Unknown Small Ring-Pommeled Knife
 

I picked this little sticker last week from a collection of predominantly SEA edged weapons. One piece of metal measuring only about 9 inches in total length; the blade accounts for about half of that.

Wedge-shaped/triangular cross section with a flat 'grind,' with a rather thick spine (about 7mm) for its size.

I'm familiar with the small, curved ring-pommeled knives shown in Zonneveld, but this doesn't seem to resemble it. The blade has a 'feel' that suggests the (northern?) Philippines to me, but again, I haven't seen one similar.

Any ideas? :shrug:

My gut feeling is Chinese. The diamond wedge shape and leaf shapes were common for their daggers, and ring pommels were very widespread in the world of Chinese blades. Also many were wrapped in cloth/grip of some sort.

Other fighting knives of southern China, including butterfly swords or baat jam do, have that wedge like blade with a thick spine...

Maybe it is from southern China and found its way somehow into the collection... or maybe a Chinese-descent Hokkien or Hakka person in SE Asia, such as Sumatra, Java, Thailand, or Philippines carried a knife from their own ethnic group for protection..

:shrug:

I agree this does not have a Philippine feel or look to it but I have seen more things like this in Chinese pieces.

Thanks guys... Something about a slight undulation in the blade (on the reverse IIRC) reminded me of PI... maybe I just haven't seen enough Chinese blades to see the resemblance.

The ring pommel seems about right for inserting a finger (though mine are admittedly a little too snug). I wonder if this was its intended purpose - to assist in providing a secure purchase?

I was hoping others might also have seen something - any characteristic - that rings familiar? :shrug:

I have seen a very similar Chinese throwing knife with the same ring pommel and general construction, but with two edges. You put a red cloth through the ring, and it works like a dart.
Josh

Interesting... and good catch. Thanks, Josh. :)

http://www.grtc.org/image/forum/shoujian.jpg

Found here: http://forum.grtc.org/viewtopic.php?t=179

Chinese. I bet it was originally a longer blade.

Do you think the blade had a different profile as well, or do you think it was the same shape but only longer?

Kunai.
 

It might be Japanese, and an example of a throwing dagger of the above name.

Hi David,

Thanks for that... I never would have considered Japan, but a little hunting returned plenty of examples a similarly-formed Japanese throwing knife: the Kunai.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...d1/Kunai05.jpg

http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/kunai_med.jpg

Chinese FeiDao

Darts