Japanese or Chinese Polearm ?

[drac2k]

I am not quite sure what I have;at first appearance it seems that this could be a Japanese or Chinese polearm, however after the binding, the haft looks out of place;the lower part could have been "barrack cut," to bring it home from a foreign port, but I believe the whole lower half is entirely foreign.

[drac2k]

Any guesses?

[kronckew]

It looks Japanese, a Kama Yari spear. They come with these side spikes, facing forward or to the rear... The construction of the haft mounting looks traditional. As noted, It could have been cut down by someone for shipping convenience. Common for spears. Many have the joint converted so they shaft can be re-joined for display, tho it's not a strong as the original.


My Yari point is a Fukuro Yari point, pocketed for easier re-hafting in case it gets broken, rather than the long tang most have that requires it to fit a socket drilled into the haft, then reinforced with metal bands, and/or other bindings. It also has been shortened.

[drac2k]

Thanks Kronckew.It sure looks like a Kama Yari;just a little cruder than what I am used to seeing in Japanese weapons.

[pbleed]

I am reasonably sure that this "polearm" is actually a Japanese fire fighting tool. These are called "tobiguchi". Most are short fire-axe type things that were used in urban homes and businesses of pre-modern urban Japan, the wisdom being that when a fire broke out in the rather lightly constructed downtown areas, folks could pull down thatch and walls to stop the spread of the flames. Long, "polearm" versions are not common, but they may have been made for neighborhood teams or operations that offered tall structures, places like temple yards mebbe.

[drac2k]

Thanks for your input; that thought had crossed my mind as well.The only hesitation that I have about that theory is that it is extremely sharp on all edges and the lacquered rope binding certainly would have been flammable if it came in contact with fire.The Tobiguchi that I have encountered haven't had sharp edges,however this could be a specialized fire tool.

[kronckew]

Doean't look like a tobiguchi, firefighter's tool, at all.


Most tobiguchi looked like this: More like a spiked fire axe, without an actual axe blade opposing the spike, also note the eyed axe-like socket. some had rings for attaching ropes so that they could throw them on wood/paper buildings uppe floors, the were used to pull down structure rather than chopping them. Note the belt hook.


p.s. - the juji kama yari often has a rattan binding spiralled around the tang area, like the original posted detail photos, which appears to be lacquered black. The one-sided hook would be perfect for pulling a samurai off his horse and poking a hole in him.