Help please. Japanese Gunto (Genuine ? ) with battlefield scabbard.

Rich · 18th June 2011, 12:21 AM

Tang stamped blades EXCEPT star stamps are considered non-traditionally made. You can't even get them into Japan to be polished as they are considered by Japanese customs to be illegal weapons. However, the absence of a tang stamp does not mean it is a gendaito as stamps weren't started until sometime in the 40's (sorry, don't recall exact date) and many WW II swords were made before that. Many end of the war swords weren't made in Japan, but rather in Japanese occupied locations like the Phillipines, etc. so they wouldn't have stamps either.

Rich S

18th June 2011, 12:21 AM	#30
Rich Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: comfortably at home, USA Posts: 432	Tang stamped blades EXCEPT star stamps are considered non-traditionally made. You can't even get them into Japan to be polished as they are considered by Japanese customs to be illegal weapons. However, the absence of a tang stamp does not mean it is a gendaito as stamps weren't started until sometime in the 40's (sorry, don't recall exact date) and many WW II swords were made before that. Many end of the war swords weren't made in Japan, but rather in Japanese occupied locations like the Phillipines, etc. so they wouldn't have stamps either. Rich S