Hi Chris
,
I totally agree that the scabbard and fitting are low quality and typical of those late in WW2.
However, the blade is much better quality and seems a total mismatch...whether it is due to necessity during the war or later ...
The very tip of the kissaki is slightly bent (the picture makes it look larger) but is still extremely sharp and well defined..... and do not want to try to straighten it as I am certain it would snap. The tip is also very thin where it mets the spine due to the contination of the Ihori (inverted v profiled spine)The edge section you mentioned is also quite small. I am not saying this blade is Nihonto but does seem better than some other gunto I have seen.
The late war blades were often made from sub-standard steel and produced rapidly, so manufacturing standards dropped...it was a time of desperation, so do not believe that this blade is one of those.
I have only seen a few gunto but do not recall any of them having the Ihori type spine....just a standard flat one.
Thank you Battara for your continual input
, I too think that the 3 ana points to a 'previous' life. I had thought that all nihonto were signed ...sounds alittle more promising
Kind Regards David