Collecting WW2-Era Japanese Samurai Swords

[@budscott1257]

My father bought one back from Tarawa atoll during WW2 and I have it now as part of my inheritance. He was a Douglas dauntless dive bomber pilot. I miss him was a good man.

[@aaronaragones6083]

would've been better if you return that katana sword to the rightful family.

[@TheOakenTundrawolf]

@@aaronaragones6083 bah, as far as the Japanese are concerned it's an honor. So long as he takes care of the sword. If he returns it, that is also a very honorable gesture. But remember, Japanese honor allows for such things, they are honored that these swords are revered, despite the negative feelings for the legacy of Japan in WWII, nevertheless, they appreciate the solidarity for them as people. It would be a mistake to return the blade, unless your heart and soul is ready to part with it. (besides, you could always purchase a newer handmade sword). Just mention to the sword seller that your father was a WWII veteran, but don't say anything else.

[@BushyHairedStranger]

@@TheOakenTundrawolf My Grandfather, Captain D.E.Hodges WW2 & Korea, traded supplies for one of those hand built blacksmith forged Samurai Swords while he was overseas in WW2. That Sword hung on my Grandfathers Den Wall next to his Desk for over 35 years long after his retirement as a Civil Engineer. When I was kid in the late 1970’s & 1980’s I got to see & handle the sword anytime I visited my grandparents. It was to be part of my inheritance. In the late 1980’s, families from Japan were advertising in US newspapers about buy back auctions at several local fairgrounds up & down Interstate 5. They offered sizable cash amounts for the return of all heirloom items, specifically, ‘War trophies’ from Japanese & Korean Wars. What would’ve been my inheritance was rightfully returned to the original family as all of those Swords should be. The money paid out for the return of that Sword put my sister & I through College!! My university education serves me & my family to this day and the act of returning the sword showed me how true Warriors honor & respect one another even after nearly half a century! It would’ve been a deep insult if my Grandfather had not accepted the money. The Japanese are an honorable & fierce people who are very principled and devoted to the path of the Warrior. They deserve to have all their Ceremonial Weapons returned. There are great consequences at stake for keeping whats not rightfully owned. Respect, Duty & Honor never die within the hearts of true Warriors! I highly encourage you to return that Sword to its rightful family…

[@sibfox]

@@aaronaragones6083 Let's make an agreement: if you resurrect the dead American soldiers who fought against Japan in World War II (some of them were killed by these swords, BTW), then veterans will deliver the swords to their rightful owners (actually, they must be resurrected as well).

[@BushyHairedStranger]

@@sibfox …so we all know that you keep stolen Swords, & that theft & robbery is your family tradition, your pride & joy, at least you are honest about it. That behavior is really no different from how serial killers keep their victims heads or genitals or how seriously sick soldiers keep ears or noses as war trophies.

[@madeitsupreme_9104]

I’d love to see more katanas or swords overall in the future. they have something in them that makes them so deadly and elegant at the same time

[@Stevarooni]

"Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age."

[@jefesalsero]

The Type 97 Kai Gunto (Navy sword) may have been produced in larger numbers vs the Type 98 (Army sword), however there are less Type 97's available the market today vs Type 98's and they generally sell for more. It is surmised that many more Type 97's did not survive the war vs Type 98's - that many navy swords went to the bottom of the ocean with their owners.

[@KonginDB]

Guess I'm gonna go diving for them.

[@caiusmadison2996]

They also where susceptible to rusting vs sea air with the salt and water wrecking the blades without ever seeing battle. I have a friend with a Naval version, they are the most ornate, and feature Leather scabbards in general.

[@caiusmadison2996]

​@@KonginDBthey'd be gone by now in most cases, unless encrusted in barnacles, which would still wreck those blades almost entirely. Best to hunt around in Army Surplus circles amd thrift stores in the Midwest, as they show up there often.

[@BushyHairedStranger]

⁠In the 1980’s the Japanese government bought newspaper ad space advertising buy back auctions for WW2 War Trophies & Ceremonial Swords etc.. The Japanese group rented space at several Fairgrounds up & down Interstate 5 for buying back War trophies. My grandfather returned a Samurai Sword he had for 35 years and was paid enough to put my sister & I through college. I am far happier with my education & how I’ve used it to build my family rather than inheriting something that wasn’t ever rightfully mine. I respect the Japanese traditional lifestyle & a Hungry Ghost can never be fulfilled..especially one who carries the burdening weight of taken property, a Ritual built Ceremonial Sword.

[@sibfox]

@@BushyHairedStranger Japan was on the wrong side in that war. Japanese soldiers committed unspeakable atrocities against civilians and POWs, killing hundreds of thousands of them with these swords. Why would they be able to keep the swords?

[@JoeSteel1]

As a katana enthusiasts on my channel this was a joy to see, great information I filled in the gaps in info on my own...that you missed, nice presentation

[@stratocaster1greg]

I am the caretaker for Frank Stambaughs wakazashi short sword that was made in 1661. He brought it home in 1945. Cool video!

[@andraslippai3169]

home?!

[@cophater298]

@@andraslippai3169dont start wars, finders keepers

[@sibfox]

@@andraslippai3169 Just as a little reminder, many Americans lost their lives in the war with Japan, which was allied with Hitler. Therefore, returning the sword to Japan via a veteran's son would be the same as returning the weapon to the family of an assassin. - I apologize for keeping you waiting, but you really need this more than I do!..Japan lost World War II because it was on the wrong side. Therefore, giving them up to the winning side was a minor price to pay for the crimes those swords were used to accomplish.

[@Bialy_1]

@@sibfox Just as a little reminder, they were not allied with him as he literally attacked Japaneses ally together with Japanese enemmy in september 1939... Japan signed antycomintern act. and the very first thing that Germans did is to destroy first comintern enemmy that won with them in 1920 and they provided them with 51% of the territory of that one and only country that defeated COMINTERN in Moscow. But as the Germans liked to say back then, repeat a lie a thousand times and it will become the truth... As for the crimes themselves and the story that Japanese swords committed them, this story is also not very credible considering that you started with such an obvious lie -> besides, anyone who didn't sleep in history classes and uses their brain should wonder why Japan didn't join Operation Barbarosa. I will also add two quotes: "They lie right to your face and in the end all their depictions are calculated on something which turns out to be a deceit afterwards!" German Chancellor about the Japanese (5 March 1943) "We don't accept the Polish declaration of war. The Poles, fighting for their freedom, declared war under the British pressure" Japan Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō Japan, through its embassies, issued Japanese passports to Polish agents operating in Germany and to a large number of Polish citizens of Jewish origin in order to help them avoid trip to German camps with strange showers in them. I am also convinced that the Chinese communists carried out purges among the intelligentsia and successful people in the territories regained from the Japanese, and then blamed everything on soldiers of Imperial Japan... After the war, the Americans helpfully repeated such made-up stories, the best example being the tale of the Russian winter that stopped the Germans. Interestingly, this "Russian Winter" destroyed tracks, 38 train bridges and trains on Polish territory, and not on Russian territory, where winters were and are much harsher than in Poland and the European part of the former USSR...

