Shin gunto blade and scabbard repro?

[MattS]

I'm just about positive this is a Chinese fake blade and scabbard. With the handle and tsuba and other assorted parts gone, I don't think there's much that can be done here. Any thoughts?

[lambo35]

Possible "Island Sword", made in a Japanese occupied area during WW2 by locals for local officials etc. Close-up pictures of the scabbard (Saya) and fittings along with close-up pics of the "Nakago" (hilt),both sides

Chuck

[MattS]

Some more photos

[lambo35]

Not Japanese made, IMO. I also do not think this sword was made in China for sale to tourists etc.

Chuck

[MattS]

8 hours ago, lambo35 said:

Not Japanese made, IMO. I also do not think this sword was made in China for sale to tourists etc.

Chuck

Thanks, that's a bit of a mystery then.

[MattS]

A lot of reproduction swords come out of India. Could this be from there? Or could this be a wartime blade made elsewhere?

[SARGE]

MattS,

I recall reading the memoir of a Japanese carrier pilot who was forced down on a Japanese occupied island landing strip when he could not make it back to his carrier late in the war.  His plane was shot up after he abandoned it on the runway and he was trapped on the island base for the remainder of the war.  He recounted how his uniforms and sword were still on his ship and were eventually shipped back to his wife in Japan but he had only the clothes on his back on the island.  He was able to scrounge together a uniform and he recalled that a friendly airplane mechanic made him a new sword out of a leaf spring off of a destroyed truck.  He said it was not very pretty but he was very proud of it and wore it on the island until he surrendered it at the end of the war.

The problem is that your sword may be an "island sword" but it was certainly not made by a Japanese blade-smith.  It is not a traditional wartime Japanese sword.  You would have to convince a buyer that it was period Japanese made and the sword has no back story.  If the sword is not a reproduction it might as well be as it will be labeled as such by any potential buyer.  This is one reason I always say, "Buy the sword and not the story."  

I hope this is helpful.  

 

[MattS]

I appreciate that. A friend and fellow member here owns this sword, he bought it online with no backstory (presumably for not very much money) and asked me to post it to see if we could figure out what it is. 

So far, it's NOT Japanese.

It MAY be a wartime blade, may be post-war.

With no story and no handle or other important parts, it's not very valuable and probably not worth restoring I guess? 

[SARGE]

In my humble opinion... correct.

 

[MattS]

49 minutes ago, SARGE said:

In my humble opinion... correct.

Thanks Sarge! 

[lambo35]

It could be a fun project to research this kind of sword variation and build/complete it, based on the information that your friend can find from the internet/books etc. Lots of possibilities there.

 

Chuck.