Original Items. One-of-a-Kind. This is an unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime offering: a Japanese Navy Officer P1937 Kai-Gunto Katana and U.S. Navy Sword belt, sent as birthday gifts by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz to Admiral William Rea Furlong, Commander of Minecraft, Battle Force at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from February to December 1941. Furlong was present during the attack on December 7, 1941, serving aboard his flagship, the minelayer USS Oglala, when it was strafed and torpedoed, ultimately capsizing at the pier. In the chaos of the surprise assault, Furlong directed anti-aircraft fire from the deck as the ship was sinking beneath him—one of the most dramatic first-person command experiences of the event.

Then from December 12, 1941 until nearly the end of the war, Furlong served as Commander of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, tasked with the immense responsibility of salvaging and repairing the ships sunk during the Japanese attack and returning them to service for the Pacific war effort. Under his leadership, some of the most ambitious naval recoveries in history took place — most notably the righting and raising of the battleship USS Oklahoma, which had capsized after multiple torpedo strikes on December 7th. For this critical work and his wartime contributions, Furlong received the Legion of Merit in 1944, followed by a Gold Star in lieu of a second Legion of Merit in 1945.

Not long before this on May 26th, 1944, Chester Nimitz sent the personal letter in this set, wishing him a happy birthday and “as a token of my high esteem and appreciation to you of your splendid services”, he was “enclosing a small gift”, the Japanese sword and a U.S. Navy belt that could be used to wear it if desired.

The belt itself is a a high grade USN Leather dress brocade belt, with a black and gold fabric front surface, in size 34. The design is correct to the period, and it is in very good condition.

The sword is a fantastic High Grade Japanese Naval officer Katana in the Pattern 1937 Kai-Gunto setting. A Kai-Guntō (海軍刀, naval sword) is a weapon and symbol of rank used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the WWII Period. It features a 16th Century Late Muromachi Period Blade by MIHARA MASAMORI dated 1567, and comes in a fantastic sharkskin shagreen wrapped wooden scabbard. The sword definitely shows signs of having been in a war, and the blade polish is a bit degraded, with the fittings also showing use and age. It also has some red paint added to the cross guard and fittings, which we do not know whether this was added by the original owner, by the person who captured it, or by someone after furlong received it. This sword had been part of a museum collection for decades, so it definitely didn't happen anytime recently.

We disassembled the katana to evaluate the sword, and the tang is signed with 三 原 正 守 作 - MIHARA MASAMORI SAKU (Made by Mihara Masamori) on one side, indicating the maker was a member of the very old and prestigious MIHARA school of swordsmithing in Japan. The other side is signed 永 禄 八 年 十 月 吉 日 - EIROKU HACHI NEN JU GATSU KICHI JITSU - "An auspicious day the 10th month of 1567". This blade is almost certainly a family blade, indicating the owner was definitely of some importance and lineage. Looking at the tang, the YASURIME (鑢目 - file marks) are completely worn away, and it has three different mounting holes (MEKUGI), indicating it has been remounted multiple times. This was standard for family blades, as fittings eventually wore out, and the blade would need to be repolished. The characters on the tang are still relatively easy to read, though the chisel marks (TAGANE) are faint, and the raised area around them (TAGANE-MAKURA) is worn down.

The katana measures 35 ½” long with a 24 ⅜” blade, and the polish on the blade is unfortunately degraded, showing wear in areas as well as oxidation. It is however still VERY sharp, and there are no major dents or chips, just some roughness to the edge in areas. We can still see many aspects of the blade, but it would definitely would require the attention of a TOGISHI sword polisher to bring it back to top condition. As it is, we can still see the temper line (刃文- HAMON), which is a SUGUHA - 直刃 (straight) shape, and we can see NIE crystallization and NIOI cloudiness along the transition, but unfortunately not much else, even in the best light. It features a Futsu 普通 (regular) shaped Nakago (Tang) with a Haagari (asymmetrical rounded) nakago-jiri (tang tip), which means that it has not been cut down.

The fittings for the blade are actually in very good condition, with the gilding still present in many areas, and no major damage. The handle wrappings are still lovely, and the grip underneath is great as well. The scabbard fits well, and the covering still has most of the original lacquer present. 

We unfortunately do not know the history of the sword before it was gifted to Furlong, but assume it came from a high-ranking officer on a captured ship. Definitely some incredible history to this sword! A truly once in a lifetime opportunity!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 24 ⅜"
Blade Style: Shinogi-Zukuri (鎬造)
Overall length: 35 ½“
Scabbard Length: 28 ¼"

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.