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Have a collection of military knives to sell?  St. Croix Blades BUYS KNIFE COLLECTIONS.  Call 715-557-1688 or email info@stcroixblades.com.

1 unissued U.S. WW2 CASE blade-marked M3 trench fighting knife available.  This U.S. WW2 edged weapon would make an important addition to any collection.  

This M3 trench knife measures 11 3/8” overall.  The blade measures 6 9/16”.  

The U.S. M8 sheath has its leather leg tie-down thong intact still.  The pommel has a small flaming bomb mark.

1 vintage Koa Isshin Mantetsu WW2 Japanese Army Officer’s sword available.  This Japanese Mantetsu sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This sword is signed ‘KOA ISSHIN  MANTETSU SAKU’–meaning ‘Develop Asia by One Mind   Mantetsu respectfully made this’.  The reverse side of the nakago is dated.  The spine of the nakago is also marked.  This fine sword measures 26 1/4″ (66.7 cm) (measured properly from the blade tip to the notch in the blade spine). 

1 antique World War II Japanese samurai Army Officer’s sword available.  The blade is a fine sword by Ishido Teruhide.   This very fine Japanese Army katana would make an important addition to any collection.

There is a Samurai mon on each menuki.  This feature is especially rare.  This occurs in approximately 1 in every 5,000 WW2 Japanese Army swords.  

The blade measures 26 1/4″ (66.7 cm)–as measured properly with a tape pulled tight from the blade tip to the bottom of the notch in the habaki.  

All seppa and the tsuba have matching assembly numbers.

1 antique Japanese samurai arrow point available.  This desirable large Japanese rope cutter arrowhead would make a fine addition to any collection.
 

The ancient 16th-18th century Japanese yajiri/arrowpoint was used by true Samurai.  This large arrowpoint measures 12 3/4″ (32.4 cm), including the tang.  The point itself measures 3 5/16″ (8.4 cm) by 2 5/32″ wide (5.5 cm).

1 rare late 1800’s thru World War II Japanese Samurai Forestry Dirk available.  This is a rare Japanese dirk–it is unusual to find a large, early Forestry dirk.  This dagger would make an exceptionally rare addition to any collection.

The blade measures 16 11/16″ (42.4 cm).  This dagger measures 22″ overall (55.9 cm). 

The blade is a handmade oil- or water-tempered blade.  The nakago is not signed.  

This is a rare variation Forestry dagger. 

1 desirable Japanese World War II Takayama Forge Navy Officer’s Samurai sword available.  This desirable katana was made by Hattori Masahiro.  This Japanese sword would make an important addition to any collection.

Swords made at the Takayama Forge are highly collectible.  In addition, Masahiro made swords in a distinctive ‘old way’.  He made swords with a kissaki that is two times thicker at the mune than normal.  During World War 2, only Masahiro (at the Takayama Forge) made swords with this type of kissaki.  This type of sword tip was made to reduce the likelihood of a break or chip at the blade tip.  A sword made by Masahiro is very desirable.  

There are an unusually high number of kanji on the nakago.  There are 17 kanji on the tang.  The nakago/tang is signed ‘Kin Saku Takayama to    Hattori Masahiro‘.  The lower left side of the nakago is signed with the polisher’s name.  The oil-tempered ‘no rust steel’ blade measures 24 1/8″ (61.3 cm) from blade tip to notch in the blade spine.  The nakago has a Naval anchor stamp.  An additional distinguishing feature of a Masahiro blade is the distinctive ratio of nakago length to overall sword length.  

Masahiro was the ONLY Japanese WW2 swordsmith to make swords with these many distinguishing features.  

The tsuka has sharkskin under the silk wrap.  The saya is made of premium sharkskin as well.  

All fittings have matching assembly numbers.  The number stamped on each fitting is ‘528‘.  

1 fine Japanese WW2 Chosen (Korea) Colonial Sword available. This sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This is the Sonin (higher) level sword with decorated fittings.  

The sword blade measures 25 1/2″ (64.8 cm).

