Original Item: Only One Available. This is something that we have only had once before! During Japanese history, edged weapons had always been a symbol of authority and power, so when power was returned to the Emperor during the Meiji restoration of 1868, many new designs of swords were needed for the various new organizations that came into being as Japan "modernized". The police in particular had a real need to be armed, and various swords were designed for the various ranks in the organization. As had been seen previously in history, members of higher rank would have more ornate and elaborate swords, less suitable for actual use, and more for display.

This is a very good example of a WWII Era Japanese Patrolman & Sergeant's sword from the Imperial Police department. There were several different versions of these known, and this is known as the Second Type, which does not have a handguard, but does have side tabs with circle emblems on them, as well as the "Five-ray" police insignia on the rear of the hilt near the pommel. This specific type is described and pictured in the book Swords of Imperial Japan 1868-1945: Cyclopedia Edition by Jim Dawson, pages 306-307. Pictures of these pages are shown as a reference only, and are not included. As would expect for the sword of a "rank and file" member of the police, it is designed for actual use, with minimal ornamentation, with much more thought given to functionality.

This is a very fine example in lovely well preserved condition. The brass guard has a rich patina, showing that has not been heavily polished over the years. The police insignia on the rear of the hilt is still well retained and easily visible. The grip on the 2nd type is bound red leather, and this example still retains it quite well, though it does show some wear to the surface. The grip on these is usually bound with brass wire, however it is missing on this example. Looking at period pictures, the "bent back" cross guard is correct, and seems to vary from sword to sword. The scabbard lock on the hilt is present, however the top of the scabbard is missing the throat, so it has nothing to hook into.

The blade is in very good condition, showing some past oxidation staining, now cleaned away. We did not see any evidence of significant pitting, and the edge is still relatively sharp in many areas. It also shows use including past sharpening, dents, and small chips, so this is definitely a sword that saw actual use. We have made no attempts to clean or sharpening it to avoid disturbing the lovely patina.

The steel scabbard is in very nice condition, and looks to have lost the original nickel plating, after which it oxidized and was subsequently cleaned. There are some dents towards the drag, which do not interfere with sheathing the blade. As mentioned previously it is missing the top throat fitting, so it does not lock into place on the hilt, however it still stays in relatively well. The hanger ring is still present in its bolster, and the wooden inserts inside the scabbard are still present, and help protect the blade.

A very nice example of a hard to find Imperial Japanese police sword, ready to add to any collection of Japanese WW2 edged weapons!

Dimensions:-
Overall length: 23 1/2”
Blade length: 17 3/4”
Scabbard length: 20 7/8”