1 very rare South Manchuria Railroad Company/Prototype Mantetsu World War II Japanese Samurai Officer's sword.  This full polish South Manchuria Railway Company katana would make an important addition to any collection.

Some collectors/dealers may have seen my first Manchuria Railway/Prototype Mantetsu sword sell a couple of weeks ago.  This second sword has blade character over and above that sword (details in the next paragraph).  The nakago/tang is marked with the South Manchurian Railroad Company symbol.  The reverse side is dated.   

This sword has a straight temper line.  The polish revealed some incredible activity.  Areas of nie are visible in the hamon!  See the photos for a closer look. 

I noticed in the online Japanese Sword Index articles on Mantetsu blades the following: 'Many swordsmiths were involved in the production of Mantetsu blades...hence it is important to judge each blade on its individual merits, not just on its signature.'  So this must explain the higher skill demonstrated in this sword--i.e. speaking to this particular smith's more advanced skills?   

This excerpt came from those same articles, 'Some of the mantetsu blades made in the Dairen Railroad factory may bear the stamp of the Manchuria Railroad company.  These were made in the late 1930's and are considered relatively rare.'

The blade measures 26 3/8" (67.0 cm) from blade tip to notch in the blade spine.  This sword has a fine pierced tsuba.  All fittings have matching assembly numbers--all 8 seppa and the tsuba are numbered '28'.  These swords were the forerunner to the Koa Isshin Mantetsu.  Some advanced collectors of Japanese military swords refer to this sword as the Prototype Mantetsu sword. 

The nakago's mune/spine is stamped 'N206'.  Mantetsu swords have this same numbering system on the mune. 

This vintage Japanese WW2 South Machuria Railway Company Samurai katana is in excellent condition.  The locking mechanism works.  The fuchi, kashira, tsuba, and seppa were cleaned up a little by the collector--these fittings will gain a nice patina over time.  This Manchurian Railway sword has its original silk tsuka wrap.

The blade is in full polish.  Some very occasional pits remain after the polish.  The hamon and boshi are perfectly healthy.  The sword is perfectly straight.  This sword is guaranteed against fatal flaws.


This exceedingly rare South Manchuria Railway Company/Prototype Mantetsu Army Officer's sword would make an important addition to any collection.