Hello all,
I recently came across a strange looking dagger in Palau, Micronesia.
The dagger looks somewhat like a military tantō in certain aspects, but the overall design seems a little odd for a Japanese artifact.
I was wondering if anyone had any leads as to what this dagger could be, and where it could possibily come from.
Could it date back to pre-WW2 Japanese administration of the area (1914-1945), and be a mixture of local and Japanese knife making styles?
Palau was also the scene of fierce fighting in WW2 (Peleliu), but I've never really seen anything like this.
The blade was initally covered in a layer of rust which was roughly scraped away, revealling most of the blade. The end of the scabbard was reinforced by modern duct tape...
I have no further context for the moment, unfortunately.
Looking forward to your insights!
Thanks
Ben