Military Swords of Imperial Japan (Guntō)

Guntō metal parts

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Term

Koberi: "Border portion" of the end of metal fittings.
Ukibori: Relief pattern. The relief pattern of metal fittings is two kinds, the "cherry blossoms" which designed the
　　　　　flower of five valves, and the "cherry-blossoms leaf" which designed "the flower and leaf" of the cherry tree
　　　　　together. (Type 94, 98 and Tachi). Type 3 Gunto is "cherry blossoms" and a "leaf. In a Type 94, Type 98, Type
　　　　　3, and a Tachi, a pattern is different.
Nanakoji: Ground metal which carried out concavo-convex processing of the metal-fittings surface at the shape of a roe
　　　　　(Type 94, 98 and Tachi ). Type 3 is satin finish.

Mounting metal parts and engraving pattern

　　　　Army Type 94 and 98 Guntō 　　　　　　　Navy Type Tachi Guntō

	Kabuto-gane
Although regulation of the knot loop (Sarute) serves as a "round string", there is much metal Sarute.	Hatome Sarute (Knot-loop)	Although regulation of the knot loop (Sarute) serves as a "round string", there is much metal Sarute.
(Metal ornaments)	Menuki	(Metal ornaments)
Although a regular guard is gilding at brass, there are various kinds of guard.	Tsuba Seppa (Washers)	Although a regular large washers is a black rising sun pattern, there are various kinds of custom-made items.
Fuchi Tsuba Kuchigane	Fuchi 　 Kuchigane	Fuchi Tsuba Kuchigane
Suspension mount	Haikan	Suspension mount
Kashiwaba	Semegane	Cherry blossoms and a leaf
	Ishizuki

Army Type 3 Guntō

The army took in the teachings of the Type 98 Guntō in a battlefield, and enacted the "wartime Guntō" which thought solidity and practicality as important in 1943.
Japanese military hard-fight serves as the backdrop, and the army needed to attain saving of goods and simplification of production.
The quality of the material of the metal parts was changed into iron, and black paint was hung.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dustproof halving throat

　　　Dustproof halving throat (Kuchi-gane)

Quality of a metal parts

Type 94 and 98
　　　　Metal fittings: (pommel, ferrule, throat, suspension mount, semegane, chape )
　　　　　　The quality of the material is copper or brass. Therefore, quality and a shape differs at a production
　　　　　　company and manufacture time.
          First-stage type: They are cast metal fittings of the thickness by a quality metallic mold. There is also a
　　　　　　　 protection-against-dust 2 division.
          Middle type: Which began shift from the necessity for mass production to the cast metal fittings of closing
　　　　　　　 in.
          Second-half type: It becomes the press metal fittings which pierced the brass thin board from the shortage
　　　　　　　 of goods. It equips with a simple Suspension mount and the leather cover wooden scabbard which also
　　　　　　　 omitted the metal fittings of other scabbard appears.
         Guard: The guard of openwork are a first stage type and an object for general. The product made from a brass
   casting. Compared with a guard without openwork, it is profound and splendid.
　　　　　　　 The Guard without openwork: The product made from a brass which appeared from the middle.
               Quality and a shape change with a production company and time.

Type 3
　　　　 Metal fittings: The quality of the material is copper or iron.
           Guard: A iron product made from a casting. Therefore, metal fittings differ in a shape delicately in a
　　　　　　　　production company.

Type Tachi
　　　　　Metal fittings (pommel, ferrule, throat, the first - the second suspension mount, semegane, chape)
                The product made from a brass casting. Compared with an army, there was few work absolutely, and the
　　　　　　　　production company was also restricted. Therefore, except for a landing force or the great war last
stage, the quality and the gap of a shape like an army Guntō are not.
           Guard: Product made from a brass casting.

