Stainless Steel Toyokawa Arsenal Kai-Gunto with Samé Saya

Signature:  Mumei.
Year Made:  During the second world war.
Forging Pattern: None, machine made stainless steel. 
Tempering Pattern: Stones used to create the appearance of a hamon.
Dimensions:  Blade Length:  25.125 inchesNakago: 8.75 inches 8 mm thick and 33 mm wide at Hamachi
Mountings: complete and original 1937 pattern naval kai-gunto mounts with matching numbers on all parts. More expensive mounts with samé (rayskin) covered saya which is in good shape with normal wear and tear for its age. Tsuka is in very good condition. Gold washed copper habaki. Number on sword match numbers on mounts.
Overall Condition:  Very good. A beefy and heavy katana. A nice example of a stainless naval katana, as most ended up on the bottom of the ocean. Sword has some scratches as if from cutting brush, several small nicks on the blade and one on the fukura. A tiny chip has been lost from the point of the kissaki. It has a Toyokawa anchor arsenal stamp on nakago and is unsigned as most were. All in all a good and unmolested example of a kai gunto, as it was assembled when made. A good find, when so many of these are put together from different parts of many swords these days.

SwordsElliott Tan