Original Late WWII Japanese Army Type 95 Wood "Pineapple" Handle NCO Katana with Matching Scabbard No. 203386

Original Item: Only One Available. The end of WWII marked the beginning of the sword ownership ban in Japan. By law, Japanese citizens were forbidden to own swords. General McArthur did not want the general population to be able to arm again. Most soldiers and citizens surrendered their swords to the American occupying forces. The Americans destroyed a large number of swords by dumping them into the ocean or by melting them. But a small percentage made its way back to the United States and into the collector market.

This lovely example is a genuine late WWII Japanese Type 95 NCO Samurai Sword or katana, produced during the end of the war around 1945. At this time, to save aluminum, the design switched to a simple wooden hilt grip with incised cross-hatching, often called a "pineapple" grip. The mounts were changed to black painted iron, with the securing spring moved to the side, an a new design steel scabbard to match. To further decrease production time, the fuller from the machine made blade was removed. The blade is 26 3/8 inches long, with an overall length of 37 5/8 inches. NCO Katanas were issued to soldiers who did not want to take their family sword to battle or who came from poor families that did not have swords to pass down through the generations.

All NCO swords were numbered. This example has a matching serial number 203386 on both the blade and the throat of the scabbard. Most swords do not have matching numbers because somewhere along the life of the sword the scabbard was changed. The serial numbers both have a 関 marking to the left, for Seki Arsenal in Japan. 

The sword is complete with the metal locking spring tab that secures the blade to the scabbard. This prevents the sword from falling when the soldier is running. Traditionally this function is assigned to the Habaki (blade collar). But machine made swords like this one do not have the accuracy of manufacturing that enable the Habaki to perform such a function.

Condition is very good, with a lovely lightly aged patina overall. The blade is still bright, showing some overall scuffing from use and cleaning, but no major oxidation issues. It was however sharpened at some point after it was brought back, probably with a knife sharpener, so while it is definitely sharp, it does not have the correct edge profile anymore. It should definitely be handled with care. The wood handled grip is in lovely condition, and it looks like it may have been finished at some point with a light lacquer to protect it. The handle is still tight on the blade, while the end cap and cross guard are a bit loose, and the fittings have a lovely aged patina.

The scabbard is in very good condition, with most of the original brown paint retained, and a few dents near the drag It looks like the scabbard was also lacquered to protect it, which has aged over the years, slightly darkening the color. The fit and finish are definitely below the earlier type of NCO sword, making this a true 'last ditch' example, as all "pineapple grip" examples were.

Overall lovely late WWII Type 95 NCO "Pineapple" Katana that will appreciate in value over the coming years. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 26 3/8"
Blade Style: Katana
Overall length: 37 5/8“
Scabbard Length: 29"