Common
　　　　　Knot loop: Round string make is a standard. Product made from a brass casting. There are an article of
　　　　　　　　excellent quality and an article of average quality processing method of an attachment.
　　　　　　　　A shape and a pattern are of infinite variety. As for Type 3 Guntō's normalized form, a Knot loop is
　　　　　　　 not attached.
　　　　　The product made from a round bar: The quality of the material is iron or a brass.
              Grace is inferior. Informality - a second-half type were equipped.
          Metal ornaments (Menuki)
　　　　　　　The product made from a press of a brass thin board: The cherry blossoms connected three are the objects
　　　　　　　 for army Gunto. Three cherry blossoms in a round enclosure are the objects for naval Guntō.
               A size, thickness, and a cherry tree pattern change with production companies

　Type 98: As for the quality and thickness of metal fittings, the existence the screw stop of a "throat" and "chape"
　　　　　 becomes one judgment material. Thickness metal fittings are the products made from a casting, and are minus
   thread stops.　
           The product made from a closing-in casting and a brass thin board press press fit and paste up.
　Type 3: Although a shape and a pattern change with metal-fittings production companies, metal-fittings quality does
　　　　　not have a fall like Type 98 Guntō. However, a last stage type is removed.

The point which identifies quality　

　The following identifying point expresses a quality metal parts.

String knot loop　A large rayskin

Metal knot loop
High rank Average Informality

Screw stop

　　Screw stop

　Early openwork guard 　Middle type　　　Middle type　　last stage type　　　　Type 3　　　　　　Navy type Tachi

As for the military swords of the early, the regular round string knot loop is attached.
Therefore, the quality of a metal parts is good.
The thing using the high-class knot loop which has the above-mentioned section also by a metal knot loop is also the same.
If the large high-class rayskin is used for the hilt , the military swords will use the good metal parts.
　About a guard
　　　　Four sorts of lefts are 94 and the Type 98 Gunto guard. Quality fell to the right from the left.
　　　　Other metal-parts quality is proportional to the quality of a guard mostly.
　　　　The guard of army Type 3 Gunto and a navy does not almost have a difference of quality.

Coating coller of a metal parts

Type 94 and 98
　　　　Formality regulation:   It is copper plating to brass.
        Therefore, a color tone is different in a production company. A second-half type has much light red and light-
        brown paint.
　　　　A Koberi, the edge of the bud of a Suspension mount and a double flowering cherry tree flower are the golden
coating by an amalgam process.
        Special order:   There are some which applied gold by an amalgam process to the "cherry-blossoms leaf" like
   Koberi.
        Guard Tsuba of openwork: A standard is golden coating. However, there is much dyeing by medicine (brown), or
   paint of brown - dark reddish-brown.
        Special order: There is also a thing of a black stain.
        No openwork guard: Seto plating. Seto plating is lusterless gold. However, the perimeter and cherry blossoms of
                 a guard are liquid gold finish by Hera.Two kinds of such golden finish is called Seto plating.
        The guard of the last stage is still brass foundation.
        In addition, there are several kinds of things which carried out special order color finish.
        Large washers: Red - reddish brown paint, or color dyeing. The last stage also has brass foundation.

Type 3
　　　　Metal fittings and guard: Black paint. Last stage metal fittings also have no painting by brass press metal
　　　　　　 fittings.

Type Tachi
　　　　Metal fittings: Seto plating or gilding.
        Guard: Blue black dyeing or alloy-of-copper-and-gold plating (blue black).
        Large washers
　　　　　　　Standard: Rising-sun encaustic ellipse type: Alloy-of-copper-and-gold plating.
              Special order: There are some which made two colors of gold and brown to the rising sun.
        In addition, there is also a Large washers pierced to the pattern of the rising sun.

Common
　　　　Small washers
　　　　Kikuza: Blue black dyeing, paint or alloy-of-copper-and-gold plating. There is also brown paint.
        Tateshino: Gilding.
　　　　Kokizami: Silver plating.
        Metal ornaments
              Type 94, 98 and Tachi: Golden coating of an amalgam process or gilding.
　　　　　　　Type 3: Black paint.
        Knot loop
        The product made from a casting: Golden coating of an amalgam process or gilding.
        There is also a thing of copper or brass foundation in a round bar article.
        An article of excellent quality and some articles of average quality
　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Copper plating Reddish brown paint Black dyeing

Gilding 　　Brown paint 　Black dyeing 　　 Seto plating

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Foundation Vermilion paint Alloy-of-copper-and-gold plating 2 various division

　　　　　　　　It is a golden metal parts altogether. 　　　　　The Type 3 Gunto metal parts is black paint.

Metal- parts details

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　November 26, 2013　

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