Japanese Hari Kari knife

[helmetbuyers]

Hello forum...

I bought this knife yesterday at a yard sale. I gave the seller $100.

The veterans son said his dad "removed" it from a dead Japanese officer on Okinawa.

Any way to figure out the age without taking it apart? Are these things worth anything?

I thought a Hari Kari knife would be fancy... since you would only use it one.

Robert

[helmetbuyers]

103

[helmetbuyers]

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[helmetbuyers]

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[helmetbuyers]

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[helmetbuyers]

the two "pins" that hold the handle to the tang seem to be transparent in light?

Thanks for the help... Robert

[juoneen]

This one is definitely worth 100. , as that's what you paid. The guys son had to have been in the marines.

[gebris353]

Now nothing about the tanto although it looks really nice to my eyes. Just wanted to correct the title: it's harakiri what you meant, although the term used by Japanese is seppuku. Almost everyone here may be much experienced than me but werent they just regular knives, I mean they didnt go to war thinking in making seppuku so they'll get their tanto with them just in case.

[kaigunair]

these types of knives have been covered in depth in other threads, so I won't rehash it here.

the utility knife you bought is nice in that it has the leather cover. button catch looks missing, wood scabbard/handle looks damaged, and the blade could probably use a polish (by at least a semi-professional) or at least some choji oil to protect from further oxidation. but price was good.

unless there is some kanji on the handle under the leather covering to provide additional info, or if there is a nice signature on the tang, its just a nice utility knife carried by a ww2 jpn soldier.

[b-m-n_animal]

One of these came in to the auction house I used to work for but never came up for sale as the owner pulled it from sale. from what I remember of the resurch that was done. They came up with the idea that Tanto in leather covered shirasaya like this were carried as a utillity knife by any rank and not just as a seppuku / harakiri knife. the blade might be pre war but its hard to tell, it looks to be missing the horn collar so at a guess somone before you will have had the handle off to look so you wont do any harm taking it off. either way $100 is a good price as it's unlikly to be post war.

[jerryrehr]

A Harry Carry knife? Holy Cow!!!!!

Jerry Rehr.

[historyguy]

This one is definitely worth 100. , as that's what you paid. The guys son had to have been in the marines.

Ummmm, excuse me, but over half of Tenth Army was made up of Army units, specifically XXIV Corps, which was comprised of the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions (on L Day), and eventually the 27th & 77th Infantry Divisions. In fact, the Army units bore the brunt of the fighting along the Shuri line by themselves until late April, after IIIMAC securred the northern part of the island.

Don't ignore the Army's 4,500 battle deaths at Okinawa with a comment like that.