All About Pocket Knives

Anyone ever seen a knife with the 'Komet' tang stamp? It's a nice knife. 420 stainless it's reverse tells me. Very heavy knife, has brushed stainless bolsters backstpring and spacer. Has a gold crossed swords shield. Blade etch on the front is a Jap Zero over the US fleet. On the reverse of the blade is a blade etch of the cross swords.

No country of origin is marked anywhere. Spelling of 'Komet' makes me think it is German. Construction and design remind me of some Falcon Italian knives I have.

Phil

Interesting Phil,
Did I see Pearl Harbor on the blade etch?
I wonder if it was made before the end of WWII? Maybe made by the Germans & given to some Japanese dignitaries?

Total speculation on my part, but there isn't much to go on.
The strange ones like this make knife collection very interesting.

Nice find,
Dale

looks like frostwood handles and with 420 stainless, my guess is later pearl harbor commemorative.

Yes, Dale,
This is some sort of Pearl harbour commemorative.

I'm hoping that perhaps the crossed swords willl trigger a thought in someone.

I think, based on construction technique and materials that it was made in the 1970s or 80s. As per jonets suggestion.

But if I don't get any better theories,, I will use yours and sell it on ebay for a lot!

Phil

I agree the style of the knife looks much later than the 1940's.
Maybe a commemorative of some of the surviving members of the Japanese Navy who took part in the raid on Pearl Harbor.

I fellow I worked for years ago was walking through Peace Park in Hiroshima and came upon a group of Japanese WWII veterans, well into their cups of sake. They asked him, "Merican?"
Thinking quickly he said, "Nein, nein, spreken ze Deutsch?" He said they quickly lost interest in him and apparently none of them spoke German. Which was fortunate for him, as he had just exhausted his entire German vocabulary.

Perhaps the knife was made for just such a Japanese veterans group. ????

Dale

i think a jap commemorative would be in japanese instead of english. i looked in all my books for komet to no avail. i'll look for crossed swords but i think that shield is pure decoration.

Yes it does look a lot like Falcon Italian knives I have too.
Sorry that all I can help with. But it also looks like a Boker I have too.

At a local knife and gun show this weekend, and one of the mainly gun dealers had another Komet for sale. A scaled down D-guard bowie with a blade etch celebrating Robert E Lee. Same crossed sword, gold tone emblem on the handle. I saw no reason to buy it, but was interesting anyway.

My take so far: Komet was some company that jumped on the commemorative wagon in the 1980s. Komet didn't make the knives, but had someone else do it.

Anyone else have any knowledge on this brand? Or do I have to go hat in hand to BR Levine and have him insult my photos?

Phil

hey phil. just follow the rules and ask the right way!