Police Dirk

[Peter Bleed]

Today I brought home a Japanese Police dirk. This is hardly the kind of traditional art and social history I woke hoping to up to find this morning, But it is what I got and - potentially - of interest to some NMB habitues. Please allow me to post it in that regard.

Like everybody else I have seen lots of police swords, but this is the first true police marked tanto that has come my way.

The blade appears to be in original "polish" and it seems to have a real hamon. It measures 11 3/4" (29.9cm)and has a brass habaki but has no mekugi and seems to be threaded on to the tsuka. The blade shape is really not bad with a iori mune.This sure does not scream "gendai-do"  but I might come close.

There is a police crest on the backstrap. The grip has black leather covering below brass wire wrap. Plated saya comes with a black teardrop sword knot.

I'd welcome comments - - and with encouragement -  I would also happily move this post to the "For Sale" category...

Peter

[lonely panet]

90% of the time you will find these either have a applied hamon or no hamon at all. being IMHO "blacksmith" made, I know that's a unfair term to the people who made them.

 

but you always have oddballs in the early stuff. post some pics please. the forum has been slow this few weeks

[Peter Bleed]

Thanks Hamfish,

I have few delusions about the importance - or value - of this little knife. Still, I think it bears examination - - and so I removed the bolt at th end of the tsuka and found...

The blade truly seems to have an edge temper, soft and very nioi-deki, but real. When blades like this show up in kaigunto mounts they seem to command some attention.

The nakago is marked. On one side there are number 4 and 7 written with tagane. On the other surface there are stamped numerals 2 and 10 with a another "one" off to the side. I am tempted to suggest that the placement of that last 1 is placed to the side of the 10 to make the number 7 (as in shichi).

Peter

 

[Peter Bleed]

In reassembling the dirk, I notice that the tsuka core has the kanji numberals "27" below the fuchi.

P

[lonely panet]

rather normal

 

i have Roman numerals on the "tsuba" if you can call it that, and written on the saya liner in ink too