Higo Dōtanuki Munehiro Shin-Gunto Katana
Higo Dōtanuki Munehiro Shin Gunto
An Ancestral Blade in WW2 Mounts
The blade has been mounted during WW2 in Shin Gunto mounts
The label on the Saya on the sword attributes the sword inside to Higo Dōtanuki Munehiro 肥後住同田貫宗廣作.
Dotanuki swords quickly gained great popularity among the warrior class due to their superior cutting ability. The Dotanuki smiths cared little for aesthetics, but instead focused on strength, sharpness, and durability in the field. They were renowned for producing blades which would endure the harshest conditions, the most difficult battle field situations and survive to return to battle day after day, year after year.
Many view Dotanuki swords as being some of the finest, highest-quality swords ever produced in Japan.
There are a few reasons for this, one of which is their superior strength.
Dotanuki swords could easily cut through most targets, allowing for superior performance that wasn't found in other swords at the time.
The sword itself has been mounted at least twice as can be seen from the two menuki-ana, it is currently in it's ww2 mounts, the nakago is unsigned and the blade has age related wear.
The saya has a leather combat cover still in good condition and has a label on it that looks to be from the original purchase by the officer who owned it. the label contains information about the shop and states the sword's smith.