![]() ![]() ![]() There is some dried grease on it, and just a few small edge nicks, making this one of the best blades we have seen on an NCO sword in recent times. The brown paint on the hilt has partly worn away, as it did not really stick well to the aluminum. ![]() The condition of this sword is very good, with the blade showing very little use, and just a bit of staining. NCO Katanas were issued to soldiers who did not want to take their family sword to battle or who came from poor families that did not have swords to pass down through the generations. But machine made swords like this one do not have the accuracy of manufacturing that enable the Habaki to perform such a function. Traditionally this function is assigned to the Habaki (blade collar). This prevents the sword from falling when the soldier is running. The sword is complete with the metal locking spring tab that secures the blade to the scabbard. These are very rare to see, as the tags usually do not hold up well over the years. It also has a great cloth "capture tag" attached to the pommel ring, which were attached when the sword was turned in post war. Most swords do not have matching numbers because somewhere along the life of the sword the scabbard was changed. This example has a matching serial number 134306 on both the blade and the throat of the scabbard. It is said that during battle soldiers would not use the ring but rather would stick the sword through the belt the same way as the Samurai in ancient times.Īll NCO swords were numbered. The design copies the typical WWII Imperial Japanese Army style fittings, known as the "New Military Sword" ( 新軍刀 - shin guntou) style, with a single hanger ring and bolster on the scabbard. Blade is 26 1/4 inches long, with an overall length of 36 1/4inches. The grip wrapping and menuki are cast-formed, and then painted to give the illusion of fabric wrappings and gilt menuki. This service used example is a genuine WWII Japanese Type 95 NCO Samurai Sword or katana, with aluminum handle construction and machine made fullered blade. The majority of Japanese swords at large are the result these actions. But a small percentage made its way back to the United States and into the collector market by way of "War Trophies" brought home by returning USGIs. The Americans destroyed a large number of swords by dumping them into the ocean or by melting them. Most soldiers and citizens surrendered their swords to the American occupying forces. General McArthur did not want the general population to be able to arm again. By law, Japanese citizens were forbidden to own swords. The end of WWII marked the beginning of the sword ownership ban in Japan. ![]()
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