WWII Japanese Army Officer Shin Gunto with Scabbard
Item #: AA3117
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This is a Japanese Officers Shin Gunto from World War II. It has an overall length of 37", with a blade length of 26 3/4". The blade is signed, but unfortunately I can't read Japanese! If someone out there can help me out with that I'd really appreciate it! I'm pretty sure it is dated March of 1943. The wooden hilt is covered in marine skin, then wrapped in green lacing (ito). The marine skin and ito are both very tight to the hilt, with the marine skin having small age cracks in a couple of spots. The ito shows wear and ground in grim from use along the entire length. The ornamental decorations (menuki) on each side of the hilt are brass, and appear to be of the WWII period. The top of the hilt has a brass mount (kabuto gane) with an attractive floral design and stippled texture. The brass collar at the base of the hilt also carries over with the floral design. All the brass pieces, to include the shims, have a matching dark golden patina. The wooden pin (mekugi) that retains the hilt to the tang appears to be original to the sword, and shows the same wear from use as the ito. The guard (tsuba) is brass and also appears to be of the WWII period. The blade collar (habaki) has a dirty brass patina. The blade has an overall bright appearance, but unfortunately someone who had no idea what they were doing tried to polish it. This blade will need to have a professional polish job applied to it to restore it to original condition. The edge is free of nicks or any other damage. The sword is secured to the scabbard by a press and release catch system common to these swords. The single, iron mounted scabbard is made of metal and shows multiple coats of paint. It looks to have a reddish primer coat covered by a dark green color, with the olive green commonly found on theses scabbards being applied last. The scabbard shows wear from handling and a couple of small dents, but is in very good condition. This Japanese Officer's Shin Gunto will make a nice addition to your WWII Japanese collection.
Shipping Weight:
4 lbs
Item # AA3117
(Sold)
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