SAMURAI SWORD 25 - WWII Masakuni blade
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 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 locking mechanism consists of a small button with a flowe inscribed on its surface. Pushing the button activates a lever that engages and disengages the lock.
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. This sword is actually held together
via the use of two screws.
swords often displayed the signature of the maker, their title and school or village on the tang.
The example shown here is signed by Masakuni, which was a famous sword maker during the World War
Two period.
The following picture shows the neck of the scabbard. Manufactured of a metal shell with wooden inserts which
allow the sword to be inserted and extracted without damaging its finish.
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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 tip shows a small nick. This is the most dangerous part of the sword during a fight.
This is a photo of one of the screws employed to secure the sword to the handle. Normally this would be
a wooden peg. This particular sword is secured in two different points of the handle.
This is a photo of the tassle which is attached to the pommel area of the sword.
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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