Let’s see your high end Dirks!

[gun addict]

I’ve been hunting for a Meiji era naval dirk with a handmade blade for a long time and finally came by something that matches the criteria. Would love to see what treasures the board members here has! 
 

 

[Barry B]

Gun addict

I like the look of this dagger a o k

Is it hand made and are you lucky to have it signed

Barry

 

[gun addict]

It is indeed handmade and recently polished, mumei 

[drb 1643]

Here’s one I recently bought.

Tom

[drb 1643]

More pictures.

Tom

[gun addict]

Ahh. So you’re the reason why the Masatada jumped up $1500 in the final 10 seconds! Great pickup, I would for sure send it in for a full polish 

[drb 1643]

Thanks Timothy, but unfortunately I wasn’t the only one bidding it up!

Tom

[Bruce Pennington]

I'm curious if anyone knows who was making dirks during WWII.

@Ontario_Archaeology - Is this discussed in the Banks dirk book?

 

Anyone else have info on the question?

 

Update:

From Nick Komiya's article, we know Suyo Shoten did:

 

Still like to know if we know of others.

[John C]

On 3/17/2023 at 6:48 AM, Bruce Pennington said:

Banks dirk book?

Bruce:

I'm getting interested in trying to identify the "mysterious" souvenir dagger. Do you think they could be mentioned in this book?

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

27 minutes ago, John C said:

Do you think they could be mentioned in this book?

I think that would depend upon how extensive Bank's collection was.  @Ontario_Archaeology would be the guy to ask.  He's got the book.

[Ontario_Archaeology]

3 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I think that would depend upon how extensive Bank's collection was.  @Ontario_Archaeology would be the guy to ask.  He's got the book.

Here is a photo of the page with a similar looking dirk. The banks collection book does not discuss shops that made the dirks. 

 

 

Sorry about your neck

[Brian]

Japan Sword Co was making military dirks in the 1960's, and I suspect they had a tradition of making them through the war and just continued.
Just a theory.

 

https://www.japansword.co.jp/gif/kozyo_s.jpg

 

[Ontario_Archaeology]

Bumping this with a bad photo to motivate myself to take better photos to add to this thread. 

 

Hopefully it will inspire more people to show off their dirks 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

I don't own these, but a couple of the Mikasa Battleship dirks have been posted over the years;

One posted by @BANGBANGSAN and discussed HERE.

 

Another for sale by @matthewbrice HERE.

[Ontario_Archaeology]

38 minutes ago, Bruce Pennington said:

I don't own these, but a couple of the Mikasa Battleship dirks have been posted over the years;

One posted by @BANGBANGSAN and discussed HERE.

 

Another for sale by @matthewbrice HERE.

I love fat dirks and I cannot lie

[Ontario_Archaeology]

Last photo isn't mine, it is from the auction. Can't find my own photo of the tang off hand! 

 

Big Dirk, Little Dirk.... 

[Bruce Pennington]

Maybe not 'high end' but definitely unique/rare!  Navy Diving School dirk!!!  On this St. Croix ebay sale.

 

 

I have never followed the dirks, but I'm quite surprised to see the standards dirks currently for sale in the $800 + USD range!  That's double what I paid for mine pre-COVID.

[lonely panet]

On 1/15/2024 at 7:11 PM, Ontario_Archaeology said:

Bumping this with a bad photo to motivate myself to take better photos to add to this thread. 

 

Hopefully it will inspire more people to show off their dirks 

 

He got the redcross dirk,  whooooee.  rare

[Glib]

Dear experts, please help me identify this dagger.

[John C]

Looks a bit like a police superintendent short sword (police badge and sakura on the backstrap). But I'm not 100 percent sure because the guard is a bit different.

 

John C.

[Bruce Pennington]

The backstrap is of a police superintendant.  I don't see the pattern sword you have in the reference books, though.  Dawson said there was a tremendous amount of variation in swords of that early era, so yours doesn't surprise me.  Looks custom.

 

From Dawson:

[Glib]

14 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

На спинке — полицейский суперинтендант. Хотя я не вижу в справочниках образца меча, который у вас есть. Доусон сказал, что мечи той ранней эпохи были очень разнообразны, так что ваш меня не удивляет. Выглядит как заказной.

 

От Доусона:

Thank you very much. I also identified it as a police variant based on the type of sheath and engraving, but I had never come across anything like this before, so I decided to consult a professional.

[Bruce Pennington]

Just came across one on this Wehrmacht-awards thread with similar fittings to Tom's @drb 1643.  Don't think the blade is custom, but hard to tell from the photos.  I'll ask the owner and update.  Fuller calls this variation "scarce."

 

[drb 1643]

Nice early Meiji period naval dirk with standard machine blade.

Tom

[ChrisW]

I don't know if I'd call that a standard machine-made blade.... if it has futatsu-hi, then I would say its either a custom-ordered blade or something older possibly. 

But the pictures are a bit blurry, so it is hard to tell if that is a standard bohi or the fancy double.