[@WAFFENAMT1]

Fun Fact...From what I know WW2 Era machine made swords are Illegal in Japan and considered weapons and will be confiscated and destroyed if found, handmade swords made before and after WW2 are considered works of art, and are cherished.

[@LegacyCollectibles]

Interesting !

[@drzaius8430]

Japan has done alot to hide the fact it was worse then Germany, the crap they did made the SS look tame at times but history overlooks because we nuked em. Anything that could potentially spark a talk about Japanese war crimes are destroyed.

[@Lockbar]

@@LegacyCollectibles If someone mistakenly sends a sword to japan to be evaluated and graded by experts and is found to be a factory/machine made WW2 blade it will be confiscated and destroyed by the authoraties. Crazy.

[@normanbraslow7902]

Absolutely correct. In all respects.

[@joshuagibson2520]

Seems kinda ignorant.

[@munehiromitsuzuka8465]

The writing on the last sword looks like : 察署(Clearer view would be helpful). "The police station" is ”警察署”、 which looks similar,,,, I would like to see upper part to figure it out. I can come over to help you read them (I live in Phoenixville/Collegeville, PA, and once your customer)

[@lorditch91]

I have 2 japanese ww2 Era swords, both have writing on the tang. I can't find any information on them. Do you know anywhere I could maybe get them appraised? Or just learn a little more about them

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

Royal armoury most likely

[@chrism4008]

Super cool, Hope to see them on the site! Not that I could buy one, but its fun to dream sometimes

[@scottthompson5855]

My dad graduated High School and enlisted in the Marines as a 16 year old (with parents permission) He was small. (I could wear his dress uniform as an 7th grader for Haloween. He was an excellent left handed pitcher and because of his small stature Marines would not let him try out for team. He tried out with Navy team and was put in starting rotation. Went to Guam by way of Tinion (where Indpls. delivered ABomb) and was able to procure a samurai sword and a Nambu pistol. Officer said "I'll hold on to those for you to make sure they get on the plane" Wouldn't return them! My dad and buddies ate all the food as a "get even" ploy...Sadly lost out on a sword and Nambu pistol. He did have a Polish Radom pistol. No mag or firing pin. As a boy I used to carry that Radom in a US GI .45 holster. We are talking roaming the neighborhood with friends playing army and I had a REAL pistol. Different times. I purchased a Navy Officers sword a decade ago. I enjoy owning it. the Radom was lost. Neighbor probably got it!!! Sigh...

[@switch1408]

Ah the good old days...I miss them too brother 😊

[@carsongrable107]

Hamon lines are made when they clay temper the blades! Not when you cool it in water. They cover the blade in two different types of clay the line part is a thicker clay so when they heat it up and then cool it it water it hardens the blade also it gives the katana it’s shape the curve of the blade when cooled. And the hamon line is left behind from the thick clay line they apply. It’s almost like a signature becuase every hamon is unique

[@sasabogdanovic5620]

Sorry your wrong in so many ways it all depends on swordsmanship they all have ther own recipes , and are secret but basically made from clay stone powder and charcoal powder but different in so many ways and it all depends on the weather and where they’re from from plum tree blossom to cherry tree blossom for Harmon is different and what he’s feeling at the time and he’s studies . The straight harmon is considered as collectible in I Japan some are priceless

[@Sporkmaker5150]

At the end of the video, how does the expert guy not know what a surrender tag is? At the end of the war when soldiers were required to surrender their swords, officers would often attach their information in the hope of eventually having the sword returned to them. The writing on that tag is the name and address of the original owner.

[@user-yx2cb9yo9u]

Did you watch the video? They both made it pretty clear that they are not experts in swords...

[@harrysihan554]

Could only make out the character to the end of the strip of cloth which is 署sho, meaning station, like in police station. The character before that looks like 參 which is the number three as used in official documents. If he had held the strip of cloth vertically I might have seen all the characters. But it might be a designation of an official station.

[@mattclements1348]

Yea you better know what your looking at B4 you buy from this guy,unless it's a Luger

[@joeguzman3558]

Excellent presentation by Mr. Kurt, legacy collectibles always have excellent quality stuff from ww2 guns and rifles to memorabilia and the best USA made guns, every day they have something new in their store and the customer service is best, God bless America.

[@LegacyCollectibles]

And God Bless YOU Joe !!

[@klaustrumputin-trudeau4142]

@@LegacyCollectibles New Jersey CCW means three "reputable" people vouch that you have not lied on the form which is only accepted in triplicate and notarized then off to a third party to get fingerprinted and get four passport photos as the police don't do this anymore then you must pay 150 dollars for the first gun and 50 dollars for a second gun which would be the only guns that the license would cover. Then after all that you must take a certified training course of classes (at your expense) and a 50 round target test of which 10 misses means you failed start over .The same process needs to be repeated every two years. Have a medical marijuana card? Then don't bother applying. Easy Peasy we are free!

[@ditzydoo4378]

The Katana swords (not Samuri swords) are examples of both Officer and NCO swords that were issued to soldiers/sailors during WWII from arsenals. The Needle is an example of a Small Sword (cruciform blade) often found at Boys schools to teach fencing. It was also used by many European Officers as their side dress sword and by duelists. (edit) my spelling is utter rubbish at the best of times.

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Thanks. That's helpful.

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@thomaswhiteman4261 very welcome. ^~^

[@elvensteen1]

Actually, the word Katana (Japanese: 刀) means "sword" so, technicaly you are saying "Sword sword" while "Samurai sword" is the better choice. Or just say Katana.

