WWII Shin Gunto Japanese Army Officer Sword with Named Capture Tag

The shin gunto sword has an overall length in the scabbard of approximately 38 inches, with a blade length of approximately 26-1/2 inches. Tied to the scabbard ring is a small wooden Japanese tag which bears the handwritten name of “Vande Sande PFC”. The tag has red Japanese kanji for the term “For External Use”, suggesting that the tag was used for Japanese medicines and it was then acquired by Private Vande Sande who used it to identify the sword as his personal trophy. The blade exhibits spots, scratches and smudges, but it is without chips or active rust and it is generally clean, while displaying a visible temper line. The tang shows surface rust with a single mounting hole and it is unsigned. The grip is covered in light sharkskin, and it is tightly wrapped in the traditional manner with brown fabric. Beneath the fabric on each side of the grip are the standard military menuki of three cherry blossoms, with a toned gilt finish. The tsuba guard is the solid style with four raised cherry blossoms in relief. The steel scabbard displays expected signs of wear and field use but the olive brown paint is largely intact. Overall the sword is in very good condition. We photographed the sword with the retaining peg removed and it will be replaced when the sword is shipped.