Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 7, 2016 12:12:30 GMT
This blade is of exceptional quality and stands far apart from the usual triangular blades of rather lacklustre quality seen on most small swords. I have quite a few and can assure you this flat style is far from the norm. What also is interesting are the fullers and how they are designed to cover the entire blade. They make it very stiff and light. Also note the enormous blade shoulders. It is not very long, just 70,5 cm, with a total length of just 88 cm, which seems to confirm it was made for a non Western as in Asiatic clientele. The median blade length seen in the French small swords sits around the 75 cm mark in the late 19th century with the upper limit at around 78 to 80cm.
As these swords were carried straight down from the waist, this is a good indicator of the average height of a person at that time and for that class of people, with access to better food than most other strata of the population. The poincons are typically French, B and G in circle and on the other side C and B under a star. Furthermore there is a deeply punched mark on the tang. According to the Klingenthal register that would date this blade in the period from 1882 to 1900. That there are so much poincons may further indicate the elevated quality control. The entire blade is ,,frosted''. There are no shiny parts and it is covered with flower ( Peony ? ) ranks all over, which is typical of Japanese decorative design on the small sword worn by diplomats.* The clincher is the apparent Mon on both sides of the blade, at least I believe it to be a Mon of some sort. As the french were invited at an early stage ( 1862 ) to organise the Japanese Army and somewhat later also the Diplomatic Corps, it looks like this blade is one of a batch ordered in France for the Corps by the Japanese Government. Though it cannot be ruled out it is a private order from someone at the Japanese Embassy at Paris. I do not think it was ever mounted. Who ordered it and what happened with it we may never know, but it is a nice addition to my small collection. Cheers. Notes. Total length: 88 cm. Blade length: 70,5 cm. Width: 16 mm. Thickness: 6 mm under the tang to 3 mm 1" from the tip. Klingenthal blade marks: www.klingenthal.fr/marquages_coulaux.htmFor the French involvement in the organisation of the Japanese Army, see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France%E2%80%93Japan_relationsand: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France%E2%80%93Japan_relations_%2819th_century%29*For more on Japanese small swords and Army swords see the best source there is: www.japaneseswordindex.com/civilian.htmAn interesting discussion here at the forum: sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/31687/
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Post by bfoo2 on Jan 9, 2016 23:48:33 GMT
Very interesting- both the blade and the history.
I don't assume you plan on mounting it.
From your dimensions, I get a tang length of 7 inches. Is that about right for a smallsword? Seems a bit long to me, but I'm by no means an expert on the matter.
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Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 10, 2016 9:08:56 GMT
The build of the hilts of these things is different from other swords. A typical grip is around 9 cm or 3.54" long. Then there is the guard plate, a little block on that and the pas d'ane block with the guillon(s) on that again and the pommel. All these parts take about 15-16 cm or 6.3". Around the time this blade was made the tang was not peened anymore ( mostly ), but the pommel had a blind nut on top, gripping the tang for about 1 cm or 0.4". Tres petite, but it worked. From what I see here: www.japaneseswordindex.com/civilian.htm all official small swords had that nut construction, though here it could have been just a peen, the tang has no threads (yet). And in case of a peened construction there was a little peen block. Anyway, there is not much left over from your 7".
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Post by Afoo on Jan 11, 2016 5:45:55 GMT
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Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 11, 2016 6:30:36 GMT
I knew about these. Wonderful work. Thanks for the links. My blade dates from about 150 years later though, when the fad was over and small swords were not carried anymore in day to day civilian life. That market had long since dried up. Since it is French and France was very busy with establishing a modern Japanese Army right about the time this blade was made, it may be a French export for the Japanese Corps Diplomatique or Army, the only outfits that still carried small swords at official functions, or a private buy by one of the Japanese Embassy personel located at Paris. It may be the former, but since the blade is not of the standard configuration, a private buy cannot be ruled out. Unless other similar blades turn up somewhere, it is an enigma.
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Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 12, 2016 19:48:05 GMT
UPDATE: I contacted Jussi Ekholm about the MON. According to him it is a Government Seal of Japan, the 5-3 Paulownia flower seal go-san kiri. This could mean that the blade was made for a Government Official, either as a private order, or as part of a large Government order. This type of Mon was used by the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Guard Headquarters, see: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Seal_of_JapanGo-san kiri. Thanks Jussi!
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Post by Afoo on Jan 12, 2016 23:45:01 GMT
Cool - thanks for the update
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seth
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Just Peachy
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Post by seth on Jan 13, 2016 23:17:16 GMT
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Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 14, 2016 8:21:23 GMT
Hello seth.
Thank you for your reply. The first two links were already posted, (see above) but never mind, the Japanese sword index link is a very important one for Gunto enthousiasts, so it cannot be posted enough. For them it should be the go to site, since a lot of non standard and colonial types are displayed there too, plus a lot of background info. I downloaded the picture from your third link. Very nice and thank you very much. It is quite hard to get pictoral info on these japanese small swords. This type of blade would be ideal for a sword cane project. It is flat and not very long, though somewhat longer than the standard cane blade, which seems more like an elongated ice pick to me. Because of that, it is also ideal for indoor use.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2016 18:11:33 GMT
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Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 17, 2016 22:53:17 GMT
Hello Pino.
I had this feeling you would show up, what with your Gunto collection. Thank you for the links. Where do you get this stuff? You have sniffing bots searching the net for you? Yes, all dressed up it would make for quite a sight. I keep the blade near me, on my desk and see it every day. The quality is very high, far better than most small sword blades I have. Exceptional. I think the hilt for my blade might be a tad more common, after all it is a mere 3-5-3, not your 5-7-5, but still. That site in Australia, Crimson Mist, might be the locale to look for parts. If he does not have it, or knows where to get it, nobody does. He has everything Gunto and than some and is a very nice guy. Helped me to get my Gunto parts at very low cost considering the quality. How are the gunto doing by the way. You were restoring them?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 3:25:49 GMT
I don't remember what I typed but it was all found in Google (must be under Meiji diplomat sword). I agree, Crimson Mist is the s**t to found spare parts, I wouldn't be surprised you could find some but the correct leather scabbard would be the hardest one to find. Ebay also has some koshirae fittings, perhaps with some luck some might pop out.
I hope the best in this quest and hopefully we get to see the sword shining in it's full glory.
The guntos are doing well, had to reduce the lot to 3 unfortunately (but they'll grow back).
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Uhlan
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 18, 2016 13:21:42 GMT
Ah! You must have a greenhouse than!
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