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@elvensteen1 hmmm, so sword-sword is good-good then??? ^~^

[@elvensteen1]

@@ditzydoo4378 That's a no-no 😃. It's katana or sword or samurai sword. And, again technically, the WW2 swords (or Shin/Kai Gunto) weren't Samurai swords, because they were factory-produced for 2nd WW soldiers, not for Samurai. 😉

[@kickit59]

Pretty cool Guys! My Dad was a WW2 Marine Raider so I have always been interested in Pacific theatre militaria! Thanks for posting!

[@klaustrumputin-trudeau4142]

New Jersey CCW means three "reputable" people vouch that you have not lied on the form which is only accepted in triplicate and notarized then off to a third party to get fingerprinted and get four passport photos as the police don't do this anymore then you must pay 150 dollars for the first gun and 50 dollars for a second gun which would be the only guns that the license would cover. Then after all that you must take a certified training course of classes (at your expense) and a 50 round target test of which 10 misses means you failed start over .The same process needs to be repeated every two years. Have a medical marijuana card? Then don't bother applying. Easy Peasy we are free!

[@unky-duky7033]

Thank-You and Thank-You both, for the "primer" on these pieces of History........I was sure that This was not a "lost" art........I am anticipating the next chapter of this book.................

[@alanvale3885]

Great video. I was just thinking about adding a samari sword to my collection to go with my nambo pistol

[@jesup]

Signatures on swords are made with chisels by hand, even if the sword is a non-traditional (factory) blade. The smiths varied in how nicely they engraved signatures and dates; many were sloppy. The last one you showed was very neat. The sword with the cloth tag was probably some variant of a surrender tag; possibly with the name of the officer who surrendered it; sometimes with an address (though that looks too short). Tell people to Never Ever try to clean rust off a blade, and NEVER try to clean a tang. At most take a piece of microfiber or flannel, put a drop or two of pure mineral oil on it, and wipe from the base to the tip. That will stop any further rusting. Trying to sharpen a sword will either destroy it, or will require several thousand dollars in repairs.

[@rowbearly6128]

I live in Chiba Japan, Three weeks ago my wife and I visited a katana repair shop/ museum. Old guy there handed me a 700 year old katana, in the storage sheath, the shirasaya, and offered to sell it to me for 5 grand. IThe shirasaya had the name of the original owner still legible on it,from 700 years ago.

[@seanwhitty1335]

Very interesting , they have a real darkness about them not to say they arnt alluring in there beutifull craftmanship definatly interesing but think for me i just love the historical fire arms they are hard to beat , thanks gyes 👍

[@eatsleepplayrepeat]

I found a surplus store that has an officer katana. I'm excited to go back and use the knowledge you gave me.

[@HootOwl513]

I have a WWII Japanese NCO's Gun To. The Tsuba and handgrip are missing. It's quite patina-ed. There are nicks in the edge and cuts in the scabbard, as if it was horseplayed with in the barracks. I got it from a Marine buddy in the '80s. Obviously machine made, and very possibly Late War, as the quality is rough. The scabbard is wood, possibly thinly leather-covered, with a Baked-In-Rice grain pattern on its surface. A metal end cap, painted to look like brass is on the end. From your discussion,, I think it was an Army sword, as there is a single lateral groove for hanging hardware on the scabbard's side.

[@liminalnetworks7691]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, its pretty common to have the latch removed. Personally I've seen more without, then with. I've heard people say they were removed because they were easier to draw in combat... But it could just be a cool story lol The washers are called Sepa Its "Hamon", like Dan Harmon lol There are two types of machine made blade. The type you're showing in the first first half is the better of those two types, with proper same and decent tsuka ito (the ray skin and the silk bradding) Machine made, but with a smith finishing it, hence the Mei (signature) Also the sword in the navy mounts, looks like Gendaito (1877 - 45) Im sure if you took some high res images of the nakago (tang) someone would be able to tell you what it was :) I remember the first time I seen the navy mounts as a kid, always thought they were super cool :) Thanks for sharing this, brings back memories of my old Kenjutsu days :)

[@okitasan]

Wish we could've had a look at the family heirloom blades. I find it fascinating that ancient samurai swords with so much personal significance were brought out of storage to be "used" in war again, only to end up rusting away in American garages. What stories did those swords have when they first began their life, centuries ago? There's also a story about a Japanese-Canadian family who, when word got out that the Canadian government would be interning their Japanese citizens, took the family heirloom sword they had hanging in their basement, rowed out into the Vancouver bay, and cast it into the water rather than give it up to the government.

[@sibfox]

Japan was on the wrong side in that war. Japanese soldiers committed unspeakable atrocities against civilians and POWs, killing hundreds of thousands of them with these swords.In total, approx. 20 million were killed by japanese in 20th century. Why would they be allowed to keep the swords?

[@guysmalley]

I collect ancient 500 year old plus katana which is on a whole different level a price. It is amazing the documentation for each Sword.

[@Setton_Exile]

13:05 a lot of those family swords Traditionally went to war with the Eldest Son of the family

[@mdimansantoso3976]

I have something to ask: how long will a katana survive after being buried in the dirt?

[@PRLake007.1]

A guy in the Northern Territory of Australia found a Katana in the mangroves on the coast. There was no organic material left but all the fixings for the hilt and scabard were recovered. I think it was about 1988, the blade was still good but I can not find any information on it. I do remember it caused a stir, was this sword from a pilot, a lost sailor or proof that Japan had landed troops on mainland Australia? Or was it a hoax?

[@chuseinchau]

type 98 one you showcased is a 尾州住正秦　Bishuu Ju MasaYasu. The reverse side of the tang says Showa some year or rather, video image was too fast and not in focus, so it was made after 1925 in the Aichi area stretching to Gifu area. Probably oil quenched. The type 97 showed is also by the same smith MasaYasu but looking at the color of the Nakago (tang) and the color, it is definitely a showato, made after 1925 or so. Most probably water quenched and forged but due to the restrictions in materials and time, many of these so called water quenched swords are not made 100% traditionally. Some have been found not to have core steel, some were forged less than what a more traditional sword is forged. Historically significant but will probably not attain a torkusho (registration certificate) issued by the Ministry of Education here in Japan to deem it legally a work of art sword. The tag on the type 97 at the end of the video has the name of a police station on it, most probably a surrender tag. That sword was probably handed over to one of McArthur's boys after the surrender of Japan, post 1945.

