This is a WWII era sword made in the later part of the war. The mounts are referred to as Shingunto and looks to have seen some use as well as the blade . The sword is signed and dated as….MICHI… . There appears to be a gunome style hamon as well as an arsenal stamp on the tang. The sword is in rough condition which really shows the wear and tear from being on the battlefield. A perfect blade for a WWII era Japanese sword collector. The blade comes mounted in a leather covered saya with a white braiding through the ring and is complete.

Shin-gunto, army officers swords, are the most common style of sword mountings from the World War II era. There is an enormous difference in quality of both blades and mounts of this period. Many, perhaps most, of the blades found in shin-gunto mounts are NOT traditionally made swords. Many are machine made and therefore are of interest only as military relics, not as art swords. Some blades made during the war period were handmade but not by traditional methods. These are classified as either Showato, Muratato, Mantetsuto, Hantanzo or Yotetsuto depending on method of production