Help indentifying Kaiken/Dagger

[chameleon154]

I recently recieved some old knives from my grandfather, and one appears to be a kaiken. any help/info with this would be appreciated

[SteveM]

Can you remove the blade from the wooden handle? Sometimes there will be some information engraved on the tang.

As it is, its hard to say anything about this piece. 

[chameleon154]

Is there a way I can remove the blade without damaging the handle? It looks like there's some kind of adhesive keeping the two pieces together.

[SteveM]

Usually the little peg can be pushed out, and the blade will slide out of the handle. I was assuming the peg was held in by friction. If you can't push the peg out, or if the two sides are held together with some adhesive, I wouldn't recommend trying to force anything. I think you have a nice keepsake from your grandfather, but I don't think it will be something that is worth thousands of dollars. Its value will be mostly sentimental and personal to you. The mark on the side opposite that of the dragon is called a "bonji", and it is a sanskrit symbol that is associated with a buddhist deity - often Fudōmyō-ō.

[Grey Doffin]

I think this dates to the time after WWII during the occupation, and that it was made to sell to a westerner.  It isn't Nihonto, just a piece of steel with some carving.

Grey