Help Identifying Blade From WW2

[Fuyu No Tsuki]

Hi everyone. I found this in my grandfather’s attic earlier in the year. He served in the US Navy during WWII. He was in the Pacific Theater, taking part in the campaigns of Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands. I know it’s Japanese, but not much else. The blade has obviously been machined and cut from a longer blade, but I don’t know what the original could have been? The steel seems lightly pitted and corroded but relatively smooth. I see a niji-mei, “小鍛” kokaji? If anyone has any idea about this blade I’d greatly appreciate your input! I’m assuming it has little value and might try polishing or restoring it myself. 
 

Dom

 

[Rawa]

As it have 3 mekugi ana being in use [tsuka have all 3] could this be some tool? 

[Fuyu No Tsuki]

39 minutes ago, Rawa said:

As it have 3 mekugi ana being in use [tsuka have all 3] could this be some tool? 

I don’t think it’s a tool. I feel like it’s a broken blade cut down, but it’s in shirasaya for storage, which means whoever repurposed it found it valuable. I was assuming it would be some broken gunto blade, but why would he value it like that then? It’s a very curious object. It also creeps me out a little as it seems much more personal of an item than an original gunto. 
 

D

[Grey Doffin]

To me this looks like a broken blade (business end of a katana) repurposed for sale to souvenir seeking tourist or occupation GI after the end of the war. No idea what the 3 mekugiana are about but this is the most logical explanation for the blade.

Grey

[Fuyu No Tsuki]

On 9/2/2025 at 2:12 AM, Grey Doffin said:

To me this looks like a broken blade (business end of a katana) repurposed for sale to souvenir seeking tourist or occupation GI after the end of the war. No idea what the 3 mekugiana are about but this is the most logical explanation for the blade.

Grey

Thanks for the reply, Grey. I would agree with you, except this was pre-occupation. My grandfather was in the Pacific, Guadalcanal/Solomon Islands for 1-2 years and returned stateside February 1944. He did have a brother who was a Marine who came home after Iwo Jima. I believe he was stateside by August 1945. So neither really had the opportunity to buy it as a souvenir. Both of them were out of the service by the time Japan surrendered, and neither ever went back, wanted nothing to do with the Pacific Ocean ever again. The shirasaya seems to actually be made of magnolia which is even more confusing. I guess I was just wondering if anyone has ever seen anything pop up like this before… 

 

Dom

[Bruce Pennington]

We do see these kind of tanto periodically.  Without actual provenance, we are just making educated guesses as to it's origins.  There is photo of a Japanese soldier holding broken sword.  We know there were repair teams in the field fixing broken swords.  So, we know it is possible that this blade came from a broken sword, and someone possibly used the end to craft a tanto.  

[Fuyu No Tsuki]

Well, thank you for your responses everyone. I’m going to just try to polish this thing up. I couldn’t be doing too much of a disservice to the thing, could I?

[Bruce Pennington]

Dom,

I've never seen a DYI polish that looked good.  Buffers leave an artificial looking mirror sheen, and sanding leaves streaks that, regardless how fine, are always visible.  If you ever plan to sell, guys that care about that stuff won't like it.  It's an heirloom, and a war trophy, if you have the cash, do it some real service and have it polished.

 

That's my 2 cents worth.