Original Item: Only One Available. Purchased recently at a military show, this is a mid grade wartime production 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. These swords are somewhat rare, given that they usually went down with the ships. This is a solid example, though at some point the original scabbard was lost, and it was placed inside a relic condition IJA Type 98 Shin-Gunto scabbard. It does look like it saw a good amount of use, and the fittings were cleaned over the years, which has worn away their original finish.

The Kai-Gunto has an overall length of 37 ⅝ inches, and has is 26 ¼ inch long blade. This was factory forged, and has two mounting holes in the standard long FUTSU 普通 (regular) shaped NAKAGO (tang), with a HAAGARI (asymmetrical rounded) nakago-jiri. There is no signature (MEI), as is usual for later war pieces, so this blade is considered 無銘 (MUMEI), or "anonymous". There are also no Naval Arsenal markings present, however there are the painted Japanese numerals 一 五 三 六 (1 5 3 6), which would be used to match the blade to its fittings.

The blade is in very good condition and is still VERY sharp, and should definitely be handled with care. We can see overall scuffing from use and past cleaning to remove dirt, and there are some small bends on the edge of the blade. It looks like it may have had some scratches that were polished out later. It does still retain some of the original factory polish, which has a simulated straight (SUGU) hamon. Due to cleaning, there is no longer a simulated YOKOTE present. Given the total absence of rust on the blade, we believe it to be made from Stainless steel, which was popular for the rust-inducing ocean environment.

The KATANA has a heavy rounded TSUBA (cross guard) with two large stylized Ō-SEPPA (large spacers) surrounding it, and two more smaller SEPPA (spacers). These are all made from blacked copper plated iron or steel. The HABAKI (blade collar) is made from copper, and was originally gilt, however the finish is mostly worn away. The TSUKA (handle) has two nickel plated steel Cherry-Blossom MENUKI (grip decorations), and a nice plated iron KABUTO-GANE (end cap), which has copper cherry blossoms on it, though there is no end loop. It has a very good service used condition black oilcloth grip with complete olive brown ITO (cloth binding) showing soiling and wear, and a fine decorative non-magnetic collar (FUCHI). This is also brass with copper cherry blossoms, and it has lost all of the original plating. The handle is held on by one of the two original MEKUGI pegs, which looks to be original.

The fuchi, tsuba, O-Seppa, and seppa are all marked with a western number next to a series marking: オ 1 5 3 6. The オ marking is the KATAKANA syllable "O", and these were often used for series markings. We checked the end of the tsuba, and it has the オ 1 5 3 6 marking faintly in pencil. These all match the 一 五 三 六 (1 5 3 6) on the tang of the blade, indicating that this set of KOSHIRAE (fittings) are a matched set, all made for this specific blade.

The Scabbard (SAYA) is a Type 98 Shin-Gunto scabbard, steel with brass fittings, however the original wooden inserts inside that hold the blade are completely gone. The exterior has lost virtually all of the paint, and now displays a peppered oxidized patina. The KOIGUCHI throat fitting shows the correct cherry blossom designs, however the SAYAJIRI end fitting is completely missing. The scabbard has the correct single hanger loop of the Type 98 style, which shows overall oxidation and wear.

This Japanese WWII Pattern 1937 Kai-Gunto retains its original matched naval fittings, with assembly number 1536 repeated on the tang, fuchi, tsuba, Ō-seppa, and seppa. The unsigned factory-made blade remains very sharp and in generally good condition, although it shows scuffing, past polishing, small edge bends, and loss of the simulated yokote. The original naval scabbard is no longer present, and the sword is now housed in a heavily worn Type 98 Shin-Gunto steel scabbard with extensive finish loss, oxidation, missing internal wood liners, and a missing end fitting. Despite the mismatched scabbard, the sword itself remains a cohesive Kai-Gunto assembly with matching-number koshirae and a well-preserved wartime blade.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 26 ¼"
Blade Shape: Shinogi-Zukuri (鎬造)
Handle Length: 10 ¼”
Overall length: 37 ⅝“
Scabbard Length: 28 ¾"

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.