Sharpening & Dulling Of Blades, Wartime/peacetime

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks to Nick Komiya at Warrelics for this very important insight to the practice of sharpening and dulling blades for wartime and peace. This went for all blades including bayonetes: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/Japanese-militaria/sharpening-dulling-blades-were-taken-granted-675938/

[lonely panet]

translation needed please.

 

to me it looks like a how to sharpen guide, as all of the blades shown were issued without a edge

[Bruce Pennington]

According to Nick, the images showing the cutting edge horizontal were showing how to sharpen. The images with the edge up are readied for dulling.

 

So, when you say all the blades were issued without edge, do you mean that every blade made had to be sharpened by the soldier?

 

The thing that really got Nick's discussion going was the "cring-worthy" requirement to dull the cutting edge of weapons once in a peacetime setting - something I was completely unaware of.

[lonely panet]

Hi Bruce . Only early model machine made blades like type 25, 32s and post yatagan style bayonets

[PNSSHOGUN]

Interesting. An arisaka bayonet I had ages ago had been sharpened at some point, but rather crudely. I know the IJA and the Kwangtung Army had field smiths for sword sharpening and repairs, but I'm sure soldiers themselves, like in all armys, would sharpen the bayonets themselves in the field.