[@rickcimino5483]

My dad had one of these and a Japanese rifle from WW2 in a gun rack. They were bring backs. He gave one each to my nephews. Oof. I don't see these on your website....will they be posted there soon? Or, are they already spoken for?

[@elliottreinlein9344]

The surrender tag on the sword usually was the name and address of the officer who gave it up.

[@DDdrifter]

I think in most states and countries cane swords are illegal, at least in public areas.

[@jordanhicks5131]

Nope. Totally unregulated where I live at least

[@BushyHairedStranger]

My grandfather, an Army Captain in WW2 & Korea, brought home one of those scabbard covered Samurai Swords with the fabric tassels connected to wooden tags stamped with a Standard or Kanji- it hung upon his wall in the Den from 1948-1989. It was not factory made, it was hand built forged sword and had a snake or animal skin wrapped handle-it was braided, it was beautiful!! In the 1980’s groups from Japan came to Oregon, Washington & California to buy back these swords. It was for honorable GI’s & Captains to return essentially stolen family heirlooms. My grandfather had a very important Sword and it was sought after for 30+ years. He felt it was the right thing to do in returning the sword.

[@sibfox]

Now, everyone who complains about the swords and insists that they must be sent back to Japan, and so on. Remember that the Japanese killed approximately 20 million people between 1929 and 1945 by committing unspeakable atrocities against civilians and POWs during World War II. Never forget. Giving the swords back to their legitimate owners would be equivalent to giving them to the family of a mass murderer. Google unit 731.

[@BushyHairedStranger]

@@sibfox Honorable Patriotic Soldiers know the horrors of War & the answer to the riddle of War. All War is Civil War, brother against brother. True Warrior Soldiers know that all war must end & that cultivating understanding, compassion, and consideration for their opponent serves the Greater Good in the World! True Warriors know enough to let go of Hatred, bigotry & insolent willful stupidity. War Trophies do NOT reflect honor, service & principles! Not ever! and to rob a culture of one of it greatest tools, like some broken thief is on line with cowardice, weakness & stupidity! During World War II, estimates suggest that approximately 500,000 to 1 million Japanese civilians and soldiers were killed due to actions taken by the United States!. This includes casualties from conventional bombing raids, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and combat-related deaths. Half a million children were murdered by US Bombs!…and dont forget all the Japanese-American POW camps & detention centers within the US borders like; •Gila River War Relocation Center, Arizona •Granada War Relocation Center, Colorado •Heart Mountain War Relocation Center, Wyoming •Jerome War Relocation Center, Arkansas •Manzanar War Relocation Center, California •Minidoka War Relocation Center, Idaho •Poston War Relocation Center, Arizona •Rohwer War Relocation Center, Arkansas •Topaz War Relocation Center, Utah •Tule Lake War Relocation Center, California The USA murdered far more Japanese than the opposite! Thats a well known proven fact not that it amounts to any good or decency! These were innocent women & children NON-COMBATANTS! so to lay claims to returning Family Heirlooms as giving back to mass murderers is hypocrisy & plain stupidity of the highest degree! The comparison is less than sensible..

[@sibfox]

Japan murdered over 20 million people between 1895 and 1945. Around 10 to 12 😮 millions during wwII period. Compare that to 0.5 to 1 million claimed causalities because of the americans. Taking away mass-murderers weapons is not considered theft. These swords were used for unspeakable atrocities. Google unit 731. Nothing remotely similar was available on the American side.

[@sibfox]

"The estimated number of people killed by Japanese troops varies. R. J. Rummel, a professor of political science at the University of Hawaii, estimates that between 1937 and 1945, the Japanese military murdered from nearly three to over ten million people, most likely six million Chinese, Indians, Koreans, Malays, Indonesians, Filipinos and Indochinese, among others, including European, American and Australian prisoners of war. - Nazi Holocaust falls far short of the actual numbers killed by the Japanese war machine. If you add, say, 2-million Koreans, 2-million Manchurians, Chinese, Russians, many East European Jews (both Sephardic and Ashkenazi), and others killed by Japan between 1895 and 1937 (conservative figures), the total of Japanese victims is more like 10-million to 14-million. Of these, I would suggest that between 6-million and 8-million were ethnic Chinese, regardless of where they were resident.."

[@sibfox]

"The estimated number of people killed by Japanese troops varies. R. J. Rummel, a professor of political science at the University of Hawaii, estimates that between 1937 and 1945, the Japanese military murdered from nearly three to over ten million people, most likely six million Chinese, Indians, Koreans, Malays, Indonesians, Filipinos and Indochinese, among others, including European, American and Australian prisoners of war. - Nazi Holocaust falls far short of the actual numbers killed by the Japanese war machine. If you add, say, 2-million Koreans, 2-million Manchurians, Chinese, Russians, many East European Jews (both Sephardic and Ashkenazi), and others killed by Japan between 1895 and 1937 (conservative figures), the total of Japanese victims is more like 10-million to 14-million. Of these, I would suggest that between 6-million and 8-million were ethnic Chinese, regardless of where they were resident.."

[@bananaboi18]

at 13:10 ish you say most swords were family swords, passed down. This isn't true. 100s of thousands of swords were produced during the war and cost the officers and / or their families around 2 months of officer pay on average. 1000s of smiths worked to produce war time swords in traditional and non traditional ways. Some swords were more expensive than others and more well off families could customize their gunto to have "flashier" fittings. Many older blades found in "civilian mounts" were bought by the Japanese government because sword production had slowed due to heavy bombing and the government wanted to ensure that there were swords available for defense of the home island.

[@TheSilvertrigger]

Some of the ww2 shin gunto swords are very affordable, 100s of thousands made and they are ww2 military weapons.

[@showato]

My Yasukunito and Minatogawa jinja shrines Swords are the only Showa-era blades I collect. These are just as desirable as older blades.

[@johnortiz6225]

Yes if you’re selling let me know ! 😅

[@richardmiller1345]

I have one of the original photos of the Japanese serenader in PNG. The commanding officer handing over his in front of a pile of swords. And two swords one is quite short..I was told it was most likely a pilots. Wonder what type that is.

[@chuckgray7749]

A lot of the times the family swords are hand made that were later shortened during the war to better fit in with a pilot or equipment climbing in and out regularly but they have found tons of from stock piles from after the war that were Hidden from the US troops who went from house to house to take them away.

