The wooden scabbard with a brownish leather cover are traditional mountings of the
WWII period. A side view of the leather strap is seen on the left picture. The bottom
of the scabbard has a simple leather design to it (right photo).
The mid section of the scabbard can be seen here. The leather has been cut to allow the hanger
loop to go through. Underneath the leather the wood from the scabbard is visible.
The three cherry blossom menuki is also a typical mounting of the japanese armed forces
during WWII. The menuki is often a highly decorative piece portraying figures of dragons,
skulls, insects and many other characters. The picture on the right illustrates the "tachi" hardware.
The pommel cap (Kashira) came in a variety of designs or simply plain. the example shown here depicts
a flowery scene.
The leather fastener with a snap is used to hold the blade in place. The wooden
scabbard shows as the leather cover has receded due to aging. A clear view of the
tsuba (hand guard) is displayed here.
This picture shows some of the components of a sword. A wooden peg would go through
the hole in the tang to secure the blade to the handle. Soldiers would often make the peg by
inserting a chop stick in the hole of the tang, then proceeded to break it.
swords often displayed the signature of the maker, their title and school or village on the tang.
The example shown here is not signed.
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