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WWII JAPANESE ARMY SAMURAI SWORD - KATANA - #6
This is a WWII Samurai sword. As issued to Japanese armed forces during WWII. The simplicity of design,
strength and beauty has made the sword famous. It is employed in movies and commercials quite often,
propelling it into one of the top military collectibles.
THE FITTINGS
The fittings found on this sword are typical of the WWII era. The pommel displays the cherry blossom on its top while the side has a circular pattern (below-left).
The Tsuba is of very rough construction, this implies that it was produced late in the war when the materials were getting more scarced and were dedicated to the construction of weapons (below-right).
The scabbard is outfitted with a brass hanger and tip ornament. Notice how just above the scabbard there
is an indentation on the wood. This is where a wooden, hollowed piece would be placed to allow the soldiers
to secure the sword via a cloth sash.
The blade is hand made. Some minor nicks can be seen in the edge of the sword. In addition, the
upper section of the blade is bent. When force is applied to a blade it will bend or crack. Hand
made blades bend because they were constructed by folding the metal onto itself
several times.
The Hamon (edge) is no longer visible. It appears that the blade has been sharpened improperly
removing this characteristic of the blade. This is one of the many reasons why untrained
individuals should not sharpen a Samurai sword.
The Habaki is shown on the left photo. Manufactured of copper with a brushed design. This is
typical design.
THE BLADE
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for Samurai swords.
Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point
out clearly defined points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my Samurai Sword worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the swords is
reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of the edge weapons in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality
military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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The tang (see above photo) has three holes which are used to secure the blade to the handle via wooden pegs.
The size and shape of the tang are factors that help determine the school who made the blade.
This Samurai Sword may be currently reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other Japanese Samurai swords, you can do so by going to our
Japanese Samurai Swords Price Guide
identification guide. Where we cover Samurai swords from all periods.
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