Sword measures a little over 38 inches in total length. Blade of sword is 27 inches in length, and 1.5 inches at it's widest point. Handle of sword is 10 and 1/4th inches in length. Sheath is wooden with what appears a lacquer type paint, along with red painted Japanese writing on it. Blade is extremely sharp. Inside the sheath the sword is a little over 39 inches in length and has a weight close to 4 lbs. I untied the black strings on the handle in order to remove the white decorative pieces on the handle. Did not find any writing on the wooden handle of the sword. Did find some numbers written in pencil on the backside of the two white decorative pieces. Have been told by a couple sources that they believed it to be 120-140 years in age, but can not confirm. I can not find any other markings, letters, or numbers on the sword other than the red Japanese letters that have been painted down the sheath. Was obtained from an estate sale of a military weapons collector 22 years ago down around Nashville Tennessee with a winning bid then of three hundred dollars. Has been inside closet ever since. This is basically only information I have on it, unfortunately I can not interpret Japanese lettering. Thank you in advance for your knowledge and possible help.
Dimensions
Acquired From:
Other
Dear Bryan, Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry. The presented object appears to be a Japanese Katana sword which was probably made in the 19th or first half of the 20th century. The decorative parts like the Tsuba and the blade itself are kept simple. Such a traditional Japanese sword was used by the Japanese Imperial Army called Gunto swords and which was in use by the Imperial Japanese Army until 1945. Such weapons came with returning GIs after WWII in high numbers to American collections. This piece is in medium condition and there is no serious damage visible in the images provided. The covering of the sword hilt is missing. A fair market estimation would be between 200 to 400 USD. This estimate is based on actual recent past recorded auction sales of comparable items. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and may vary. With kind regards, Georg
