Help with Japanese knife

[rajko84]

I picked up this piece today. Can you guys help me about it. It is not signed.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
Regards RD

[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

Piece is over all 17" long, blade is 10" long.

[Bob Coleman]

This is a tnto. The all black mounting likely indicates it belonged to a retired samurai. Due to the condition of the blade, it is difficult to tell you much about it without a hands on examination.

[rajko84]

This is a tnto. The all black mounting likely indicates it belonged to a retired samurai. Due to the condition of the blade, it is difficult to tell you much about it without a hands on examination.

Why are the manukis different, I thought they were suppose to match? and also on nagako you can see some notches does that represent something?

Thank you Bob

[GHP]

Why are the manukis different, I thought they were suppose to match? and also on nagako you can see some notches does that represent something?

Thank you Bob

Menuki often match in a mirror-image to face the same direction relative to the blade. However, they very often represent a common theme/motiff -- not matching in the European sense of 100% same, but matching the "feel." Yours appear to be two representations of Kiku, chrysanthemum flowers.

For example:

Two of the Seven Lucky Gods




Yosh!tsune and Benkei



Warriors
more examples

[Staldion]

Hello,
The notches looks like battle scars or kirikomi. The blade may be a shortened katana.

[Sengoku]

The blade shape, which looks like SHOBU-ZUKURI in the pictures, is one more common in Tanto and rare in Katana or Wakizashi. The shape of the Nakago jiri also indicates that the blade is not shortened. I would look for another cause of the notches. http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html

[GHP]

The blade shape, which looks like SHOBU-ZUKURI in the pictures, is one more common in Tanto and rare in Katana or Wakizashi. The shape of the Nakago jiri also indicates that the blade is not shortened. I would look for another cause of the notches. http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html

I agree; plus: the notches are all about the same size, depth, and angle.

I'm wondering if the notches would be an attempt of further curving the tang after the forge/quench sequence? Sometimes when making a knife sheath, I have to curve the welt a bit more, so I cut out small "V" notches to facilitate the inside bend.





--Guy

[nickn]

I have had a number of tanto and a few wakizashi with these notches on the back of the nakago
I assumed they were assembly marks??
None of the blade were of any quality

[gunto]

Hello,
The notches looks like battle scars or kirikomi. The blade may be a shortened katana.

This was born as a short knife. Where do You ser signs of a katana?

[gunto]

I have had a number of tanto and a few wakizashi with these notches on the back of the nakago
I assumed they were assembly marks??
None of the blade were of any quality

IMO, its for assembly purpose.

[Bob Coleman]

IMO, its for assembly purpose.

I agree. This has always been a tanto. How would battle scars incur on the nakago. If someone was blocking the blow of a sword this way. he would loose his fingers if not the whole hand.