[@sirmalus5153]

I went into a militaria shop in the late 1980's (Swansea Market) here in the UK and there was a Japanese army sword in the shop. The owner waxed lyrical about it "obviously" being an officers sword and well looked after, hence the price of £1000 for it. This was 1988? prices if I remember. The leather covering was rotten and falling apart, as was the hilt wrapping. Also, the fish skin was deteriorated around the peg hole and I could see the tang. The peg was also missing, but the worst part was the blade. I have NEVER seen a Japanese sword blade "sharpened" so much, the edge (such as it was) had an upward curve to it in the middle (concave) The ruined edge was explained away by it "obviously" used often and in need of sharpening (he was hinting that it was used to cut off hundreds of heads, hence the curve to the edge going the wrong way) The shop owner was totally bewitched by it being Japanese, but i suggested it was scrap metal. I didn't give it another look.

[@anonymousbosch9265]

I was a telephone repairman and when you go to people’s houses many like to show you their cool stuff, and I had an old WW2 vet show me his Japanese officer Katana and I tried to buy one for an affordable price but there’s a lot of knockoffs

[@peteengard9966]

Gunto or WW2 swords are not as collectible as an old blade. There were traditional Edo period swords made into Gunto swords. Hard to find.

[@1982asd]

I have no idea what is the "Games of Thrones" are and what the "Needle Sword of Arya Stark" is (This Game of Thrones sword I don't know what it is available on Ebay for just over $ 200 on the which really looks like sword in a woman's hand) but the second black sword seems to be made in France or at least in French design, the French used this type of sword Anyway beautiful samurai sword collection is sure to be worth a lot But it is unlikely that these swords were left in Pearl Harbor, where the Americans, the surviving Japanese kamikaze pilots who swam in the water with a Thompson submachine gun, were given a long burst instead of a lifebelt.

[@jordanhicks5131]

Fuck are you talking about, kamikaze pilots at pearl harbor lmaooooo The Japanese didnt employ kamikaze pilots until very late in the war. They were brand new pilots, barely trained enough to keep their aircraft on target. The guys that hit pearl harbor were some of the best combat pilots the Japanese had, they had years of training and combat experience. They only resorted to kamikaze pilots once all their actual combat pilots had been killed late in the war.

[@frenchfan3368]

Thank you Kurt for your quick tutorial on Japanese swords. I know some about these swords but I was not aware that there were more naval swords out there rather than army ones. I had always thought the opposite was true. I am suprised that none of the swords displayed were the NCO Type 95. Many people consider the NCO Type 95 the least desirable since they were all machine made blades yet the Type 95 was probably one of the most common Japanese swords actually used in combat. I would not mind seeing more on Japanese swords in future videos! Thank you!

[@craigthescott5074]

The type 95 NC0 swords are the very bottom of the collectible Japanese sword market. Most collectors shy away from them. They were mass produced junk basically.

[@frenchfan3368]

@@craigthescott5074Why would a collector consider a Type NCO "junk" if it was used in combat and captured? I would rather have a Type 95 that saw combat and was captured than an older sword that sat in a scabbard the whole war. This ridiculous belief that Type 95s are virtually worthless will change in the future.

[@craigthescott5074]

@@frenchfan3368 I agree with you but the quality of the sword is just not there. They are still collectible but I’ve seen people trying to sell them for over $500 and there just not that type of quality. They are really a $100 to $200 sword. They were mass produced and the metallurgy was really bad even when it comes to WW2 quality. The officers swords on the other hand had a quality made blade and fittings. But In comparison to a hand made swords even those where low quality.

[@frenchfan3368]

@@craigthescott5074 I agree in the fact that the quality of a Type 95 is nowhere near that of a pre World War II sword. I go to gun and military shows all over the U. S. and I can tell you that Type 95 NCOs will cost you over $700. The only Type 95 NCO swords that I have seen less than $700 were in very poor condition; meaning that parts of the sword were greatly damaged.

[@craigthescott5074]

@@frenchfan3368 yea you may be buying WW2 history but those swords are not worth that kind of money as a sword goes. You can buy a very high quality hand made modern katana for that with excellent quality steel. I recently paid $1500 for a hand made Army officers katana from WW2 that’s signed and in about 95% condition with paperwork. And I thought that sword was high but it was in almost perfect condition.

[@martinhenzl]

7:45 - not really, these are the most common ones (might be also caused by most tsubas of this style surviving till nowadays). 9:05 - the whitier hamon is made by polishing (Hadori or Jizuya, if you want it more white). 12:30 - no, it doesn't have a signature on each side. One side is signature, other is usually a date and place. The rust doesn't tell you the age (more like the storing conditions), the date on one of the sides does. 14:45 - that is overvaluated (duh, since this is a seller's channel). Lower it to 1/4 - 1/2 and you are there on various auction houses (aoiart). Nope, not talking about copies. 16:35 - no, you look at kissaki.

[@Balok-t4n]

Question is WWII katana is it shiny or satin brush finish, my is satin brush finish is it real authentic or not I want to hear your take..

[@Nighthawk1966]

Very very cool !

[@wnmech6495]

My dad brought several Japanese swords home from WW2 had them stored In the attic when I was a young kid and one day he caught me and a friend sword fighting with them and he quickly got rid of them. They would probably be worth a good price now days

[@H0mework]

😭😭 Maybe they're still there hidden away. You sound like you had an awesome childhood lol

[@draculinalilith396]

I handle imperial Japanese sword with a lot of reverence. that is a rare piece of human history. It was meant to inspire pride of nation and rank. they were also used in thousands of cases on civilians in invaded nations. a stark reminder, those blades may have seen the end of many.

[@williammitchell1864]

I find the family that that walking cane was presented to and bring it back to that family.

