WWII Imperial Japan Navy Kai Gunto sword

Description

Imperial Japan Navy Kai Gunto sword. 36'' overall, The tang is marked by a naval anchor on the obverse face and black painted characters on the reverse. The stainless steel blade shows a bright mirror finish with a crisp straight hamon line, an immaculate razor edge and no discernible blemishes. Silver habaki.The hilt features a plain blackened iron tsuba with stamped 64 number,brown company grade officer's knot hangs from a copper sarute. The scabbard is lacquered black wood with gilt brass mounts. The sword and scabbard  is in great condition .
Identified on page 138 of Fuller and Gregory's "Japanese Military and Civil swords and dirks" as being a 1934 pattern Army shin-gunto with naval characteristics..
Paraphrased from the book:
"The pommel, hilt ornaments, scabbard throat, suspension mount, strengthening band, and chape are all standard shin-gunto pattern. However, the scabbard is wooden with a glossy black lacquered finish over a canvas base, the hilt is covered with a black canvas under a brown tape binding, and the oval tsuba (guard) is blackened steel. These three features are normally associated with the naval kai-gunto. ... The 'mixed' appearance seems to indicate usage by officers and/or Warrant Officers of the Naval Landing Forces ... However, the use of canvas hilt covering instead of same indicates mid- or late-war production, perhaps as a joint Army/Navy sword .