Original Japanese Pre WWII M1899 Type 32 "Ko" 1st Pattern Cavalry Saber Dated 1907 with Scabbard & Finger Loop - Serial 74531

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Imperial Japanese WWII Type 32 "Ko" First Pattern Cavalry saber, complete with its original steel scabbard. Japanese cavalry sabers, originally introduced in the late 19th Century, all have machine made blades with serial numbers on the ricasso and will commonly have arsenal stamps on the guard.

The Type 25, introduced in 1892, had brass hilts and plain wood grips. The Type 32, introduced in 1899, on the other hand has a checkered steel hilt with checkered wood grips. They were issued with a leather finger loop on the inside of the guard. The machine made blades are "katana" shaped, and have a full length wide fuller and flat spine, and are contained in steel scabbards with a single ring. The swords saw service during the Russo-Japanese War, World War One and on into World War Two.

Two patterns of the Type 32 were produced. The first pattern, known as ‘Ko,’ was issued to cavalry NCOs and had a blade length of around 32 1/2 inches. The second pattern, known as ‘Otsu,’ was issued to army NCOs and was shorter, with a blade length of around 30 inches. This example is a ‘Ko’ pattern Type 32 cavalry saber, and is an early production example, with a lower serial number, and was designed to have a leather finger ring. Unlike almost every example we see however, this still has the leather finger ring present! These almost always break off or are removed later in service. This example is definitely in a bit delicate condition, as we would expect on sword over 100 years in age.

The blade is in very good condition and retains its fighting edge, with a few areas of nicks and denting. 2/3 of the blade edge has been sharpened, while the area closest the guard was left blunt. The ricasso is stamped with serial number 74531. The blade was designed for cutting and thrusting and was superbly good at both. This blade definitely looks to have seen service, and was sharpened at least once for use, though we do not see much in the way of blade nicks. It is still relatively sharp, so care is needed during handling. There is staining and oxidation in areas on the blade closer to the point, but overall the finish is still quite nice.

The steel D guard has a checked steel back strap and dove head pommel, all of which now show a worn light gray steel patina from years of service and cleaning. The checkered wooden grip is in very good condition, with strong checkering and still has a nice dark red brown color. The guard has the "stacked cannonball" logo used by Tokyo and Kokura arsenals, along with some other characters we cannot make out. We can however see what looks to be a date, which is 〇 四 明 (0 4 Mei), for the 40th Year of the Meiji Era (明治時代) , or 1907.

The sword is complete with its steel scabbard, with a single hanger-ring, and functional locking catch. There is not any serial number we can see on the drag of the scabbard, where it usually is. The scabbard is in very good condition, showing no dents or bends, and it has a lovely lightly oxidized patina on the exterior.

A Japanese Cavalry Saber, in service for decades, and probably brought home after WWII. In very nice condition and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade length: 32 1/2”
Blade style: Single Edged with Fuller
Overall length: 38”
Guard Dimensions: 4 1/2"W x 5"L
Scabbard length: 34"