[@shenghuang9145]

Interesting, the maker of the type 98 and type 97 is the same guy, both signatures mean: 尾州(location) 住 (living) 正泰(name)作(made with). that's mean: made with 正泰 who living in 尾州

[@jyunte]

Ok, so it's an old video, but there is so much misinformation in it! It's "Hah-mon", not "Ham-un". At 9:20, he says the machine made swords were water quenched, as opposed to the hand-made swords which were oil quenched. He has that completely backwards. Hand-made katana are always water quenched. He also says that the hamon on hand-made katana are a lot less uniform than machine made swords. Again, this is not necessarily true. Many hand-made katana have straight hamon, with no undulating pattern, just a simple temper line that goes from under the habaki (collar) to the kissaki (tip). Others have very regular wave patterns. Some have other regular patterns. The "deeper white behind the initial line" is common on high quality hand-made swords, so it can't be used as a means to identify machine-made swords. The sword grain (jihada) is visible on many high quality hand-made katana blades, but not all - including my hand-made gendai blade which was made in the traditional manner by a master swordsmith in Japan using tamahagane. So assuming a blade is machine-made based on lack of surface grain would be a mistake. WWII factory-made swords were also frequently made from "puddled steel" which produced some excellent quality blades with visible jihada. He demonstrates a totally incorrect method of taking the blade out of the tsuka (handle). Anyone interested in the proper method for removing the blade from the handle can look on KZbin for "How to Clean a Japanese (Samurai) Sword" by Paul Martin. Buffer rings? Those would be "seppa", spacers. Factory made blades have signatures, not because of tradition, but because the Japanese government passed a law requiring that all swords made after 19040 be signed, and if they were not made from the traditional steel, tamahagane, there would be a stamp on the tang above the signature solely to indicate as much. Traditional, antique katana only had two (or more) holes (mekugi-ana) if the sword was shortened by the owner (samurai) or if the handle (tsuka) had to be replaced for some other reason. Shortening the sword involves cutting part of the tang off and making a new handle (tsuka). The holes would no longer line up, so new holes were drilled. Sometimes, on extremely long swords (odachi), two pins (mekugi) were used. Odachi were not taken into battle in WWII! As for the color of the rust... yes it's rust... on the tang, sure, the color can tell you something, but one of my 500 year old katana has a fairly light colored "black rust" on the tang. Squared-off handles does not indicate a sword is a family (antique) blade. I'm looking at 7 antique (400-600 year old) katana in my collection right now, and none of them have squared off handles! Suggesting "crude-looking" signatures is evidence that a blade was machine-made is pretty crazy. Look at the signatures of a few dozen antique blades and you'll see all kinds of signatures, ranging the gamut from a few random-looking squiggles to gold-inlayed precision engraved masterpieces. The "rough, machined lines" on the tang are file marks and are purposefully put there by swordsmiths.

[@serchincancer8709]

The Type 95 NCO sword was stamped with Toyokawa Naval Arsenal symbol and had serial numbers. These swords which are Type 98 and 97 If produced in a factory should have some sort markings from the factory they were made. I see no markings like a serial number on the first sword you took apart so it's either traditionally or privately made for higher ranking officers. The second sword you took apart was factory made because of the obvious machine marks also Type 97 Naval Swords were made from stainless steel or lesser metals while the army version was not.

[@ironhornforge]

I agree, I saw the first sword and thought the same

[@1971irvin]

3:04 I'm guessing this is a so-called small sword...

[@dmg4415]

It is probably a young boys sword, probably from nobility or rich tradesman, they started their weapons training very early 5 to 7 years old, and they trained so they were very proficient as young adults, the life on the streets was tougher than today, people was really poor, and work was often a day to day business with very low wages, so murder and robbery was prolific. Ladies could not go out by them selfs, rape and robbery was a certain fate then. So people had to be able to defend them selfs. And therefore is the AMERICAN constitutions SECOND amendment what it is, gives YOU the right to defend yourself with guns and what ever weapon YOU have, so even knifes should be allowed under the 2A.

[@enscroggs]

Not "so-called", but exactly that, a small sword. (Definitely not a "child's sword".) Small swords, also known as court swords, came into vogue in the latter half of the 17th century, originally in France during the reign of Louis XIV, and later throughout Western Europe. With blades measuring about 29 to 32 inches and weighing 24 to 29 ounces, small swords replaced rapiers among the gentlemen of the Court because they were far less obtrusive. According to lore, King Louis invented the small sword by dictating the maximum length of swords carried by his courtiers at Versailles. Small swords continued to be made and worn for ceremonial occasions right into the 19th century. This one could well be Japanese as the Meiji and Taishō courts closely followed the etiquette and protocols of European royalty, including the wearing of European-style swords. The resurgence of traditional Japanese sword patterns dates to the Showa era.

[@g24thinf]

Will these be for sale on the site?

[@ianyoung8392]

The release button on the katana would imply someone running around hands free and it's not allowed to just pop out by itself. What kind of activities would be the most problematic and likely for a sword to drop out by itself? Horse riding maybe? Climbing in general? Parachuting? Psychotic foot messengers running around delivering special telegrams etc? But the button means "hands free" no doubt with a resistance to violently circular and level changing movements/inversions.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Amazing Swords.....Thanks Tom & Randy for showing these Swords and the two different types.....Shoe🇺🇸

[@Church1e]

Where the hell is hixies sword from the appartment outside of chicago in the appartment conplex over the fire place with the island cocina

[@ijnfleetadmiral]

Another thing would be who the swords belonged to. For example, the Navy swords. If the sword belonged to an officer who was a notable ship commander or was present at a certain battle or served with a certain Admiral, IMHO that would make it more valuable. However, if these are factory-made, I don't see them belonging to anyone of major note; most IJN/IJA officers of higher rank carried family swords that had been passed down through generations.

[@MoldyOog]

It fascinates me that Japan had military issued swords during World War 2, especially with their finite resources. They're obviously a symbol meant to bring up morale, show authority, and encourage borderline unrealistic ferocity in combat due to the legend of the samurai. I'm sure the Japanese military reinforced it heavily despite the actual heritage of the samurai not applying to a large portion of the Japanese military. But the fact these were designated and made in a factory give them a cool factor that's different from many other swords in history. They're not good quality swords, but that's what makes them interesting. Sword smiths are a dying breed in Japan, and the original art of making traditional Japanese blades might be lost to time. But the mass produced blades will probably never stop being made as long as they're still cheap and accessible through a global market.

[@TheOakenTundrawolf]

beautiful swords.

[@ep1417]

Tamahagane steel is the resulted process of creating iron ore from Iron sand and is not just found in Japan, it is also found in China.

[@TheSatanel]

It's disrespectful to put a sword point down on the ground like a walking cane.

[@jwwalsh6358]

I have a completely wrapped in ray skin type 98 Navy. Machine made. I’ve heard these are much rarer than the lacquer black scabbard fitted models. Is this accurate?

