An odd tanto/wakizashi

Pitt1999 · 4th July 2022, 12:46 AM

I want to get as much input on this piece as I possibly can, so I've started a thread on the Nihonto Message Board Forum already and I have sent an email to Peter Dekker to see if he can give me any help with this strange piece. Now I ask for the varied knowledge of this forum. The blade doesn't seem to be anything too special, some members of the NMB thought it could have been a naginata naoshi at one time that had been remounted as a dha. I thought about this and disagree because from the dha that I have seen here and for sale online, none of them have mounts that are similar to these. The two strangest features of this tanto/wakizashi are the lack of a blade collar (habaki) and the belt clip on the scabbard. The metal used on the fittings seems to be some kind of silver alloy from these photos (these are the seller's photos). The tang has almost certainly been reshaped from it's original form to fit into these mountings. An unusual piece for my amateur eyes, but hopefully something that some of you can give some comments and opinions on.

Pitt1999 · 4th July 2022, 12:47 AM

More photos...

Philip · 5th July 2022, 05:23 AM

Despite the Japanese-ish touches throughout, it's one of those "close but no cigar" situations. It's definitely an old piece and not some latter-day fantasy. Looking at the materials, the overall workmanship and the appearance of the tang, I'm leaning towards late Joseon period Korea. Probably 18th-19th cent.

Pitt1999 · 7th July 2022, 12:22 AM

Do you think the blade is Korean made or Japanese made? I know that Japanese blades got traded around or got captured through various means. I thought about this piece being Korean before, but I figured with the rarity of Korean edged weapons that the likelyhood of coming across one would be very low.

Philip · 7th July 2022, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitt1999

Do you think the blade is Korean made or Japanese made? I know that Japanese blades got traded around or got captured through various means. I thought about this piece being Korean before, but I figured with the rarity of Korean edged weapons that the likelyhood of coming across one would be very low.

I have had the chance to restore a few Korean single edged blades over the years and the appearance of the tangs is pretty consistent with this knife. They lack the more careful shaping, and the characteristic file marks, seen on their Japanese counterparts. Also, the shape seen here is not characteristic of Chinese design, in which the tang tapers and is peened to the top of the pommel (much as with most European hilt mountings). Neither is it seen on Vietnamese weapons, which have a somewhat stubby tang anchored with adhesive in the hilt, much like the practice in the Philippines or the rest of mainland SE Asia.

Pitt1999 · 11th July 2022, 01:33 AM

Just got the knife a few days ago, there are some details about it that seem odd. It appears to have been painted rather sloppily, you can see the paint on some of the bands holding the scabbard together. The band below the peg hole on the handle appears to be some sort of tape, but I haven't tried to remove it yet. The belt clip seems to have some sort of decoration on it's face, to me it looks like very simple trees and some archways. The clip also seems to be made of two different metals. I will add some photos later.

4th July 2022, 12:46 AM	#1
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	An odd tanto/wakizashi I want to get as much input on this piece as I possibly can, so I've started a thread on the Nihonto Message Board Forum already and I have sent an email to Peter Dekker to see if he can give me any help with this strange piece. Now I ask for the varied knowledge of this forum. The blade doesn't seem to be anything too special, some members of the NMB thought it could have been a naginata naoshi at one time that had been remounted as a dha. I thought about this and disagree because from the dha that I have seen here and for sale online, none of them have mounts that are similar to these. The two strangest features of this tanto/wakizashi are the lack of a blade collar (habaki) and the belt clip on the scabbard. The metal used on the fittings seems to be some kind of silver alloy from these photos (these are the seller's photos). The tang has almost certainly been reshaped from it's original form to fit into these mountings. An unusual piece for my amateur eyes, but hopefully something that some of you can give some comments and opinions on. Attached Images

4th July 2022, 12:47 AM	#2
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	More photos... Attached Images

5th July 2022, 05:23 AM	#3
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	Despite the Japanese-ish touches throughout, it's one of those "close but no cigar" situations. It's definitely an old piece and not some latter-day fantasy. Looking at the materials, the overall workmanship and the appearance of the tang, I'm leaning towards late Joseon period Korea. Probably 18th-19th cent.

7th July 2022, 12:22 AM	#4
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	Do you think the blade is Korean made or Japanese made? I know that Japanese blades got traded around or got captured through various means. I thought about this piece being Korean before, but I figured with the rarity of Korean edged weapons that the likelyhood of coming across one would be very low.

11th July 2022, 01:33 AM	#6
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	Just got the knife a few days ago, there are some details about it that seem odd. It appears to have been painted rather sloppily, you can see the paint on some of the bands holding the scabbard together. The band below the peg hole on the handle appears to be some sort of tape, but I haven't tried to remove it yet. The belt clip seems to have some sort of decoration on it's face, to me it looks like very simple trees and some archways. The clip also seems to be made of two different metals. I will add some photos later.