Will Leavitt

Thanks for your replies. Koichi, my mother is pretty sure it says Oyamashi, the only parts she was even remotely confused about was the 6 Left, she said it didn't make sense. It's not Chinese, since she speaks and writes Chinese as well as Japanese.

My mother read the writing on the "fake" WWII tanto blade I showed earlier. She says it's an old style Kanji and says "6 left Oyamashi." She's not sure what the 6 left meant but that Oyamashi would be a town or something, we're from Okinawa so understandable if it's a mainland town. Any information on what this means?

Yeah got it at cheap and 2 great books with it, The Craft of the Japanese Sword and The Japanese Sword. I was pretty sure it was fake when I first saw it. I like it. Will

I figured it to be something made and sold for the soldiers... I like it though and if it is a fake I won't have to be so careful in my handling of it :D

Hello, my fellow forumites on Don Fogg's board said this site would perhaps be more informative regarding this find. This blade was purchased from the estate of a WWII veteran of the Occupation of Japan. No other information is available. My mom's out of town or I'd have her read the kanji on the tang (sorry for my lack of knowledge of the proper Japanese nomenclature.) The blade is about 1/4" thick, apple seed type grind to the cutting edge. The spine is hammered almost to a point, the bottom of the tang is rounded off almost to a point. The handle pin hole in the tang doesn't appear to be made on a modern drill press. There is some surface rust, I can't see the hamon, there is some paint or plaster globs on the side of the blade. Here are some pictures. full length the tang tang rubbing and a poor attempt at kanji, (I'm sure my grandparents are rolling over in their graves.) A view from slightly off the tip to show the blade shape. Any information you can provide would be appreciated. I'm just enjoying it as a guide to furthering my own bladesmithing. Thanks again, Will