![]() |
|
![]() |
#1 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 210
|
![]() ![]() The stamping on the blade reads "Tokyo Japan/ano bei" (italian for beautiful year) Has anyone come across a similar knife or stamp. n2s |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 175
|
![]()
It vaguely reminds me of these:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=keeling+knife There are also some knives from Guam that might be a closer match but working only from memory I think they are a little different,shorter and wider mainly. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 210
|
![]() ![]() Here are a few more examples. It is a fading art but there are still a few knifemakers producing these today. These are all from around or before WWII. The one with the star shaped rivets dates from the 1920s. n2s Last edited by not2sharp; 19th February 2006 at 10:02 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 210
|
![]()
BTTT,
The markings on the original knife may read Tokyo Japan/5nd BEI; could that be read as Tokyo Japan 1905? I am reading this as a Guam made knife produced for a sailor in 1905 ("5nd BEI" may provide a hint as to which flag this guy sailed under?) n2s |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: comfortably at home, USA
Posts: 432
|
![]()
Interestingly, I've seen a number of these on ebay being sold (without sheaths)
as Civil War bowie knives :-) Rich S |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,167
|
![]()
The shape of these blades looks very much like mainland SE Asia general purpose knives. Take the riveted hilts off these, and replace with a piece of bamboo or hardwood (mounted blind tang) and a single ferrule to hold it tightly in place, and they would be typical working knives from Burma to Vietnam. This blade style has been around a long time in that region.
Perhaps some are Japanese copies post-WWII. Has anyone etched these to see if they have a hardened edge? Ian. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|