1 desirable Japanese antique available.  This Japanese World War 2 Yasukuni Shrine Army Officer sword would make an important addition to any collection.

This sword was made by the Yasukuni Shrine smith Kotani Yasunori.  

The saya is very desirable–it is a rare Army saya with same/rayskin.  A rayskin army saya is found on 1 in 10,000 army swords–so this sword with its rayskin saya is exceedingly rare.

The blade measures 26 7/8″ (68.3 cm) from blade tip to notch in the blade spine. 

1 antique Samurai kusarigama (sickle and chain) weapon available.  This Samurai weapon was made sometime in the 17th or 18th centuries.  This hard-to-find Japanese antique would make an important addition to any collection.  

Use of the kusarigama is called kusarigamajutsu.  Attacking with the weapon usually entailed swinging the weighted chain in a large circle over one’s head, and then whipping it forward to entangle an opponent’s spear, sword, or other weapon, or immobilizing his arms or legs. This allows the kusarigama user to rush forward and strike with the sickle.

A kusarigama wielder might also strike with the spinning weighted end of the chain directly while still outside the range of an opponent’s hand weapon.

There are great videos of martial artists practicing kusarigamajutsu on youtube.  

This kusarigama measures 16 1/2 inches in length.  The chain measures 61 inches.  

1 rare Japanese WW2 military sword available.  This important sword was made by Hisakatsu.  Hisakatsu was the forging instructor for the early prototype South Manchuria Railway ‘SMR’ logo marked swords, and for the ensuing Koa Isshin Mantetsu swords.    Very rare–a sword that helps complete the Mantetsu line of swords in one’s collection.

His original name was Takeshima Masao, born February 28, 1909.  He learned swordmaking from Horii Toshihide in Zuisen Tantosho in 1926, and founded his own forging center at Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1934.  He was the winner of the Shinsaku Nihonto Daikyoshinkai Yushusho and the 1st Nihonto Denrankai Tokusen and Honorary President Award in 1935.  In the next year, he won the Ministry Award at the 2nd competition.  In 1938, he went to Manchu Railway Ltd., and directed the production of Koa Isshin Mantetsu blades.  

Note the habaki has the same numbering as on the South Manchurian Railway swords.  (See photo below).  Note too the deep red color to the fittings–the same early fittings found on the prototype SMR swords.  The sword is dated using the zodiacal dating system–like on the Koa Isshin Mantetsu blades.  

The sword is signed ‘Nanjino Reito Minamoto Hisakatsu saku’.  ‘Nanjino Reito’ means ‘Your Spiritual Sword‘.  

This sword measures 26 1/4″ (66.7 cm) from blade tip to the notch in the blade spine.  

1 antique WW2 Japanese Army tanto available.  Tanto swords like this one were carried by Japanese soldiers during World War II to evoke for them the spirit of the Samurai.  This Japanese tanto would make an important addition to any collection.

This tanto could be easily carried in a pack.  The blade measures 5 3/16″.  The nakago/tang is not signed.  When in its shirasaya, this tanto measures 9 1/8″ overall.  This Army tanto was a wavy temper line. 

1 rare original Scagel fighter knife available.  This original William Scagel knife would make an important addition to any premium collection.

This knife was sold in the James D. Julia Dr. Lucie Scagels auction.  This knife was featured on page 197 of the Julia auction catalog.  This knife also appears on page 144 of Scagel Handmade by James R. Lucie.  The sheath appears on page 64 of Dr. Lucie’s book.  

This knife was described in the catalog as the Rare “Swelled Tip” Style Scagel Fighter.

This Scagel has aluminum, black, and red spacers.  This knife has a brass guard, and a crown stag handle.  

This rare Scagel measures 12″ overall.  The blade measures 7″.  The front side of the blade is stamped ‘W. SCAGEL   HANDMADE‘, as well as the Scagel kris stamp.  The reverse side of the blade has the ‘V.L.&A.  CHICAGO‘ stamp.