Strange Tanto Or Nata Knife

[GrozaB]

Here is very strange tanto or nata knife I picked up some time ago on eBay. I think it is probably Showa period. It has very strange blade with "bottle opener" and very nice horimoto. I didn't found any Japanese blade like this. Do you have any idea what it can be? Bar knife? "Alcoholic special" - to pop the bottle, cut some chasers?

[Stephen]

Bonsai knife

 

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/unji.htm

[GrozaB]

I thought that this bonsai knife(nata). But bonsai knives that I have seen a very different kind and very utilitarian. I have not seen a single blade with bottle opener or mounted as tanto...

[Stephen]

i wouldn't be sure its a bottle opener, wire cutter/branch, maybe someone who knows for sure will come along

[GrozaB]

Indeed it is. It is unsharpened inside and looks like the blade was made this way from the start, not the later alternation. The size is just perfect for common bottles...

[Stephen]

If thats what u want it to be then it is...lol

[GrozaB]

I just can't figure out any other use for it

[Guido]

A nata 鉈 is a Japanese garden hatchet with a heavy, thick, chisel edged blade – you don't want to go anywhere near a bonsai with it. Except if the bonsai refuses to be one, gets into self-realization, and grows taller than you. Then you need a nata to teach it a lesson (if spanking doesn't work, that is).

[Guido]

I like that knife, btw, and could envision myself openening Asahi Dry bottels with it and then cutting my kamaboko 蒲鉾 (which goes great with beer!).

[Stephen]

garden bonsai, splinting wood i guess

[Dr Fox]

As issued to alcoholic kamikaze? With ana for neck cord!.

[Fuuten]

Last week i saw a short video on youtube about Japanese (kitchen) knifes, i specifically remember seeing a kitchen knife (modern) in the same shape, it wasn't discussed extensively though, they showed hundreds:) None of the kitchen knifes had a tang like yours though.

[GrozaB]

Yap. All Japanese utility knives I saw(kitchen, work etc) very utilitarian. And this is made like classical Nihonto. .

[Toryu2020]

Looks to me like somebody remade an old blade into something a thirsty G.I. would need on his day off...

-t

[SAS]

Oysters and beer opener....