WWII Japanese Katana Sword

[GeekwithaGun]

My uncle recently gave me a sword that came back to the U.S. after WWII.
I would like to get it appraised and find out more about the sword, machine vs hand made, etc.
Does anyone have a recommendation for where to go in the DFW area?

[DocV]

Jackson Armory. Probably easiest to check their website first to see if they have anything similar to what you have.

[GeekwithaGun]

Thanks, I check it out

[Skiprr]

The value of a sword will differ depending upon the interests of the appraiser. Offhand, I don't think there are any independent clubs/societies in the Dallas area, but I could be wrong. A couple you may want to contact to ask about an appraiser in North Texas are:

Japanese Sword Society of the United States
P.O. Box 513
Albuquerque, NM 87103

Texas Token Kai
5501 N. Lamar Blvd. Suite A-113
Austin, TX 78751
Contact John Stewart at txtokenkai-at-hotmail.com

That said, the value of katanas (or tachi, since all long swords in the WWII Japanese army were worn blade-down) made during WWII are typically of most interest to military collectors, not sword collectors per se.

There were large numbers of swords made during the war to embody the Samurai culture, previously long abandoned by the Japanese government, and most were machine manufactured, not made by hand by swordsmiths. However, some Japanese officers did use family-owned blades made much earlier and simply placed the typical army handles (tsuka) and and blade guards (tsuba) on the higher-quality blades to conform to army standards. New finds of this nature are exceedingly rare nowadays, and not likely unless the sword was taken directly from a Japanese officer and never been appraised. Too, any documented history of the sword's owner could make a difference...a known officer with a story behind him or the sword.

I truly don't know much about this stuff, but contacting Texas Token Kai might be a good first step. I think you would want to rule out that it might be a valuable, 19th-century blade ensconced in WWII furniture. Once you know you don't have something really valuable on your hands, military memorabilia collectors might be your next stop. I think good condition, good quality swords mass produced during WWII will still sell for upwards of $1,500. If you have a handmade, traditionally tempered and signed blade, it could be worth significantly more.