[@thomaswhiteman4261]

Yes. It is more rare

[@My_Demons_Within]

Depending on condition, upwards of $5k

[@568843daw]

While 99% of all WW2 Military Swords never belonged to a true Samurai family, you never know. Samurai families treasure their swords even today. A real Samurai sword was created by centuries old sword-smith families of Japan who still exist. These special swords are past down from owner to owner, generation to generation for hundreds of years. This unique type of sword is said to have the “Soul” or “Spirit energy” of the Samurai encased in it by use of a very significant ceremony. It is a one family “only” Sword and will have the name of the original Samurai and maker, etched into it. When it is not in the possession of the rightful owners it will curse that person(s) who possesses it until it finds it way back to the proper family. While this is simply a belief it would be a “Mitzvah” if you, indeed had one of these special swords, and you found the owner and restored it to them. I’m just say’n.

[@Canigetanawwwwyyyyeeeah]

The top 5 katana (national treasure) are all in museums and shrines donated by the heads of family throughout time.

[@4shotsofcrownroyal]

I have a sword that i want classifide, how does one do this?

[@4shotsofcrownroyal]

Mine also has a locking component for the sheets.

[@ryanbeach1]

I am pausing the video right there at the second sword. If we're done much about the swords, why are we Reviewing them and we don't have any value on them?

[@Ronaldl2350]

Where did you get these swords from? Some one's collection? Acquired over time etc? I am curious.

[@terryboehler5752]

Love the swords. A some day thing for me. I build 1911's for deserving people. Its a way to express my artistic side while challenging my technical side. Never handled a blade like that. I would be happy just to look at it. Look and learn.

[@SeventyEightCivic]

My Grandfather was in the US Army 82nd Infantry during World War II. He was sent to Japan shortly after they surrendered. Their mission changed to collecting and disposing of all the weapons that the Japanese had access to. He said they made many piles of swords, and they were told that they could ship home anything that they packaged themselves. He went through a pile and found what he thought was the oldest katana. I had it professionally sharpened/polished, and I was told it as probably about 600 years old. I asked him before he died if it should go back to Japan. Without flinching he immediately said no way. "The things that the Japanese did during that time, no way do they deserve to have it back." I said OK, and with that it will stay in my family at least as long as I have it. If anyone knows of anyone in the US that can be trusted to authentic and re-wrap the handle, I would appreciate the tips. Thank you.

[@gunfisher4661]

Those est.prices are fairly low from what i`ve seen for heirloom blades. Also the German army had swords for some of their officers.

[@John-mh6mi]

Great show thank you.

[@liminalnetworks7691]

Also, just another super important tip that was drilled into me as a kid, never touch the blade... Of any of them, but definitely not the handmade ones. Ive actually seen fingerprints rusted into blades that were not taken care of. Tama Higane is not stainless steel. Get a proper cleaning kit, with the uchiko (power ball thing lol) clean them and re-oil every now and again... plus its fun to feel like a real samurai for a second lol

[@Max_Flashheart]

Touching a blade and not cleaning it afterwards is certain to mark the blade with rust due to the oils and salts from our fingers. If you don't have a proper cleaning kit you can use light machine oil for sewing machine, Clove Oil and WD40 is excellent at removing moisture oils and salts from a blade (Thank you Nasa)

[@4shotsofcrownroyal]

Also i have dropped the sword and several times it bounced under extreme force but the blade never broke

[@johnconnor7249]

I hope someone can answer this question. Are the Type 97 and 98 swords functional? I mean if they had to actually fight with them or let's just say just for an example, duel another individual with a sword would they hold up in combat? Just curious, I have always wondered what the efficiency of these WW2 Katanas are. Thanks in advance to whoever can answer the question!

[@Sporkmaker5150]

Yes, the wartime Japanese officer's swords, both army and navy, are the last military swords in history that were intended to be fully functional weapons suitable for combat and not just a badge of office like those issued by other modern nations. There's one exception to that which is worth mentioning and that is the certain navy blades made from stainless steel to resist rusting from the salty ocean air on ships. Stainless steel is fine for a short knife but is too brittle for serious use in a sword-length blade. He didn't show an example of a stainless sword in the video but if you look at the tang under the handle it will show no patina at all and is typically stamped with an anchor symbol. Stainless blades are only found in WW2 navy examples, never army.

[@caiusmadison2996]

The sword after the walking stick for imperial Japan, is a small sword, issued to arm troops in the Continental Army, from late 1700's, to mid 1800's. If a true small sword from that era, this was the typical sword a person would use in a duel.

[@benjamindejonge3624]

What happened to the 6 Japanese general swords after the Philippines ?

[@SilentForrest-he4qj]

Dude don't say " tempered edge" it's a differentially hardened blade

[@pipersmith8676]

I have that exact 98 army sword. I was really hoping the blade was handmade but now I don't think it is.

[@raphlvlogs271]

that cane can be used as either a sword or a mace as a weapon

[@きゅうに-c7w]

この刀の1つ1つが1つ1つの家で大事にされ同時に家の宝でもありました

[@sibfox]

はい、そしてそれらの言葉のいくつかは多くの人々を殺すために使われました。日本は約1400万人を殺しました。ナチスよりはるかにひどいことです。

[@stephenfields6236]

Interesting video. Thanks

[@BobLazier-zk8gi]

My granddad gave me one of these before he died.. looks a lot like that little black one except mines got a jimmy rigged handle and the blades had whoever owned it my granddad and me crave on it.. I had a guy come look at a peace of artillery I use to have and he tried to buy my sword.. told em naw bud.. that’s an heirloom.. he was gonna give me way more for the sword.. even with the way it is.. couldn’t do it tho.

[@Pablo668]

Ummmm, as far as I know, WWII blades aren't looked at as special at all in Japan or among collectors of traditional blades. They are referred to as Shin Gunto (~new sword). Now among collectors of WWII artefacts, including WWII Japanese swords I'm sure they are quite collectable/special/whatever. I own a traditional Katana.....almost by accident, and tbh I wouldn't mind owning a WWII blade as well.

[@rickedwards2]

how do NCO katanas compare in value to Officers katanas

[@sanskarjain7575]

Can you tell me what is the name of my friend's sword which was used by Japan in second world war?

[@ryanward8039]

Another telltale sign that a blade is handmade is blade geometry. You will see crisper lines defining the Kissaki, Shinogi and the Shinogi-Ji. These well defined lines are not very characteristic of factory made blades as factory made blades did not undergo the same level of hand polishing that hand made blades went though, such definition could only come from a skilled polisher.

