The sword, in Japanese culture, is a most important item, not just from a historical standpoint, but also from a spiritual one. Japanese warriors have always used their swords as an extension of themselves, or as a partner, and not merely a weapon. The Japanese military used swords extensively, particularly during the Russo-Japanese war and World War II. The soldiers carried different types of swords, which depended upon the rank of the officer, the branch of the army and the time period.
Shin-gunto, a Samurai sword carried by army officers, is primarily a mass-produced sword and the most common style of sword mountings from the World War II era. “Shin” means new, “gun” means military and “to” means sword. These swords have a brass mounting on the scabbard and hilt and reddish brown lacing on the hilt. There were handmade blades during this time, but not by traditional methods. These Samurai swords were categorized as Muratato, Showato, Hantanzo, Mantetsuto or Yotetsuto, based on the method of production. The Kindaito and Gendaito are swords made according to traditional methods.
Swords that were made using non-traditional methods or materials have stamps on the tangs or “nakago”, with the possible exception of some Gendaito, which have the star stamps of Jumei Tosho. Many swords also bore various logos on the scabbards or “saya”, but were not necessarily those of the manufacturer, as they may also have been the logos of the shops selling the swords. The shin-gunto scabbards are usually metal painted brown, although it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to find navy blue, tan or black scabbards. Leather field covers would be found on many of them as well.
Another type of Japanese sword was the NCO shin-gunto, which was for a non-commissioned officer. This particular type was subjected to a series of developments over the course of time and all were machine made. This fascinating, handmade, shin-gunto officer’s sword is in excellent condition, has brown lacing on the hilt and a metal scabbard. You can see the incredible detail work that has gone into the making of this sword. The images of cherry blossoms, which are the symbol for the Imperial Japanese Army, can be found on the pommels, the guard and the ornaments. The scabbard’s fittings are also embellished with the magnificent design of the cherry blossom. To own this exceptional Samurai sword is to have an antique enriched in Japanese history! You can buy this exquisite samurai sword here
