So I have this "gunto"...

Shoki

Shoki

Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
7,395
I'm not very good at discerning fakes from real or establishing whether or not a sword is worth restoring so I'm hoping one of you gentleman has some insight on this piece. It came from my step-father's pile of oddities and he's known for finding the odd gem in a pile of garbage but since he's in a coma and not likely to come out of it, I have no way of knowing where this sword came from. Judging from the poor condition of the blade and it's mountings, I assume it's been sitting in someone's basement for a long time but beyond that, it's a mystery. It lacks any yokote line and the grain is extremely suspect. There is also no clear hamon, no obvious yasurime, and the habaki has a stamped "serial number'. Basically, I have severe doubts about this sword but I'd hate to send it down the river if it was actually "something". The cracked nakago makes it pretty un-savable, even in the absurdly low likelihood that it's real.






I can recognize and appreciate a real nihonto when I see it but when it comes to this rusty stuff, I'm at a loss. I've seen nihonto up close that were in bad shape and was quick to say "fake" only to be proven wrong so I'm just looking for confirmation that this sword is, in fact, scrap metal.
 
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I wouldn't say it was scrap metal. If you put the edge on a grinder and sharpen
it up a bit, it could be used as a weed wacker. Nice tsuba!
Rich
 
Rich S said:
I wouldn't say it was scrap metal. If you put the edge on a grinder and sharpen
it up a bit, it could be used as a weed wacker. Nice tsuba!
Rich
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I was thinking about cleaning it up, giving it to my son and setting him loose on the pesky blackberry bushes in my yard.
 
Blais said:
I was thinking about cleaning it up, giving it to my son and setting him loose on the pesky blackberry bushes in my yard.
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You can do that, but he will probably bend it badly.......better to use a machete.

It's neat. I you have a belt grinder, it might be worth working on your geometry and hybrid polish?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
You can do that, but he will probably bend it badly.......better to use a machete.

It's neat. I you have a belt grinder, it might be worth working on your geometry and hybrid polish?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Undoubtedly, but he'd have a blast doing it. I thought about filming it and posting a video to youtube with a description like "My son putting Grandpa's WWII trophy to good use" or something. Imagine the hate mail! :D

In all seriousness, I wouldn't want to give him the impression that using swords for such silliness is a good idea. We have enough misguided souls out there "testing" swords on water bottles, wooden dowels, etc.
 
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Blais said:
Undoubtedly, but he'd have a blast doing it. I thought about filming it and posting a video to youtube with a description like "My son putting Grandpa's WWII trophy to good use" or something. Imagine the hate mail! :D
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That IS funny!

Blais said:
In all seriousness, I wouldn't want to give him the impression that using swords for such silliness is a good idea. We have enough misguided souls out there "testing" swords on water bottles, wooded dowels, etc.
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True that, why in this very s/f there is a video of a chap doing that very thing....badly.:rolleyes:

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
True that, why in this very s/f there is a video of a chap doing that very thing....badly.:rolleyes:

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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Is it the one in the cheap sword thread with the gentleman who made his own tsuka out of balsa wood and electrical tape?
 
Blais said:
Is it the one in the cheap sword thread with the gentleman who made his own tsuka out of balsa wood and electrical tape?
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That and the one posted up by the chap who posted that one up as well...:eek::rolleyes::eek:

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I like the enthusiasm for the art but I have to cringe sometimes. Before I knew my elbow from a kissaki, I bought a sword-shaped turd and went hacking away at anything in range that wasn't made of rock, metal, or expensive. I think I knocked that crap off in a week or two, I hope the same is true for most garden-ninjas out there.
 
Blais said:
I like the enthusiasm for the art but I have to cringe sometimes. Before I knew my elbow from a kissaki, I bought a sword-shaped turd and went hacking away at anything in range that wasn't made of rock, metal, or expensive. I think I knocked that crap off in a week or two, I hope the same is true for most garden-ninjas out there.
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It isn't the art that people have enthusiasm for....it's the mystique.....and they do all kinds of dumb crap with a katana or like shaped object because it makes them feel powerful...it does....I know it, everyone knows it.

Hopefully they don't cause an incident that winds up on the news....that is really all I hope for.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Something seems way wrong at the kissaki. Hard to see what the cross-section shape of that is.

I think it could be cleaned up and make a wall hanger, but I sure would not swing a sword of unknown origin and steel in a businesslike fashion at a target. At least not without full armor on!
 
Sword forum International is your best bet for getting a full ID this blade.

Zieg
 
Sword forum International is your best bet for getting a full ID this blade.

Zieg
 
For what it's worth, the swordsmith's name on the tang is Kawada Seisa (Last name, first name).
No idea who he was, Seisa is not a modern Japanese first name, probably last seen pre-WWII.
 
Take the following for what it is worth which may be zero. Based on what I can see, the tang on your sword looks full length. AFAIK, antique swords used in WW2 had the tangs cut shorter and a 2nd hole drilled to fit the military mount. Prior to that swords used in the military had full tangs but also had a second hole drilled. The original hole was made via a round drift during the sword manufacture and won't be as precise as a drill bit. The second hole is made with a drill bit at the time the military mount was fitted and will have clean edges (usually). Yours has only a single hole which looks like it may have been drilled with a drill bit. But yours also has a fairly long fuller which I associate with machine made (power hammer & die vs. hand forged) Japanese military sword. Could it be a pre-WW2 made for the military sword? I am sorry but I don't know but... If I found this sword at a flea market I would not rush to do yard work with it. It has very pleasing lines which is definitely a characteristic of legit Japanese swords. There are a lot of things about it that do not scream fake to me and definitely warrant having it looked at by an expert.
 
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