[@johnwayne2103]

Let me fill in the blanks on some of your explanations of WWII swords. The early swords in Japans incursion into China and the early years of WWII were mostly family swords and they were converted to military swords, meaning the handles and the scabbards were made to conform to military specs.. As the war progressed the railroad tracks of Japan were melted down to make military swords, although they are mass produced the steel used is Swedish steel. i.e. still a high quality steel unlike the Tamahagane used to make traditional Japanese swords. Let's step back to the early years of military issued swords. Although the sword may not a family sword, there were thousands of these swords that were made during Japan's feudal era. Just like they issued out swords to junior officers, Medieval Japanese foot solders were issued out locally made swords. So although the sword may not be from an important family they were forged using traditional methods and are just as good as family made swords. Latter in the war the swords were made with aluminum handles and very low grade steel. If you have ever handled them you can tell a quality sword by feel. The signature will be the best telltale sign of the swords history but of course it's not unlike someone to forge a signature especially if it's from a famous sword maker. So like everything else, make sure to get verification and buyer beware. Some swords have dates, others don't, Some signatures are representative of the sword maker from a particular area where they made generic swords for foot soldiers. Most family swords would have been forged by a famous sword maker at the time.

[@jellekastelein7316]

The sword at 3:00 is a smallsword.

[@mayfieldca]

The second sword you showed is called a “small sword”. Fancy versions are also called court swords because they were used as dress swords. Yours is likely to have been a gentleman’s sword but could have been an officers sword. The British officers would wield these puny things against the claymores of any Jocks who managed to get past all the lead the red coats were blasting out.

[@barefoofDr]

The Wakizashi that yoou refure to as a small sword is not a court sword. There was a time when the Wakizashi and the Katana were worn togeather. The shorter sword was more useful in indoor fighting in confined spaces. Being Scot a claymore would have a hard time against these because it is two different styles of swordmanship. A Japanese sword fight last about 10 to 15 secounds.

[@mayfieldca]

I was referring to the European sword not the Japanese ones

[@4shotsofcrownroyal]

Not a button but a bit of a trigger style release

[@cjod33]

MY pop used a short katana he brought home from WW11 as a Gardening tool till the day he died.

[@dennisthurman2070]

How much do these run approximately?

[@gertjevanpoppel7270]

Nice video 👍 But at 12 minutes it's confusing... He talks about the factory stamps and then shows 2 examples... but then he says that these 2 show that they are handmade... So what is exactly the story behind the stamps shown in the video?... Are these 2 stamps telling that a sword is factory made or handmade ?.... Thanks 😀👍

[@jyunte]

The Japanese government passed a law requiring all swords made after 1940 that were not made from traditional Japanese steel, "tamahagane" have stamps on the tang to indicate they were not made from tamahagane. The demand for Japanese swords grew in the years leading up to WWII so "puddled steel" was imported to Japan, primarily for use in railroads rails, but also for making swords. Puddled steel is actually good quality steel and so many WWII blades were hand-made from it and they exhibit the same or very similar jihada (grain) and hamon (temper line) as antique swords made from tamahagane. Fun fact: The Eiffel Tower in Paris is made from puddled steel! The chrysanthemum-type stamp is the Showa stamp, which was introduced in 1935. The star stamp dates from 1942, but is most commonly found on swords made in 1944. The half chrysanthemum on top of "some letter S", as described in the video, is ‘Kikusui’ (chrysanthemum on water). Swords with the Kikusui stamp were manufactured at the Navy controlled Minatogawa Shrine forge from 1940. They are rare, good quality hand forged blades, just not made from tamahagane.

[@trendydwarf3747]

I want one and check under the handle for the maker

[@Willy12927]

I plan on watching your video again, but next time I will do so while having the sword my father brought back laid out in front of me. It has a piece of material with some Japanese writing on it that some day I would like to have translated. Dad said there was an interesting story behind this sword that he would share with me some day,. However, Dad was very closed lipped about his war experiences and he ended up taking that story and a lot of his war experiences to his grave.

[@hankhill3417]

Very proud people. Sorry for your loss

[@Willy12927]

@@hankhill3417 Thank you.

[@Sporkmaker5150]

The piece of material attached to the sword is a 'surrender tag', one is shown at the end of the video. When Japanese officers were forced to turn in their swords at the end of the war, they would often attach their name and address in the hope that it would be returned some day.

[@Willy12927]

@@Sporkmaker5150 Thanks for the reply. I have been approached many times about purchasing this sword, but being able to return this sword to a family member would be worth much more than the money.

[@Sporkmaker5150]

@@Willy12927 I'd say that making an attempt to return the sword to a family member would be a really cool gesture but you're certainly under no obligation to do so, your father's time in the Pacific won him that sword fair and square, truly the greatest generation. There's a few things that would make the attempt tricky, often times the tag will just have the Japanese officer's name, rank, and the unit in which he served. In cases where a home address is listed, the location may not even exist anymore after all these years. Also there's the aspect of modern Japanese culture that carries a sense of shame concerning their part in the war (for educated Japanese anyway) and sometimes but not always the descendants of a WW2 soldier wouldn't want to have a reminder of that era. Then there's the extremely strict weapons laws that exist in Japan, sword ownership is strictly licensed and regulated. A sword must be certified as being completely traditionally made to qualify as 'Nihonto' and literally 99% of all the wartime blades won't qualify and wouldn't be allowed into the country. That being said, there have been cases where Samurai era family blades have been found in WW2 military mountings and successfully returned to the family.

[@housevollmer9106]

From my research the factory swords are about 3-5k in that condition depending on exact types and provenance... and the handmade swords are closer to 5-7k in that good of condition!!

[@Max_Flashheart]

The Darker the Tang the older the blade generally. It is not unknown to have an old tang with a good maker welded to cheaper blade. So if the tang doesn't match the blade design and style of the marker it could be a forgery,

[@veiledrecalcitrance4314]

Oil quenched? Are katanas oil quenched?

[@richmondlandersenfells2238]

2:55 imperial court sword sounds much better than a needle.

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank you I’m late. Thank you!!!

[@ShagadelicBY]

Police swords in European countries had a button release. Could it have been the same in Japan perhaps? That the katanas with button releases were issued to police officers?

[@craigthescott5074]

Just because a blade has some edge damage doesn’t necessarily mean somebody played with it. Some chinks in the edge could be contact marks that happened in battle.