Okinawan/Ryukyuan work knife

[Pitt1999]

I've seen some non-nihonto content on this forum before get some attention and I'm hoping this piece will receive some of your comments. What I believe I have here is an Okinawan/Ryukyuan work knife (yamanaji/yamagatana). It was sold as a WW2 bring back but this design of knife apparently still persists in that region to this day, making precise dating difficult. The leather sheath probably isn't original to the knife, possibly a replacement made by a serviceman. There is a stamp on the blade but seems to be too faded or worn to be identifiable. Your comments and opinions are appreciated, and I look forward to seeing if any of you have similar examples.

[Pitt1999]

Close up of the stamp...

[Pitt1999]

Blade...

[Pitt1999]

Handle...

[Dave R]

You might get more relevant feedback here.... Ethnographic Arms & Armour - Ethnographic Weapons

 

[Pitt1999]

I posted a thread on there about this knife a little while ago and it didn't get any attention.

[Bugyotsuji]

They still make knives like these on Ishigaki Island 石垣島 which might explain the character Ishi 石 on the blade.(?)

http://www.asahi.com/travel/shima/TKY200611300277.html

[Pitt1999]

I've seen some sites selling the newly made ones around, but older examples seem to be hard to find. I guess that's because these knives probably got used until they either broke or worn down too much from sharpening.

[Bugyotsuji]

The link above (in Japanese) talks of there once having been thirty of forty blacksmith forges producing these, but the person interviewed in the article says he is now the third generation in his family’s line, and the only one left doing this work.

[Pitt1999]

43 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

The link above (in Japanese) talks of there once having been thirty of forty blacksmith forges producing these, but the person interviewed in the article says he is now the third generation in his family’s line, and the only one left doing this work.

With there having been 30 to 40 people producing knives like these at one point in time, it seems strange that old/antique/vintage knives of this type aren't really available on the collector's market.

[Bugyotsuji]

Perhaps every Okinawa islander has one or two well-used examples kicking around in his/her drawer somewhere.

[Pitt1999]

I found some pictures on my phone of some older looking examples and some newly made examples. There seems to be a good amount of variation both in blade shape and handle shape. I'll link the relevant sites to give credit where I can...

 

https://kaniman.ti-da.net/e9439672.html

 

https://kaniman.ti-da.net/a5412816.html

 

https://okinawaclip.com/en/detail/1055

 

https://vadaantiques.com/沖縄手造りナイフ-入荷いたしました。/

[Bugyotsuji]

The Shimazu possibly set strict limits on the shape and size of knife that could be carried by the harshly worked peasantry of these islands.

[Pitt1999]

They reminded me more of bolo knives from Southeast Asia than any style of Japanese blade. The closest thing to these from mainland Japan would be the nata and even they have a different construction than these Okinawan knives.