Imperial Japanese Navy Dirk Late War. SJ320

  

Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Dirk. Late war dirk with lower quality fittings and details. Leather scabbard with much wear to leather and some damage and cracking to end fitting as well where leather goes in to end fitting it is cracked in center and flared out on edges.

No scabbard locking button mechanism, however, scabbard has the hole for the push button earlier scabbard on later dirk? Celliod/plastic grip and wire wrap in good condition. The grip has both the gilt Menuki on either side in the standard simple five petal cherry blossom pattern.

Blade does not have a habaki (blade collar) as is typical on late war daggers, however, the machine made and plated blade is in nice condition. Blade length approximately 8 1/2 inches, and about 16 inches overall length in scabbard. A decent example of a late war Imperial Japanese Navy Officer Dirk with some damage and issues. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) M1883 (Model 1883) Officers Dress or Parade Dirks were given to officers when they were first commissioned and were not intended to be any type of functional weapon. They began to be issued starting in the 1880s and their use continued until the end of WW2.