japanese knife?? identify??

[Treasure Trawler]

Any help identifying this knife would be appreciated. Just received this from grandma.

[basser5]

There are many links within this link to educate you on your knife.

Tim

http://www.khukuriknife.com/khukuri_history.htm

[Treasure Trawler]

Great thanks! Have you seen one of these before?

[basser5]

Yes i have. Are there any stamps on the blade?



Tim

[Treasure Trawler]

Here is what I think is a tang stamp. Its on one of the small knives which is completely blunt on both sides.

[knife7knut]

Here is what I think is a tang stamp. Its on one of the small knives which is completely blunt on both sides.

IMG950359.jpg

The reason it is blunt is that it is not a knife.As I recall reading about Khukris the blunt object is supposed to be used to keep the edge of the knife sharp.How true that is I do not know.Another supposed feature was the small projection inside the half noon shaped cutout on the tang.According to legend(or fact;depending on whom you believe)whenever the knife was removed from it's sheath,it was supposed to draw blood:i.e.:kill an enemy.If there was no enemy to be killed,the owner of the knife was to use that small point to draw his own blood by rocking it across his wrist. Again how true this is I do not know.Sounds good though.
Looks like your knife has an aluminum handle.I don't recall ever seeing one with them.Most of the ones I've seen were horn;decorated with small brass pins.Also most of the tourist ones were chrome plated and had the word,"INDIA" stamped on the blade using a punch. Yours looks to be bare steel and pretty nicely formed.

[jerryd6818]

Ray, I too have read/heard the blood letting legend/fact.

From Wiki. Link provided in the other thread on this knife. (http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 44#p344144)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukri

In support of Ray's statement. -- "Routine sharpening is traditionally accomplished by passing a chakmak (smaller, harder, unsharpened blade) over the edge in a manner similar to that used by Western chefs to steel their knives."

"In more modern khukuris, handles of cast aluminum or brass are press-fitted to the tang; as the hot metal cools it shrinks and hardens, locking onto the blade. Some khukuris (such as the ones made by contractors for the modern Indian Army) have a very wide tang with handle slabs fastened on by two or more rivets, commonly called a full tang (panawal) configuration."

It's very likely this Kukri is of modern manufacture.

[Treasure Trawler]

Thanks for the info! It is definately the pressed aluminum handle. I did some looking and can't seem to find any like this. It is a very sharp solid knife. Not much value because so many made.