Is this aikuchi a fake or WWII vintage?

Battara · 24th March 2018, 04:19 PM

Thank you Treeslicer. No hada as far as I can determine. GI souvenir, that's another thought.

Treeslicer · 24th March 2018, 07:59 PM

Here's a thread on a "kamikaze dagger" from NMB, http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic...knife-special/
Battara, I would not be surprised if your knife was intended to be mistaken for a kamikaze tanto, but without the investment of a properly faceted shirasaya. It would be interesting to see the nakago, to determine if the short blade came from the tip of something longer. There was a sword shop in Tokyo which managed to stay in business all through the Occupation sword ban (and still is, last time I looked), selling stuff assembled out of their leftover stock of gunto parts, to GI's and other visiting Westerners. Among other things, they learned to reproduce a really mean USMC mameluke.

Battara · 25th March 2018, 03:32 AM

Well I'm not surprised. Again it was a risk. This might explain why this is not a recent but perhaps an earlier fake/souvenir piece from the 1950s.

Very helpful Treesslicer, thank you. I would like to hear from others as well.

24th March 2018, 07:59 PM	#2
Treeslicer Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 65	Here's a thread on a "kamikaze dagger" from NMB, http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic...knife-special/ Battara, I would not be surprised if your knife was intended to be mistaken for a kamikaze tanto, but without the investment of a properly faceted shirasaya. It would be interesting to see the nakago, to determine if the short blade came from the tip of something longer. There was a sword shop in Tokyo which managed to stay in business all through the Occupation sword ban (and still is, last time I looked), selling stuff assembled out of their leftover stock of gunto parts, to GI's and other visiting Westerners. Among other things, they learned to reproduce a really mean USMC mameluke. Last edited by Treeslicer; 24th March 2018 at 08:20 PM.

24th March 2018, 04:19 PM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	Thank you Treeslicer. No hada as far as I can determine. GI souvenir, that's another thought.

25th March 2018, 03:32 AM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	Well I'm not surprised. Again it was a risk. This might explain why this is not a recent but perhaps an earlier fake/souvenir piece from the 1950s. Very helpful Treesslicer, thank you. I would like to hear from others as well.