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1 desirable Japanese World War II Takayama Forge Navy Officer’s Samurai sword available.  This desirable katana was made by Hattori Masahiro.  This Japanese sword would make an important addition to any collection.

Swords made at the Takayama Forge are highly collectible.  In addition, Masahiro made swords in a distinctive ‘old way’.  He made swords with a kissaki that is two times thicker at the mune than normal.  During World War 2, only Masahiro (at the Takayama Forge) made swords with this type of kissaki.  This type of sword tip was made to reduce the likelihood of a break or chip at the blade tip.  A sword made by Masahiro is very desirable.  

There are an unusually high number of kanji on the nakago.  There are 17 kanji on the tang.  The nakago/tang is signed ‘Kin Saku Takayama to    Hattori Masahiro‘.  The lower left side of the nakago is signed with the polisher’s name.  The oil-tempered ‘no rust steel’ blade measures 24 1/8″ (61.3 cm) from blade tip to notch in the blade spine.  The nakago has a Naval anchor stamp.  An additional distinguishing feature of a Masahiro blade is the distinctive ratio of nakago length to overall sword length.  

Masahiro was the ONLY Japanese WW2 swordsmith to make swords with these many distinguishing features.  

The tsuka has sharkskin under the silk wrap.  The saya is made of premium sharkskin as well.  

All fittings have matching assembly numbers.  The number stamped on each fitting is ‘528‘.  

1 large antique World War II Japanese Samurai Army Officer’s sword available.  This is the biggest WW2 Army sword a collector will ever run across.  An Army Officer sword of this size is exceedingly rare.  

This sword was made by Minamoto Masauji.  This Japanese Army gendaito sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This sword is signed ‘Minamoto Masauji saku kore’.  The reverse side of the nakago is dated ‘November 1936’.  This is about the earliest date to be found on a shin-gunto sword.  

The blade measures 27 9/16″ (70 cm)–as measured properly with a tape pulled tight from the blade tip to the bottom of the notch in the habaki.  This sword measures 43″ from blade tip to the end of the handle.  The tsuka/handle on this sword is oversized–it measures 12 1/4″ (50% longer than the typical regulation Army tsuka).   

This sword has an undulating, water-tempered hamon/temper line.  

The fittings have matching assembly numbers on them–all fittings are stamped ’40’.  The tsuba is the large over-sized variation. 

The kashira has a Samurai family mon.  This mon is the family crest of the Shizume Samurai clan.  

1 desirable Japanese antique available.  This Japanese World War 2 Yasukuni Shrine Army Officer sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This sword was made by the Yasukuni Shrine smith Kotani Yasunori.  

The saya is very desirable–it is a rare Army saya with same/rayskin.  A rayskin army saya is found on 1 in 10,000 army swords–so this sword with its rayskin saya is exceedingly rare.

The blade measures 26 7/8″ (68.3 cm) from blade tip to notch in the blade spine. 

THIS SWORD SHIPS FREE TO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!

1 antique World War II Japanese Samurai Army Officer’s sword available.  This sword was made by Emura.  This fine Japanese Army katana would make an important addition to any collection.

The blade measures 26 1/4″ (66.7 cm)–as measured properly with a tape pulled tight from the blade tip to the bottom of the notch in the habaki.  

The hamon is complex–a fine hamon not surprising for a smith of Emura’s skill level.  

The fittings have matching assembly numbers on them–all fittings are stamped ‘430’.  

1 rare Japanese WW2 military sword available.  This important sword was made by Hisakatsu.  Hisakatsu was the forging instructor for the early prototype South Manchuria Railway ‘SMR’ logo marked swords, and for the ensuing Koa Isshin Mantetsu swords.    Very rare–a sword that helps complete the Mantetsu line of swords in one’s collection.

His original name was Takeshima Masao, born February 28, 1909.  He learned swordmaking from Horii Toshihide in Zuisen Tantosho in 1926, and founded his own forging center at Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1934.  He was the winner of the Shinsaku Nihonto Daikyoshinkai Yushusho and the 1st Nihonto Denrankai Tokusen and Honorary President Award in 1935.  In the next year, he won the Ministry Award at the 2nd competition.  In 1938, he went to Manchu Railway Ltd., and directed the production of Koa Isshin Mantetsu blades.  

Note the habaki has the same numbering as on the South Manchurian Railway swords.  (See photo below).  Note too the deep red color to the fittings–the same early fittings found on the prototype SMR swords.  The sword is dated using the zodiacal dating system–like on the Koa Isshin Mantetsu blades.  

The sword is signed ‘Nanjino Reito Minamoto Hisakatsu saku’.  ‘Nanjino Reito’ means ‘Your Spiritual Sword‘.  

This sword measures 26 1/4″ (66.7 cm) from blade tip to the notch in the blade spine.  

1 rare U.S. World War II Baker fighting knife.  This hard-to-find knife by Leo Baker would make a rare addition to any collection.

This is a rare design Leo Baker fighting knife.  It would be just nigh on impossible to find another.  

You can see Baker WW2 fighting knives on pages 78-80 of Mike Silvey’s book Knives of the United States Military–World War II.  Photo 6 above is page 80 in Mike Silvey’s book.  There is additional reference information in Bill Walter’s book U.S. and Allied Military Knives — World War II on pages 58-60.  

This fine combat knife is stamped on the blade ‘L. BAKER‘.  Leo Baker made his fighting knives using old files.  You can still see the file marks on the blade.  

The handle is made of wood, black, leather, and lead.  This knife has a steel guard, and a lead pommel.  This knife measures 10 13/16″ overall.  The blade itself measures 6 1/16″.  

1 rare original Scagel fighter knife available.  This original William Scagel knife would make an important addition to any premium collection.

