WW2 Japanese Issue Bush Knives??? Nata?

kronckew · 7th October 2023, 11:12 PM

A friend of mine uses natas, he sent me a picture of them and said I could use it here.

He was told they were carried especially by Japanese airmen as a survival tool if they were shot down, as they are small and easy to stow.

They also captured a fair number of Dutch Klewangs, used by the Indonesian military/police. They converted them by shortening them and cutting down the full guard bowl to a short cross guard. They called them 'Heiho'.

These are well discussed here on the forum, search for 'dutch klewang'. They were also used by US, and the Germans, as well as the Dutch.

Japanese officers were known to carry Burmese dhas in the jungle. The Chindits and Gurkhas acquired a few of these from the Japanese who no longer needed them.

I Finish with a photo of my Dutch Klewang (made in Solingen), which is what they made the heihos from

Ian · 8th October 2023, 06:08 AM

Valdemar,

Thank you for raising this interesting topic which we have not really considered in detail here previously. Thanks to Wayne also for his images and comments. Like many wartime environments, necessity is the mother of invention. The adaptation of local and captured edged tools/weapons has been a common feature of warfare since history of armed conflicts started. We saw this throughout the SE Asian Pacific region in WWII and the Vietnam War, just to name two of the U.S. skirmishes of note, and earlier in the Spanish-American War and subsequent conflicts with indigenous groups in the Philippines. The use of edged weapons/tools that have developed over centuries in these countries makes a lot of sense. When you need a good tool in a foreign land, look locally.

7th October 2023, 11:12 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,215	A friend of mine uses natas, he sent me a picture of them and said I could use it here. He was told they were carried especially by Japanese airmen as a survival tool if they were shot down, as they are small and easy to stow. They also captured a fair number of Dutch Klewangs, used by the Indonesian military/police. They converted them by shortening them and cutting down the full guard bowl to a short cross guard. They called them 'Heiho'. These are well discussed here on the forum, search for 'dutch klewang'. They were also used by US, and the Germans, as well as the Dutch. Japanese officers were known to carry Burmese dhas in the jungle. The Chindits and Gurkhas acquired a few of these from the Japanese who no longer needed them. I Finish with a photo of my Dutch Klewang (made in Solingen), which is what they made the heihos from Attached Images Last edited by kronckew; 8th October 2023 at 08:28 AM.

8th October 2023, 06:08 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Valdemar, Thank you for raising this interesting topic which we have not really considered in detail here previously. Thanks to Wayne also for his images and comments. Like many wartime environments, necessity is the mother of invention. The adaptation of local and captured edged tools/weapons has been a common feature of warfare since history of armed conflicts started. We saw this throughout the SE Asian Pacific region in WWII and the Vietnam War, just to name two of the U.S. skirmishes of note, and earlier in the Spanish-American War and subsequent conflicts with indigenous groups in the Philippines. The use of edged weapons/tools that have developed over centuries in these countries makes a lot of sense. When you need a good tool in a foreign land, look locally.