Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Purchased directly from a private collection, this is a very good condition katana blade, most likely several hundred years old, fit in the typical pre-war style. It was still used in the 20th century, and then into WWII. This is a great katana with a lot of history, brought back home by a USGI after the war.
In Japan it is common practice for swords to be passed down for generations, particularly ones that were of high quality. These would be re-polished and re-fit numerous times, as steel was precious and swords were expensive. This continued up into WWII, and there were also official programs for families without sons to donate swords to the war effort. This sword looks to have seen service during the Russo-Japanese war, evidenced by the style scabbard, and then was probably returned to it's original 19th century fittings afterwards. During WWII, the family may have donated it, or they may have had a son who was an officer, who took it with him. Sadly the sword cannot talk and tell us its true history.
The blade is ancient and handmade and expertly crafted by a master sword maker due to a few tell tale characteristics that include:
- Single-hole tang which shows great age.
- The hole in the tang (mekugi) is punched and not drilled, and shows wear from being slightly enlarged.
- Visible temper line (hamon) at the edge of the blade with crystals visible.
- Blade has lamination visible in the body (JI) as well as edge (HA) of the blade, including HADA (grain) on the ji.
- The Blade has lamination artifacts or "blade wounds" (kizu) such as fukure (carbon pits), only possible on traditionally made blades.
- Blade has a proper geometric Yokote at the tip (kissaki) with a Boshi (tip temper line)
There is no signature on this blade, so it is considered 無名 (mumei), or "anonymous". Sometimes these blades were never signed, or the signature may have worn away due to oxidation over the years. This blade is definitely quite old, probably from the 17th or 18th century.
Offered in very good condition, the blade is still mostly sharp and looks great. There are some tiny dents / chips close to the blade collar on the edge, the most common place for this damage to occur. Overall the polish on the blade is very good, with just a few areas of wear and scuffing, as well as a bit of light oxidation. Blade length is approximately 24 3/2 inches and overall length 35 3/4 inches. The katana has a handmade blade with a Futsu 普通 (regular) Nakago (tang) with a Haagari (asymmetrical rounded) nakago-jiri (tang tip).
It has a proper kissaki (tip) with a clear yokote (division between body and tip). The temper line (hamon) is fully visible, and is a very attractive SUGUHA (straight) shape. There are Nie crystals visible with a magnifying glass at the temper line, and the correct NIOI cloudy areas of crystals. There is a lot of activity within the hamon, with lamination streaks visible, called SUNAGASHI. The BOSHI (tip temper line) is an OOMARU (large turnback) type, and mostly visible. The body of the blade (JI) shows grain (hada), which is a very attractive ITAME (woodgrain) type.
The blade does have some KIZU (blade wounds), including WARE (dark lamination streaks) and FUKURE (carbon pits). There is also a FUKURE blister on the right side of the blade about 9 inches from the tip, caused by a carbon inclusion during lamination. These blades are made by hand using ancient pre-industrial methods, so they are somewhat inevitable, and the sign of a true NIHONTO.
The handle (tsuka) is well-fitting, tight on the tang, and has ornate brass menuki (grip decorations), which are are covered by the wrapping, so we cannot quite make out what design they are. The end of the handle has a nice iron KASHIRA (end cap), and there is a brass loop near the end, with a canvas "Capture Tag" through it, from when it was handed over after the Japanese surrender. The tsuka also has an excellent stingray (Sa-Me) grip with complete brown Ito (cloth binding), which shows slight wear and discoloration from use. The FUCHI (grip collar) is iron as well.
The iron Tsuba (cross guard) on this blade is round, with some very nice leaf designs engraved into the surface, typical of 18th-19th century fittings. There are six seppa (spacers) surrounding the cross guard, which is secure. The tsuba has a hole in it for a scabbard lock strap, and there is a leather loop around the handle, though it is broken off. The HABAKI (blade collar) is two piece copper, typical of older blades.
The Scabbard (saya) on this sword is a Russo-Japanese war style Kyu-Gunto (old military sword) type, steel with a wooden lining. The basic design is very similar to the scabbards used throughout Europe and the Americas in the 19th century. It is in good shape, but has light surface rust, probably from being in a leather scabbard cover. It still has an intact hanger ring, and fits the blade very well.
A very nice example of an ancient personal katana that was pressed into military service and surrendered during WWII. Ready to display!
Specifications:
Blade Length: 24 3/2”
Blade Style: Katana
Overall length: 35 3/4"
Scabbard Length: 27 1/2"
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.