Found a Tanto Blade, Would you please take a look?

[Will Leavitt]

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

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

I'm sorry to tell that, but this blade is not a nihonto but a fake.

[Will Leavitt]

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

[Brian]

Will,

 

As Jacques said, 100% fake. I don't even think there is a 1% chance that this is of Japanese origin I'm afraid. Check out the links pages above to get some good info in identifying the genuine article. Hope it was cheap.

 

Brian

[Will Leavitt]

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

[Guest reinhard]

This blade was not necessarily made to deceive anybody, but it is definitely not a Nihon-To in the true sense of the word. You may want to keep it for sentimental reasons and that's O.K. It has no other value.

 

reinhard