GENDAITO HAND FORGED SPECIAL ORDER BLADE** WW2 Era Japanese Army Officer’s Type 98 Shin Gunto Sword Lay Priest Smith Signed ‘Ishi Hara Nyu Do Kane Tada Kitau’ Rank Tassel, Scabbard & Expert Assessment. Sn 23174:33 Sword

**GENDAITO HAND FORGED SPECIAL ORDER BLADE** WW2 Era Japanese Army Officer’s Type 98 Shin Gunto Sword Lay Priest Smith Signed ‘Ishi Hara Nyu Do Kane Tada Kitau’ Rank Tassel, Scabbard & Expert Assessment. Sn 23174:33 - 23174:33

This sword has been assessed by a UK based Japanese sword expert Bill Tagg. His assessment accompanies this piece. In the assessment he states ““A Type 98 army officers shin gunto with a traditionally forged blade. Also has kokuin or hot stamp. A special order blade – gendaito signed ‘Ishi Hara(Family name) Nyu Do (Lay Priest) Kane Tada (Go or Art Name) Kitau (Forged)’. This is a high quality gendai blade. In original old war time polish, scratched and stained in places obscuring the forging details. Needs professional polish. With regular Gunome hamon line, nioi crystal based also has nie and hataraki work inji & hamon a well made blade been carried & used in war, some small nibbles to edge & slight bend. Saya metal parade gunto pattern worn & dented in places shows signs of combat use paint missing & finish gone from mounts. Tsuba a full set of seppa number 48 with quality brass tsubato match no gilt left. Tsuka shows heavy use with broken Ito (needs re-wrap), fish skin intact. Has working locking catch & brass wire sarute loop with brown / blue rank tassel for Lt to Captain rank. Ishi Hara Keiichi (family name) born 1920 made this using his name Kane Tada & saying he is a lay priest (Shinto?) see Markus Sessko book for info from pa/no 273. See Fuller & Gregory books on Smiths List 126 Oshigata No. 218 for info. Not a lot written about this man. Worthy of restoration”. In his drawings of the blade he describes the cutting edge as 64.5 cms length and overall length 87 cms, he also describes other blade measurements & characteristics (illustrated in image 2). The price includes UK delivery. Sn 23174:33

£1,750.00