The Samurai sword has captured the imagination of people for hundreads of years. Its legendary strength, simplicity in
design and outright beauty have earned it a top place among military antiques and collectibles. Many of these swords
were brought back to the US as war souvenirs by returning soldiers after WWII ended.
The sample shown here is a Japanese WWII Samurai sword. Very representative of those issued to the armed forces in WWII.
The swords were often marked in the tang section. The pictured below illustrate some of those markings. Among the
information placed there include the date in which the sword was made, the name of the maker, Name of the town or school
where it was made.
The sword here also has an arsenal marking, which is shown on the right side photo.
The temper line is still visible in this sample. This line was used by the maker as a way to personalize the sword. It
was sort of an informal signature. The shape of the temper can help you determine the master who created the sword.
The horizontal marks across the blade are an indication that a
previous owner attempted to sharpen or polish the blade in an incorrect manner. Sharpening these type of swords require
great skill. An owner should never attempt this unless he/she has had previous training.
Serious collectors will send the swords back to Japan to be restored and sharpened.
The scabbard is wooden and the lacker paint shows some wear.
Some sections are peeling off near the hanger and the throat.
The handle wrapping is typical of the one used by the Imperial Japanese Army. The
wrapping shows some freying.
The tip of the blade has some small rust spots. The picture on the
right shows the Tsuba, which is the type employed by the Japanese armed forces.
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