Samurai sword is handed over by war veteran

Evening Times ^ | 4/29/03 | John Kerr

[Pro-Bush]

A SAMURAI sword, a relic of a Japanese prisoner of war camp, has been surrendered to Strathclyde Police during a weapons amnesty. The two-handed one-metre weapon has a razor sharp blade, but forensic examination showed it has never been used. Detective Superintendent Stephen Ward said today: "In the wrong hands this sword would have been a lethal weapon. It could have inflicted horrific injuries." It was handed in by an elderly retired Army captain, who had been an interpreter at the prisoner of war camp run by the British in Asia and who helped interrogate Japanese prisoners. He was presented with the Samurai by Japanese soldiers at the end of the war. It had belonged to a Japanese major, although the elderly Scotsman had changed the colour of the tassel on the sword to represent a captain. Detective Superintendent Ward added: "The man is now in his 80s and lives alone. He has no family and no descendants to leave the sword to.

[Pro-Bush]

Detective Superintendent Ward added: "The man is now in his 80s and lives alone. He has no family and no descendants to leave the sword to.

That sucks!

[moyden2000]

The disgusting part is that they would have imprisoned the old man if he had kept the sword.

Liberals are evil.

[Question_Assumptions]

"In the wrong hands this [item] would have been a lethal weapon. It could have inflicted horrific injuries."

This statement can be plausibly applied to:

1. A samurai sword
2. An automobile
3. A butcher's knife
4. A snowblower
5. A brick
6. A shovel
7. All of the above

[Pro-Bush]

[weegee]

Must have been a rash of sword violence plaguging England. Maybe if he offered to have the sword drilled and a sheath lock installed...

[SpyGuy]

Even though the sword was turned in by a war hero in his eighties, the police still had the sword tested forensically to see if it had been used to commit a crime.

It's a good thing no friends or visitors of the old man had ever accidentally cut themselves while handling the blade. The gentleman might have found himself finishing out his last few years in prison while the British bobbies scoured the countryside asking people for genetic samples of their blood.

[Myrddin]

The really sad thing is that these idiots will probably have the sword melted down. They can't afford to have it get "in the wrong hands".

[SpyGuy]

Detective Superintendent Stephen Ward said today: "In the wrong hands this sword would have been a lethal weapon."

It wasn't in the wrong hands until he turned it in to you, you totalitarian idiot. My bet is that you were just a spoiled little brat, hiding behind your mommy's apron at the time that this dignified war hero was saving your arse from Hitler and Hirohito.

[Pro-Bush]

Even though the sword was turned in by a war hero in his eighties, the police still had the sword tested forensically to see if it had been used to commit a crime.

[SpaceBar]

This epoch in history as understood millenia from now will
be known as the time when "rational" nations participated in an
ill concieved notion that the confiscation and destruction of
priceless antiquities was justified in order to protect the
public at large from harming themselves with sharp objects.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... Detective Superintendent Ward added: "The man is now in his 80s and lives alone. He has no family and no descendants to leave the sword to."

Uncle Nigel! It's me! Your long-lost American great nephew!

[ARCADIA]

That sword is probably worth several thousands of dollars, and may very well be 400-500 years old. What a waste.

[SAJ]

You forgot to put DS Ward on your list, probably the most dangerous of all.

[The KG9 Kid]

I don't know much about Japanese swords, but I do recall hearing from a good authority that the ancient family treasure swords carried by young Imperial Japanese officers in the war were always refitted with an utterly plain wooden haft and scabbard in order to preserve the original delicate and priceless ornamental hafts and scabbards which stayed back home.

There were a lot of swords made just before the war that are junk by comparison, but still pretty good swords. Nothing like the craftsmanship of an ancient feudalist period sword, at least. Some of those supposedly cost a year's income to the original owners.

That sword has what looks like a common haft and scabbard, but once again I'm no authority.

I wonder how many captured swords are in Allied veteran's hands to this day where they haven't got any idea what they're worth?

I know that I'd sure like to have one that's 350 years old and can slice a thick feather pillow in half in mid-air.

[ARCADIA]

Valued Japanese swords were often stored in plain wooden mounts and remounted as needed. They were passed down and meticulously (and expensively) maintained from generation to generation. Many of these swords were remounted and used during the war. They are often found dressed as ordinary military production officer swords, even NCO swords, but when you remove the mounts you can find a signed masterpiece from centuries ago.

Here is a good site for further information on these swords:
http://www.japanesesword.com/

I guess during the next round the libs will raid the museums and libraries of Europe and burn any painting, sculpture, or book, that portray weapons, or anything that may look like a weapon.

[muawiyah]

Very good point - now, consider this needless confiscation and destruction of an ancient Japanese artifact (which should be returned to the family which owns it - all such swords are "owned" by families) with the pillage of a museum full of ancient Babylonian artifacts.

The "newsie" who wrote this article seems positively delighted at the prospect, but you better believe that if it came to the stuff in Iraq, she'd be livid.

Kipling called this the "white man's burden" - the need to destroy the barbarism of the non-white world!

Somebody call the Japanese embassy before these guys get away.

[SpartacusII]

What a sad story! A truly interesting piece of history will probably be destroyed. The police should have told him to sell it to a reputable militaria dealer. I'm sure the old guy could have used the money. Or it could have been donated to a museum

[chilepepper]

He should have taken it back to Japan (assuming it is authentic).

They would appreciate it a lot more...