Japanese Wooden Handle Samurai Sword with Wooden Sheath
Sword measures a little over 38 inches in total length. Blade of sword is 27 inches in length, and 1.5 inches at it's widest point. Handle of sword is 10 and 1/4th inches in length. Sheath is wooden with what appears a lacquer type paint, along with red painted Japanese writing on it. Blade is extremely sharp. Inside the sheath the sword is a little over 39 inches in length and has a weight close to 4 lbs. I untied the black strings on the handle in order to remove the white decorative pieces on the handle. Did not find any writing on the wooden handle of the sword. Did find some numbers written in pencil on the backside of the two white decorative pieces. Have been told by a couple sources that they believed it to be 120-140 years in age, but can not confirm. I can not find any other markings, letters, or numbers on the sword other than the red Japanese letters that have been painted down the sheath. Was obtained from an estate sale of a military weapons collector 22 years ago down around Nashville Tennessee with a winning bid then of three hundred dollars. Has been inside closet ever since. This is basically only information I have on it, unfortunately I can not interpret Japanese lettering. Thank you in advance for your knowledge and possible help.
Acquired 22 years ago around 1998, from an estate sale down around Nashville Tennessee from a former collector of military weapons. Winning bid then was three hundred dollars.
Other
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Dear Bryan,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
The presented object appears to be a Japanese Katana sword which was probably made in the 19th or first half of the 20th century. The decorative parts like the Tsuba and the blade itself are kept simple. Such a traditional Japanese sword was used by the Japanese Imperial Army called Gunto swords and which was in use by the Imperial Japanese Army until 1945. Such weapons came with returning GIs after WWII in high numbers to American collections.
This piece is in medium condition and there is no serious damage visible in the images provided. The covering of the sword hilt is missing.
A fair market estimation would be between 200 to 400 USD.
This estimate is based on actual recent past recorded auction sales of comparable items. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and may vary.
With kind regards,
Georg
Dear Bryan,
I am happy to hear that you appreciated our work and knowledge. Sadly I cannot help you directly with deciphering the signature or dating on the sword rod.
With kind regards,
Georg
Thank you so much for your response and appraisal of the sword. Since sending you the photo's and information, I learned that I needed to remove the wooden handle by pulling out the wooden peg, underneath there I would find inscriptions on both sides in the metal, which would indicate the year it was produced along with the sword craftsman's name. I do have photo's of this inscription, and I do know from speaking with some in sword forums that it was made in May of 1945, and is possibly a Japanese Officers Sword. The name on the back of the sword has yet to be determined as I have not been able to find anyone who can interpret it. Could I send these photo's to your company to look at, and possibly research more? I do not mind paying another appraisal fee. Thank you, if you could just let me know how to proceed.