RARE VARIANT**SURRENDERED TROPHY OF WAR**Late WW2 Emergency Issue Japanese Navy Petty Officer Or Senior NCO’s Kai Gunto Tachi Sword With Arsenal / Or Private Sword Shop Numbered & Marked Tang, Scabbard & Expert Assessment. Sn 22877 Sword

**RARE VARIANT**SURRENDERED TROPHY OF WAR**Late WW2 Emergency Issue Japanese Navy Petty Officer Or Senior NCO’s Kai Gunto Tachi Sword With Arsenal / Or Private Sword Shop Numbered & Marked Tang, Scabbard & Expert Assessment. Sn 22877 - 22877

This sword was received direct from the family of a British Sailor who served in the Pacific Fleet during WW2. The family described how this sword was surrendered by a Japanese Officer to their Sailor relative when he boarded a Japanese War ship (no other details known). The sword was brought home after the war and has been in storage & un-messed with since then. The sword has been examined by UK Japanese sword expert Bill Tagg. His assessment accompanies the sword. In his notes he states “A late war possible emergency issue sword looks like for Japanese Navy. A varient of a kai gunto tachi. A basic arsenal product with either a murato or machine made blade. No folding or forging – rolled bar stock with all over temper and quenched in oil. No proper hamon (put on with stones, un-signed). With arsenal or sword shop inspector’s stamps. Scabbard / saya: basic wood covered with tight canvas combat cover & leather drag which is black for navy? Plus has two ashi suspension rings – also navy feature. Tsuba is blackened oval iron + one brass seppa (no marks). Navy used black iron in late war. Tsuka / hilt: basic late war with black soft metal fuchi + copper kashira (bright) wrapped in leather (black) simulating ray skin, black ito wrap Navy style. No menuki fitted. A basic cheaply made weapon but a rare Navy? varient. Never sen one before in un-touched collector’s condition. NB Possible Navy Petty officer or Senior NCO’s sword? Needs more research”. In his illustrations Bill describes the cutting edge as 62 cm length and full length 84.5 cm, he also identifies a number 10 arsenal number, an un-identified Arsenal or Private sword shop mark & describes other blade characteristics and measurements which can be read in the images. The price for this rare variant WW2 Japanese Navy sword worthy of further research includes UK delivery. Sn 22877

£975.00