Pete,
I could not remove the habaki without applying too much pressure. I took pictures of the tip of the blade, the middle and near the habaki and they are attached. For some reason a few of my pictures this time are 2.02MB and will not attach since they are larger than 2 MB. ??????
THANKS!
Dale

Pete,
I completely removed the leather from the handle.
I removed the mekugi from the wooden handle and slid the handle off of the tang. This was easier than I expected. No damage was done.
This revealed two inscriptions on the tang, one set of characters near the grip and one set near the end.
I have attached 7 pictures of these inscriptions from various angles. It was difficult to tell exactly what the lighting was as I was taking these pictures. I will try again if these are not adequate. Sorry they are not better.

Pete,
I used a razor to remove part of the leather covering on the handle of the sword.
Underneath is a light colored wooden handle and a visible mekugi (Peg). I stopped there in caution.
Attached are photos of both sides of the handle with leather cover removed and a visible mekugi.
I understand that the ultimate identification will not be possible until the mekugi is removed, the handle is removed to reveal the tang.
Nevertheless, I am interested in what you think of the wooden handle and its condition and possible refining of the guesstimate of the type of sword.

Pete,
Attached are 3 pictures of the engraving on the sword we are discussing.
Also, is this a Wakizashi sword?
Thanks again,
Dale

Hello and thank you in advance for helping me identify the type and date of the Japanese Sword I have inherited. Several pictures of the sword are attached. The sword was given to Lt. C.L. Glover, US soldier who served in the Pacific in WWII, while he was in the Phillipines. Based on the length of the sword (total length is 29 inches, blade is 20 inches) I believe it is a Wakazachi sword. Inscribed in English on one side of the Scabbard is “Present to LT C.L. Glover”.