Found this tanto at the flea market

W

Will Leavitt

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Jul 28, 2006
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Found this tanto at the flea market. From a WWII veteran's estate. 1/4" thick, apple seed grind to the cutting edge. Spine almost comes to a point, bottom of tang almost comes to a point, surface rust, can't see a hamon and paint/plaster blobs on the blade.

Here's some pics









from near the tip to show blade shape.

I thought it was neat and the price was right.
 
I looked at it and had my wife look at it (she is Japanese) and neither of us can read the name of the maker. My closest guess would be Oosa as his last name, but that may not be entirely correct. The first name neither of us can read. The kanji (characters) used seem to predate WWII, but we can't be sure. If you want, I can send it to my father-in-law who could probably read it. Let me know.

Bob
 
Nice find. What is the width and thickness?
Yes Keith that is kanji on the tang. If you could read the entire thing correctly it should be the smiths name. I can't read it though, kanji is beyond my reach. I'll ask Jin what the name is...
Well Jin just told me that it translates to Big Left Big Middle, and you forgot to write a stroke on the forth. He didn't say what it would be in romanized letters though, sorry.

-Dan
 
My wife says that it must be written by a foreigner because it's so poorly done. She says it looks like a city name, but there's too many mistakes to know. Oosa Oyama or Oosa O Hidari?

The shape is kind of odd, not sure what's going on with this one.
 
From a WWII veteran's estate.
Click to expand...

These magic words, let me guess it's worth 500 but he let you have it for only 100 bucks today? No it's a flea market: normal price 100, for you my friend, half price!

Tell me, what do you think this object is worth, if you ignore all stories, just an objective valuation of the quality of work and materials?
 
im curious what you got it for too. and what it may really be worth :) i like the apple seed grind, i may have to play with that on a blade soon.
-Lou
 
I tend to be a bit of a skeptic on most of these "finds",so I didn't post to this thread at first. I will give you my thoughts.
It looks like a Chinese tanto, or one made by a western maker who added kanji to the tang in what he thought was his name. The photos are not clear enough to make a good decision, but it does not look right to me.
If you want a proper verdict, send/take it to a Japanese sword expert (not just someone who has a lot of swords) and let them look at it. I believe there are a bunch of folks in Florida who are qualified. The Atlanta show in June would be another good place to take it. Show it to some of the Japanese style makers and see what they think.
Stacy
 
Luke Sheridan said:
These magic words, let me guess it's worth 500 but he let you have it for only 100 bucks today? No it's a flea market: normal price 100, for you my friend, half price!

Tell me, what do you think this object is worth, if you ignore all stories, just an objective valuation of the quality of work and materials?
Click to expand...

Wooooowwww a few things..... I have spent most of my adult life travelling arund the world for Uncle Sam. I've been in many a market, bazaar and flea market haglling with people. So I'm not some stupid yokel like you seem to believe.

How much is a Fisk or anything else worth? It's worth what people are willing to pay. It's not worth the $50 on the tag but to me it's worth the sum I paid for it.
 
I don't think you're a stupid yokel Will, From what I can tell you know a lot about knives and can make a pretty nice knife(much better than me). I'm just confused and frustrated :)
 
I was intriged by the blade ,It has some japanese characteristics but, the grind is wrong and sori (curve) is not there ? the kanji is very strange poorly done but, the blade seems solid , the appleseed grind you refer to is actually convex grind only very steep? It may be some type of preform unfinished blade? If the steel is good I believe you could make nice blade from it . I make knives from broken swords that have been used in tameshigiri practice. Japanese history tells us , they did that all the time. also remember that hardly any tanto's were made with a yakota line (chisel edge) that was put in after the first sharpening! The first tanto's were made that way (from broken swords) thus tanto means short sword. tan means short a lot of knifemakers put chisel edges in new blades ,they look ok but, not historicly accurate. try rubbing some vinegar on a clean part of blade and see if you can see a hamon come up a little.I hope I helped a little.......... Bubbu -san
 
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