All About Pocket Knives

Help with identification: Is this a Japanese Military Blade? I will post some more pictures after I reassemble the pieces.

I cannot say for sure, but it doesn't look Japanese to me. It reminds me more of a cavalry saber, being a one-handed weapon. Most of the Japanese military swords that I have seen are two-handed, except for a Wakizashi.
I await a more knowledgeable response.

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 1:20 am Help with identification: Is this a Japanese Military Blade? I will post some more pictures after I reassemble the pieces.

I think it might be. From back in the days of The Last Samurai when they were switching to Western military equipment. I recall seeing photos of Japanese sabers from that era that look like yours.

The blade shape looks like it might be Japanese to me, but the guard and scabbard both look like American or English sabers.

Maybe once you've got it pieced back together the mystery week solve itself

curious if it appears that there may have once been a guard, any evidence of breaks on the handle ?

Reverand wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 8:12 pm I cannot say for sure, but it doesn't look Japanese to me. It reminds me more of a cavalry saber, being a one-handed weapon. Most of the Japanese military swords that I have seen are two-handed, except for a Wakizashi.
I await a more knowledgeable response.

It looks like a Japanese blade mated to a saber style handle, that is the strange part. I took it apart to see it there was any marking on the handle and found none.

Dinadan wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 9:47 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 1:20 am Help with identification: Is this a Japanese Military Blade? I will post some more pictures after I reassemble the pieces.

I think it might be. From back in the days of The Last Samurai when they were switching to Western military equipment. I recall seeing photos of Japanese sabers from that era that look like yours.

Interesting! The tang looks like the piece was forged and the handwear and handle looks like the are older and have wear and tear....

It is very short to be a "cavalry" type sword .... but a ceremonial short sword .....

SwedgeHead wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 10:28 pm curious if it appears that there may have once been a guard, any evidence of breaks on the handle ?

Someone suggested it was a wakizashi sword or a tanto, but it seems too short for one and too long for the other .....

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Sat May 31, 2025 10:39 pm

Dinadan wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 9:47 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 1:20 am Help with identification: Is this a Japanese Military Blade? I will post some more pictures after I reassemble the pieces.

I think it might be. From back in the days of The Last Samurai when they were switching to Western military equipment. I recall seeing photos of Japanese sabers from that era that look like yours.

Interesting! The tang looks like the piece was forged and the handwear and handle looks like the are older and have wear and tear....

Do I spy the remnants of a hamon on the blade there? Definitely Japanese.

Looks like a frankensword, a katakana married to a saber or cutlass handle. Big maybe on that though, fun to speculate.

Yes, I believe that is a Japanese military sword. Swords with this western saber styles hilt were typical of the Russo-Japanese war period until the early 1930s when they switched over to swords styled after feudal era samurai swords.
https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/civilian.htm
Scroll down to the section on police sabers and civil officer's swords. I think its one of those, based on the smaller blade and lack of knuckle bow.

Nephilim wrote: ↑Sun Jun 01, 2025 9:40 am Yes, I believe that is a Japanese military sword. Swords with this western saber styles hilt were typical of the Russo-Japanese war period until the early 1930s when they switched over to swords styled after feudal era samurai swords.
https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/civilian.htm
Scroll down to the section on police sabers and civil officer's swords. I think its one of those, based on the smaller blade and lack of knuckle bow.

Thanks! It appears to me to closest to the Police and mounted police sabers pictured on that website. I'll have to do more research on the subject ....

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Jun 02, 2025 10:24 pm

Nephilim wrote: ↑Sun Jun 01, 2025 9:40 am Yes, I believe that is a Japanese military sword. Swords with this western saber styles hilt were typical of the Russo-Japanese war period until the early 1930s when they switched over to swords styled after feudal era samurai swords.
https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/civilian.htm
Scroll down to the section on police sabers and civil officer's swords. I think its one of those, based on the smaller blade and lack of knuckle bow.

Thanks! It appears to me to closest to the Police and mounted police sabers pictured on that website. I'll have to do more research on the subject ....

Saw this one on the site too, it's a near dead ringer except your doesn't have the same swells to the handle grip. Good call!

ThatWeirdKnifeGuy wrote: ↑Sat May 31, 2025 11:16 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Sat May 31, 2025 10:39 pm

Dinadan wrote: ↑Thu May 29, 2025 9:47 pm

Interesting!

Do I spy the remnants of a hamon on the blade there? Definitely Japanese.

Yes, when holding it in real life the it is easy to make out the hamon, not as easy to photograph.....

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/r ... ajaxhist=0

SwedgeHead wrote: ↑Mon Jun 02, 2025 10:32 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Jun 02, 2025 10:24 pm

Nephilim wrote: ↑Sun Jun 01, 2025 9:40 am
Scroll down to the section on police sabers and civil officer's swords. I think its one of those, based on the smaller blade and lack of knuckle bow.

Saw this one on the site too, it's a near dead ringer except your doesn't have the same swells to the handle grip. Good call!

Yes, I agree! One thing that leads me to believe it might be a police saber is the fact that the blade is very short:

"Police and mounted police sabers were all machine made and have chromed blades... These blades are commonly quite short "

I started to believe that my analysis was wrong when I saw that hamon! I am glad to keep learning things from all you fellers!

My blade forging knowledge is a bit rusty

But if it's machine made why does it have a hamon? Wouldn't that be indicative of a hand forged blade?

ThatWeirdKnifeGuy wrote: ↑Tue Jun 03, 2025 12:58 am My blade forging knowledge is a bit rusty

But if it's machine made why does it have a hamon? Wouldn't that be indicative of a hand forged blade?

The hamon on a "stamped" blade or non-forged blade can come from/during the process of being heat treated. I know a knife maker in AZ that works only by stock removal and when he heat treats some of the blades he will end up with a hamon. He calls it "The Hard Line". I wondered about this myself how the blade has the hamon it does... could there have been an acid etch at the factory back then? Is it from the heat treat?

Anyone out there have a guess?

You didnt give the dimensions of your sword but here is a pic of one l have that l believe is a policemans sword that looks to be very similar in size layed against a background of 1 inch squares. The release latch looks the same as does the overall handle shape. My blade is heavily rusted so any hamon line would not show. The bottom of the scabbard appears to have been plated at one time.