Type 97 Naval Kai-gunto

Axis Powers > Japanese > Edged Weapons >

Here's a decent Kai gunto. The blade has some scuffs and I think someone has fixed up the tip at some point. Well done, he was a professional not a blacksmith!! The 25 inch machine-made blade's got a straight temper line. There are a couple small rough areas to the cutting edge. rates Exc+. The scabbard is black lacquer over wood, with gold plated brass fittings. Each fitting depicts cherry blossoms and leaves over a pebbled background. The scabbard body is in worn condition with rubs and scrapes. I was tempted to put a bit of shoe polish to spiff it up some but will leave that to you. The scabbard is the type without a release latch. Peek in the throat and you will see "6429" on one side and some kanji and the number "13" on the other. What where and why I do not know. The tsuba is a chemically blackened bronze oval with decorative lines surrounding the beautifully detailed seppa's depicting the rising sun. The handle is a hand fitted wooden sleeve wrapped in unpolished black shark skin and wrapped again in a twisted silk tape. The black shark skin under the wrap is all intact. The two menki's depict three cherry blossoms on three disks each. The fittings are gold plated brass. The ishizuke nicely matches the kabutogane.