MINT POLISH SUPERB HAMON WW2 Japanese Army Officer’s Shin Gunto Gendaito Katana Sword With Smith Signed Tang ‘BISHU JU (MANO) MASA YASU’ With Secret Smith Stamp, Officer’s Cord, Scabbard & Expert Assessment. Swords

**MINT POLISH SUPERB HAMON**WW2 Japanese Army Officer’s Shin Gunto Gendaito Katana Sword With Smith Signed Tang ‘BISHU JU (MANO) MASA YASU’ With Secret Smith Stamp, Officer’s Cord, Scabbard & Expert Assessment. Sn 18982 - 18982

This sword has been assessed by a UK based Japanese sword expert Bill Tagg. His assessment accompanies this piece. In exerts from the assessment he states “Gendaito by ‘(MANO) MASA YASU’. He made Medium grade gendaito as an army approved smith. This is a good example of his work. A big powerful blade with Ko-Notare hamon based on Suguha (straight small waves) with edge of nioi heavily sprinkled with Nie crystals. A superb tasteful quiet hamon line. Very tight forging with some Masame mixed with Nashiji grain. In nearly mint polish one patch of old rust & one kizu flaw. Scabbard metal parade Gunto in very good condition, lots of original paint and finish to mounts. Tsuba is large, type usually carried by high ranks (pierced). Tsuka in very good condition but ito (wrap) broken near base of hilt (needs re-bind). Its locking catch is missing. With its original Officer’s Lieutenant to Captain rank tasselled cord in un-touched condition. In illustrations of the blade & tang which accompany the assessment, one side has the translated smith signature and he observes a wartime polisher’s mark & curved Yasuri Mei file marks. He describes the tang end as Kuri Jiri Shape (rounded). He notes a possible secret mark of the smith ‘Masa Yasu’. Cutting edge is 26 ½”, total length is 34 ½”. Kissaki point big 36mm. The price for this sword with expert assessment includes UK delivery. Sn 18982

£1,545.00