Early Japanese Navy Dirk

Axis Powers > Japanese > Edged Weapons >

This is a nice early 1883 patterned Imperial Japanese Naval Officer dirk with all the features collectors look for. The single fullered blade on this one is a real beauty showing no age or damage, Nice! The fit is tight and the tip is perfectly pointed! The blade rates Exc++, just a spot or two of age. The blade measures approx 8 1/4 inches long,(measured from the habaki). The black sharkskin saya (scabbard) is wood based and leathered and covered with lacquer some of which is chipped off. Looks great! It shows well! The saya has two brass based scalloped fittings. They show wonderful detail with several leaves and cherry blossoms throughout. Both screws remain intact and the top clip works well! The brass based gilded crossguard looks good and is marked with Naval marks and another proof I'm not familiar with, if you know what that is pls let me know. The ferrule and pommel cap are also brass based. They are nicely detailed with random pebbling a cherry blossom and leaves. The grip is tightly triple brass wire wrapped, over a white pebbled ray skin and seamed to the reverse. It has two cherry blossoms over the mekugi (peg). A great example of a Japanese Naval dirk