Hi Everyone,
I've got a pretty rare blade up for sale or trade today. It's a Japanese officers "shin gunto", with it's original scabbard. The tang is signed Kanetsugu. The obverse is etched with Showa 16, the Western year 1941. This is not a factory machine made sword, as was common for Japanese officers and NCOs to carry, but a far more expensive, traditionally made sword. Swords like these were more than equipment, they were heirlooms. The Kanetsugu swordmakers had been supplying blades since the 1350s.
The sword is in overall good condition. Leather grips are still tightly bound, the blade is sharp. There is rust on the tang, which is of course common with these swords: the grips trap the most moisture. Good Japanese sword etiquette is to never remove this rust, it is a positive sign of age. Nevertheless, for us Americans that does hurt value. You will see on eBay and other auction houses that Kanetsugu swords bring $2000 to $5000. I'm pricing this far below that.
Trade interests will be AR optics (Elcan Spectre, Aimpoints, ACOGs, no LPVOs pls), milsurp guns, or European/American swords. I would be keenly interested in Napoleonic, American Civil War, or American Revolutionary blades.
Thanks for looking!
I've got a pretty rare blade up for sale or trade today. It's a Japanese officers "shin gunto", with it's original scabbard. The tang is signed Kanetsugu. The obverse is etched with Showa 16, the Western year 1941. This is not a factory machine made sword, as was common for Japanese officers and NCOs to carry, but a far more expensive, traditionally made sword. Swords like these were more than equipment, they were heirlooms. The Kanetsugu swordmakers had been supplying blades since the 1350s.
The sword is in overall good condition. Leather grips are still tightly bound, the blade is sharp. There is rust on the tang, which is of course common with these swords: the grips trap the most moisture. Good Japanese sword etiquette is to never remove this rust, it is a positive sign of age. Nevertheless, for us Americans that does hurt value. You will see on eBay and other auction houses that Kanetsugu swords bring $2000 to $5000. I'm pricing this far below that.
Trade interests will be AR optics (Elcan Spectre, Aimpoints, ACOGs, no LPVOs pls), milsurp guns, or European/American swords. I would be keenly interested in Napoleonic, American Civil War, or American Revolutionary blades.
Thanks for looking!
