✅ SOLVED Genuine artifacts or spring cleaning?

[bonafideslacker]

Hi everyone,

My boyfriend's parents visited recently and delivered this pair of swords along with quite a number of other 'family heirlooms', many of which are items I'm certain his mother is just happy to not have to dust anymore.

According to his parents, the swords were brought back from Japan by his paternal grandfather who served in the Army during WWII (either at the end of the war or in the immediate aftermath). That's all the information I have, and am at a loss on where to begin, other than here with you all.

The obviously English language stamp '1801' seems to preclude it being a genuine set of Japanese swords, but I'm still curious about their origination. Anyone wanna give me the two-bit education on these? Or maybe direct me toward the forum where I should begin?

Thanks in advance,
Dana

 

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[Nathan6309]

I'm pretty sure those are a set of Japanese type 32 cavalry sabers. The weird thing, though, is that the Japanese sword wasn't updated to this model until around 1899. There were two types; the 'otsu" and the 'Ko'. Judging by the sheath and the hand guard, Your model looks to be the otsu variation, used by transport soldiers in WW2. Those are very neat.

 

[Bruce R]

The style of the handle looks German, or at least European, but then again the Japanese copied everything.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Japanese Non Commissioned Officers sabers. I wish my girls family would give me nice things like that. Are there markings on the blade right above the grips? If so will you post photos of them?

 

[A2coins]

wooo hoooo those are old there should be markings on them look closely

 

[bonafideslacker]

Hey thanks for help so far everyone,

After closer examination, one of the swords has the number 1801 on both sheath and blade, and the other has the number 10340.

Photos attached.

I'm hoping that there's more info to come from bfs family about how grandpa acquired these during his station in Japan.






Thanks again,
Dana

 

[NOLA_Ken]

At the end of the war, American occupying troops seized pretty much all the weapons they could find in Japan and dumped them in the ocean. I hear there is a huge pile somewhere in Tokyo Bay that a friends grandfather took part in disposing of. As he told it, the soldiers got their pick of whatever they wanted as souvenirs before it was all disposed of (He got a really nice engraved rifle that he had rebored into a 28 ga shotgun.) So I would guess that may be how they got back to the states and to you.

I'd have to do some research to find out info as far as makers since yours don't have arsenal marks, buy they do have some collectors value and I'd say they are a really great gift!

 

[bonafideslacker]

That sounds like the most reasonable explanation, Ken, considering the timeframe of his grandfather's service in Japan. Now I'll just have to find out how to best care for them.

Thanks again to everyone who joined in the thread.

Dana

 

[NOLA_Ken]

The best way to care for them is to wipe them clean with a soft cloth and some gun oil, and leave a light coat of the oil on all the metal. I would use CLP in the spray can and spray some inside the scabbards as well. Don't use anything abrasive on them because you don't want to lose any original finish or patina. If you decide to display them keep them out of direct sunlight, and every now and then just wipe off any dust they pick up and re oil them.