Unknown japanese dirk

**pesho** · 09-20-2019, 06:17 AM

What a dirk this is? Naval police?.

**christek** · 09-20-2019, 09:33 AM

Hello,

It certainly appears to be a Navy style dirk with police motifs on the scabbard, although the detail is hard to make out. I can't comment on originality. These have been reproduced.

All police dirks I have seen include a back strap on the grip but I am not well versed here. I have never seen a Tokkeitai dirk. They must be very rare if they exist.

Hopefully some of the more experienced members will chime in soon.

**pesho** · 09-20-2019, 12:25 PM

Chris, thanks your replay. I have never seen a naval police dirk, so I have no idea how its looks like. I found this dirk in the net and my first
impression was that may be this is a naval police dirk. I have no idea about its originality.

**Bruce Pennington** · 09-20-2019, 02:05 PM

The police emblem is that of Mounted Police. Fuller says he's only seen 1, and didn't have a picture, but he talks of a backstrap too. So, a bit of a mystery. Though, there were many variants of all the dirks, as noted by Fuller when discussing them in general.

**Long Shot** · 09-20-2019, 04:04 PM

I think that both the scabbard and the handle assy are 100% authentic.
But the features on the handle lead me to believe that this handle is a mismatch - in particular the end cap features do not match the corresponding features on the scabbard.

When the ornate design features in the metal of the scabbard are an "open and flowing in and out" pattern then the end cap usually has no cut out or openings at all. When the ornate design features of the scabbard are closed pattern (like "holes"), then the end cap usually shows shows corresponding closed features in it. All that to say the end cap makes me think this handle with blade came from another (probably much earlier) set.

**Gunto** · 09-20-2019, 04:44 PM

Dirk is from taisho period.
Maybe missmatch scabbard, does dirk and scabbard gab like in photo?

**pesho** · 09-21-2019, 05:17 AM

Thank you all, for your responses and information.

OK, lets assume that the dirk is with missmatch scabbard.

But this scabbard, obviously is original. Which dirk has had a Navy style scabbard with police star on the upper and lower mounts ?.

**christek** · 09-21-2019, 06:59 AM

They do appear to exist. Here is an example from the swordforum.com

Note the distinct back-strap and police motif on the grip.

**Gunto** · 09-21-2019, 07:32 AM

by christek

They do appear to exist. Here is an example from the swordforum.com

Note the distinct back-strap and police motif on the grip.

The scabbard fittings do have boar’s eye design. Meiji-Taisho period.

**Gunto** · 09-21-2019, 07:52 AM

by Bruce Pennington

The police emblem is that of Mounted Police. Fuller says he's only seen 1, and didn't have a picture, but he talks of a backstrap too. So, a bit of a mystery. Though, there were many variants of all the dirks, as noted by Fuller when discussing them in general.

The police badge is the civil police. Fuller p186, FIG.51 III