This knife was sold in the James D. Julia Dr. Lucie Scagels auction.  This knife was featured on page 197 of the Julia auction catalog.  This knife also appears on page 144 of Scagel Handmade by James R. Lucie.  The sheath appears on page 64 of Dr. Lucie’s book.  

This knife was described in the catalog as the Rare “Swelled Tip” Style Scagel Fighter.

This Scagel has aluminum, black, and red spacers.  This knife has a brass guard, and a crown stag handle.  

This rare Scagel measures 12″ overall.  The blade measures 7″.  The front side of the blade is stamped ‘W. SCAGEL   HANDMADE‘, as well as the Scagel kris stamp.  The reverse side of the blade has the ‘V.L.&A.  CHICAGO‘ stamp. 

WE BUY SCAGEL KNIVES.  USE THE ‘CONTACT US’ FORM ABOVE, EMAIL US AT INFO@STCROIXBLADES.COM, OR CALL US AT 715-557-1688.

1 rare original Scagel fighting knife available.  This original William Scagel knife would make an important addition to any premium collection.

This theater Scagel was carried in World War 2.  This Scagel started out as a skinning knife.  In the first almost two years of the War, hunting knives were sent over with our G.I.’s, because the United States military wasn’t prepared to outfit millions of U.S. soldiers with fighting knives.  There were knife donation drives for the War effort.  During the War, a G.I. changed the handle scales on this knife to aircraft windshield plexiglass salvaged from downed aircraft.  Note the handle pins are made of aluminum.  

Theater knives are fighting knives made by soldiers in the field, or by craftsman here at home for soldiers.  Knives made by soldiers were often made with materials that were readily available to them–like plexiglass spacers made from enemy aircraft windshields, aluminum, brass, leather, and blades or handles from Issue fighting knives. 

The blade measures 5 1/2″.  The front side of the blade is stamped ‘W. SCAGEL   HANDMADE‘, and is stamped with the Scagel kris stamp.  

1 antique World War II Japanese Samurai Navy Officer’s kai-gunto sword available.  This sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This sword is signed.  This sword was made by Fukumoto Kanemune.  There is no arsenal stamp on the tang/nakago, so this may be a gendai sword.  At the very least though, this sword will be oil-tempered.  

The blade measures 22 1/2″ (measured properly from blade tip to the bottom of the notch in the habaki). 

This sword has a black leather combat combat cover over its wood saya.  Some collectors refer to these swords as Naval Landing Forces swords.  

1 antique World War II Japanese Samurai Army Officer’s shingunto sword available.  This WW2 Japanese Army katana has the Japanese Officer’s surrender tag attached to the saya.  This sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This WW2 Army Officer shin-gunto katana is signed.  This sword was made by Kanetsugu.  There is a showa stamp over the signature.  

The blade measures 25 1/16″ (63.7 cm) from blade tip to notch in the blade spine.  

This sword has a desirable sanbonsugi ‘three cedars’ hamon/temper line.  This sword has a fine monkey hands sarute/tassel loop.  

A canvas surrender tag is attached to the saya.  These tags were attached to their swords by the Japanese Officers who surrendered them.  They hoped to get them back sometime after the War.  This surrender tag has been translated.  The Army Officer that surrendered this sword was Nakajima Masataka.  His name appears on the left side of the surrender tag; his address appears on the right side.  The address translation is a little choppy, but generally reads hachi hanshi shi dai so nishu san tei me. 

1 antique Japanese katana available.  This sword is signed ‘Amahide’, is stamped with a kokuin, and is dated 1820.  The 2.5 Million Yen swordsmith, Kasama SHIGETSUGU, actually made this katana.  Upon conferring with one the top gendaito experts in the United States, it is our opinion that this sword was made by Shigetsugu–this opinion can either be proven or disproven by submitting this sword to shinsa.  Shigetsugu is known to have made many gimei swords of master smiths–like Amahide (actually Masahide, but late in life Masahide gave his smith name Amahide to his grandson).  Swords made by the master swordsmith Kasama Shigetsugu are quite valuable.  

On page 160 of John Slough’s book, Shigetsugu’s work is described as follows:

“Shigetsugu was a master at horimono, and there are many swords with superb examples of his work.  He was skilled at producing the Bizen style of choji midare, and also a slightly slanted saka gunome choji.”

This sword’s nagasa is 27 5/16 inches (69.4 cm).  The horimono on this sword is among the best work I have ever seen.  

The skill level of Shigetsugu is proven in this sword.  The forging work is superior.  
 

1 antique World War II Japanese Samurai Navy Officer’s kai-gunto sword available.  This WW II gendaito sword was made by a top rated smith.  This sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This gendai sword is signed Tsukushi Suetsugu (Suetsugu SHIGEMITSU).  

Suetsugu Shigemitsu was awarded the honorary ranking ‘Genro’ by the Nihon Token Tanrenjo (NTT) and the Nihon Token Shinbunshi (NTS) in 1943.  Among this small Genro group are the masters:  Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu, Horii Toshitsugu, Gassan Sadakatsu, Miyaguchi Ikkansai Shigehiro, Watanabe Kanenaga, and Suetsugu Shigemitsu. 

The seppa, tsuba, etc. all have the same matching assembly numbers ‘216’.  The nakago also has the assembly number ‘216’ stamped on it.  This sword has a fine sharkskin saya.  This sword has a fine sarute.  

The blade measures 26 1/4 (66.3 cm).  The hamachi/munemachi blade width measurement is especially wide in this fine sword, measuring almost 1 1/2″ wide.  

The hamon is complex–and is commensurate with the skill exhibited in this Genro group.  

Please scroll down to the bottom of this listing to view Additional Photos.