I've done some checking myself since picking these up last weekend, and can't find any vintage or antique examples out there. As a blade collector, I find the single-bevel grind interesting... purely functional, it allows for a more acute cutting angle - something I imagine would be of considerable value to someone working wood or grafting a bonsai.
I remember watching a master chopstick maker working at a Japanese garden here in Balboa Park a couple years ago. He was working alongside an apprentice. While well aware of it, I was still impressed by the degree of specialization one encounters in Japanese society. This man was a master at his craft; he had devoted his entire professional life to it. And his craft was to make chopsticks. While I cannot recall the exact appearance of the knife he used to whittle the wood, I
do recall wanting one.
It would be nice to be able to attribute these to a maker. As these are in no way related to nihonto, do you have any idea who might be able to translate the kanji for me?
