Need any info about this old KATANA style SWORD.

Greetings!
I am trying to research this katana sword that a friend of mine found in the shed after her husband passed away. He was a Vietnam vet, so perhaps he brought it back from overseas, but she said he never told her anything about it, so that is just a guess.
She asked me to sell it for her, so I would greatly appreciate any accurate information or even educated guesses from people who know much more than I do about swords.
The blade has no signature nor markings of any kind to indicate maker or origin. Might that suggest mass production for military use, or...? It does have a full edge.
It is fastened to a piece of PVC pipe filled with silicone adhesive. The PVC is wrapped with string for a grip. That does work well, but my guess is someone had a naked blade and added a makeshift grip. What do you think?
It does have a scabbard that fits it perfectly.
I will post a few pictures. I have and can take more, if you need to see anything better. As always, I appreciate the expertise shared on these forums. Thanx in advance!

 

It looks military, but this is not my area of expertise. It was stripped of the more valuable tsuba and other parts, probably to be sold.

Agree. It even looks good, but it is not how it is supposed to be.

@komokwa , @the blacksmith .

 

The tale of its origin, if any, is buried in silicone under the pic pipe. Were it mine, all that would be carefully removed, in order to read what may be carved into the tang.
Even if there is nothing there, you'll have only lost a convenient grip...an' if there is a legend, you'll probably increase its potential value materially.
The scabbard itself will show important details...one of our edged-weapon experts will have more to say about that. Good Luck!