Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Imperial Japanese WWII Type 32 "Ko" First Pattern Cavalry saber, complete with its original steel scabbard. Japanese cavalry sabers, originally introduced in the late 19th Century, all have machine made blades with serial numbers on the ricasso and will commonly have arsenal stamps on the guard.

The Type 25, introduced in 1892, had brass hilts and plain wood grips. The Type 32, introduced in 1899, on the other hand has a checkered steel hilt with checkered wood grips. They were issued with a leather finger loop on the inside of the guard. The machine made blades are "katana" shaped, and have a full length wide fuller and flat spine, and are contained in steel scabbards with a single ring. The swords saw service during the Russo-Japanese War, World War One and on into World War Two.

Two patterns of the Type 32 were produced. The first pattern, known as ‘Ko,’ was issued to cavalry NCOs and had a blade length of around 32 1/2 inches. The second pattern, known as ‘Otsu,’ was issued to army NCOs and was shorter, with a blade length of around 30 inches. This example is a ‘Otsu’ pattern Type 32 cavalry saber, and is an early production example, with a lower serial number, and was designed to have a leather finger ring. Like almost every example we see, the finger loop is missing. These almost always break off or are removed later in service.

The blade is in very good condition and retains its fighting edge, with a few areas of nicks and denting. 3/4 of the blade edge has been sharpened, while the area closest to the guard was left blunt. The ricasso is stamped with serial number 21837. The blade was designed for cutting and thrusting and was superbly good at both. This blade definitely looks to have seen service, and was sharpened at least once for use, though we do not see much in the way of blade nicks. It is still relatively sharp, so care is needed during handling. There is staining and oxidation in areas on the blade, but overall the finish is still quite nice.

The steel D guard has a checked steel back strap and dove head pommel, all of which now show a worn oxidized steel patina from years of service and cleaning. The checked wooden grip is in very good condition, with strong checkering and still has a nice dark red brown color. The guard has the "stacked cannonball" logo used by Tokyo and Kokura arsenals, with a second character we can't quite make out. There is unfortunately no way to know when the sword was made, as they were produced continuously for close to 40 years.

The sword is complete with its steel scabbard, with a single hanger-ring, and functional locking catch. The drag of the scabbard bears serial number 21837 and matches the sword, something we rarely see! The scabbard is in good condition and still has some traces of paint present.

A Japanese Cavalry Saber, in service for decades, and probably brought home after WWII. In very nice condition and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade length: 30 1/2”
Blade style: Single Edged with Fuller
Overall length: 35 ½”
Guard Dimensions: 4 1/2"W x 5"L
Scabbard length: 31"