An odd tanto/wakizashi

[Philip]

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.