Identify and Polish question on WW2 Shin Gunto?

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bchboy1206

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Mar 13, 2013
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Hello everyone, I am Jim and am new to swords let alone Japanese swords. I have two Shin Gunto that I would like to have the blades cleaned up a little. There are no chips or deep pitting but a little "fingerprint rust". I can't afford the prices I have seen on the internet and I don't want to mess them up either but I want the hamons to stand out more. Any ideas, tips or people I can speak with!


My officers blade is not signed, is there a way to find the area and or era it was made???

Thanks much in advance!
Jim
 
bchboy1206 said:
Hello everyone, I am Jim and am new to swords let alone Japanese swords. I have two Shin Gunto that I would like to have the blades cleaned up a little. There are no chips or deep pitting but a little "fingerprint rust". I can't afford the prices I have seen on the internet and I don't want to mess them up either but I want the hamons to stand out more. Any ideas, tips or people I can speak with!


My officers blade is not signed, is there a way to find the area and or era it was made???

Thanks much in advance!
Jim
Click to expand...

If you're interested in an authentic restoration I'd probably advise against it, as there's no cost effective way to go about it with a gunto without spending way more than the swords are likely worth.

If you aren't concerned about an 'authentic restoration', most any local smith could probably do a polish/stain to bring out the hamon. Doing this may make the sword look better, but would definitely destroy any value the swords had.

Personally, I think it's best to leave the swords as is, and maintain/appreciate them for what they are.
 
Thanks Schmoopy, You're right, a true polish would cost more than the sword is worth.

I was told that this may be an old family blade being there isn't any markings on the tang. Can you tell anything from the blade and habaki? (Please don't say it's fake!!!)

Any info or tips are greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance
Jim

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Well, there's bad news and good news.

The bad news: From the looks of the hamon, it's not a traditionally made sword(nihonto), and not an old family blade. The surface rust also looks deep enough that I wouldn't be confident in their complete removal (I may be wrong about the rust, but from the picture angle, that's what I think).

The good news: It looks to be an authentic officer gunto war time sword. Japan made many of these kinds of swords during world war 2. The furniture and aged appearance are pretty good confirmations. Assuming the tassels are legit(I have no idea how to determine the authenticity of tassels), blue/brown indicates a lieutenant or a captain.

All in all, I would say keep it oiled and maintain it as is. I don't think it's cost effective to do an authentic restoration, and I also think an amateur restoration would ruin its historical significance.
 
Thank you for that insightful answer, that's just what I looking for! I will just oil it up and enjoy it as it is.

Thanks again!!!
 
For removing the rust, I recommend you try Picreator's Metal De-corroder. First degrease the sword thoroghly with White Spirit and Aceton (and I mean thoroughly), then dry it and apply Metal De-corroder generously on the affected areas. Let it stay there several minutes, wipe it clean, then reaply. You can also brush the rusty spots with a toothbrush after you let is soak well in the De-corroder. DO NOT CLEAN THE NAKAGO! When you are done, you can clean the residue with water, or just wipe it dry, the clean again the blade with White Spirit. For polishing, I would recommend using Pre-Lim. For the conservation I am using Renaissance Wax insted f the traditional Choji oil, but you can use any good quality mineral oil with good results. Good luck!
 
The furniture is some of the "better" Gunto mounts that I have seen, at least the tsuba and seppa.

Care and attention was paid to the finishing, a lot of the later war stuff was pounded out quickly, without much attention paid to details, and it looked much worse for it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I ended up getting a refund on the gunto, It was really nice and it broke my heart to send it back but the rust was much worse and deeper than pictured and the tsuba was very loose! Hopefully, I will find a decent one!
 
bchboy1206 said:
I ended up getting a refund on the gunto, It was really nice and it broke my heart to send it back but the rust was much worse and deeper than pictured and the tsuba was very loose! Hopefully, I will find a decent one!
Click to expand...

The tsuba being loose is immaterial.....they are easily adjusted to the nakago.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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