The Type 95 sword was a regulation-issue military sword used by non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army who were required to wear swords, such as cavalry and military police.
Although I don’t own an original Type 95 sword, I do have a replica made by PK Militaria. Even as a replica, it is quite expensive. After wearing it during outdoor games, the scabbard ended up covered in scratches.
I had always thought it would be nice if there were a cover for the scabbard. While researching primary sources, I discovered that scabbard covers actually existed.
In the document “Regarding the Provisional Standardization of the Type 95 Military Sword,”1 there is a mention of scabbard covers. On the first page of the document, it states: “It should be noted that based on the report of the Chairman of the Military Supply Council, the scabbard cover is to be removed from this standardization.”
It is truly unfortunate, but scabbard covers only existed during the provisional standardization stage and were removed when the final standardization was implemented. As a result, it seems they were never actually issued to soldiers.
I researched what the scabbard cover was like, based on the details available in historical documents.
- Specifications
- Made of waterproof cotton cloth treated with “paraffin,” dyed in a blue-brown hue.
- Purpose of the Scabbard Cover
- Extensive research was conducted on various coatings for the scabbard, but none were found to provide sufficient durability. To address this, a scabbard cover made of waterproof paraffin-treated cotton cloth dyed in a blue-brown hue was created. The cover served to protect the scabbard while also preventing it from reflecting light.
The term “blue-brown hue” refers to the same color specified for the scabbard’s coating. In other words, the cover was made from cotton cloth dyed to match the color of the scabbard itself. However, beyond this detail, no additional information about the scabbard cover seems to be available.
As I continued reading the provisional standardization documents, I found that the construction of the scabbard itself was designed to resemble that of the officer’s version. Therefore, I decided to create a scabbard cover based on references to similar items used by officers.
Since obtaining paraffin-treated waterproof fabric was difficult, I used canvas in a color similar to the scabbard. It’s possible that the original cover was made entirely of cotton fabric, but I opted to make the tip out of leather to ensure durability. Using only cotton fabric for the tip might result in it wearing through or tearing easily.
I’ll share a bit about the production process as well. The main body, made of canvas, is not simply a straight cylinder but carefully designed to follow the subtle curves of the scabbard’s shape. If the cover is too loose when placed over the scabbard, it won’t look good, so I adjust it to fit snugly. However, this means that about one in three attempts ends in failure, resulting in defective pieces where the scabbard won’t fit.
Each piece is assembled with fine adjustments made to match the actual item, so I can’t confidently say it will fit properly on replicas other than those made by PK Militaria. I’ve heard that their replicas are quite well-made, though.
And that wraps up the creation of the Type 95 Military Sword Scabbard Cover. Although it was never officially adopted and remained a “phantom” piece of equipment, I believe it might be in demand for its practicality in protecting the scabbard.
Since each piece is handcrafted, mass production isn’t feasible, but I’ll be listing them on Yahoo! Auctions little by little. If you’re interested, please keep an eye out.
Footnote
- 「九五式軍刀仮制式制定の件」JACAR（アジア歴史資料センター）Ref.C01001386400、永存書類甲輯 第５類 第１冊 昭和１１年（防衛省防衛研究所） ↩︎
