resulted in light staining and rust. This was later polished out, possibly during the war, but this also removed any traces of the polish that would show aspects of a hand-made blade. The blade is still relatively sharp, and does not show any dents or nicks in the edge, except for a small chip on the very tip. Blade length is approximately 26 1/4 inches and overall length 37 inches. The katana has a handmade blade with a Futsu 普通 (regular) Nakago (tang) with Naagari (asymmetrical rounded) nakago-jiri (tang tip).

The blade mountings are mostly the classic later WWII era Type 98 Army Shin-Gunto style, brass with gilt accents, now worn away. The iron "quince" (mokko gata) shaped tsuba (cross guard) however is definitely not WWII period, and looks to be much older, probably from the mid Edo period. It shows some lovely gilt copper and silver inlay work on both sides, as well as a lovely worn patina. We surmise it was probably a family memento taken by the soldier into war.

The handle (tsuka) has an nice shark skin shagreen grip, which is fully intact. It has a complete light brown Ito (cloth binding), which shows light wear and staining. Under this are the standard brass Imperial Army cherry blossom menuki (grip decoration), and the end has a nice Kabuto-Gane (Pommel Cap). The pommel cap has many cherry blossom motifs, which are also found on the scabbard fittings, and the fuchi (grip collar). There are 4 Seppa (spacers) around the cross guard to keep the fit tight, and the blade collar (habaki) looks to be the standard brass alloy. There is a single wooden securing peg (mekugi) still present, which looks to be a replacement.

The Scabbard (saya) is a standard wood type, covered with a leather field cover, which has a nice late war dark brown finish. It has a single hanger loop, as well as a snap that would have attached to a strap from the handle to secure the sword in the scabbard, which is unfortunately missing. The leather cover is in good shape, showing light wear from service and decades of age and storage.

A very nice Japanese Type 98 Shin-gunto by a known maker, complete with an old family cross guard. This is a real USGI bring-back from WWII, ready to display and cherish!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 26 1/4"
Blade Style: Katana
Overall length: 37“
Scabbard Length: 29"

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 folded 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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