Japanese Militaria at Castle-Thunder.com

[yardbird]

Has there been any research on Japanese blades period sharpened? we all look for that great blade. Many of my blades have been worked on ... as I recall ..blades that came from combat areas were sharp and the blades from Japan that came right out of the factories were untouched..Comments?? Thanks Roy

[gwsiii]

I'm not aware of any official research. I know from the people I've talked to, and just personal observation, whats the first thing someone does when they get a new blade? Sharpen it.....whether it needs it or not. Interesting question. Any other comments?
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[cve116]

they're long enough, i could see them being used in the field as machete or whatever. when you're humping through the bush, multi-purpose tools are the way to go..... i think the swiss even had one bayonet model with a saw incorporated into the back. probably shipped from the arsenal dull to minimize shipping damage, but field sharpened seems logical to me.

[Nagoya10]

It seems that an original Japanese sharpening, was usually done about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down the blade on both sides. Some were done at the factory as one of my Matsushitas is blued after sharpening, but an earlier one was sharpened after blueing. Both sharpenings appear very similar. I believe my Mukden was sharpened before blueing also. Usually a factory sharpening was fairly narrow, straight and even, but I am sure there are many varieties and I would have to believe that some were further sharpened after issue at some point.

When it looks like someone used a bench grinder or file and crudely sharpened the blade most of the length and about half, or more, of the height, I would see that as being GI or some guy in his garage.

[deleur]

[hardsteel]

so it is true that bayonet blades are also often dull?
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cold steel blades

[gwsiii]

Welcome to the forum!
There are training bayonets that have dull/unsharpened blades, yes.

I always thought that the unsharpened area on a normal blade was so that if you slipped reaching for it to remove it in the dark, you wouldn't cut your hand. No facts there, just guessing. Trey
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[Kavan]

Interesting discussion. You read accounts of US soldiers in the days and hours prior to D-Day sharpening bayonets, but never anytime in a combat zone after that. In my service time I recall it being prohibited as a matter of written policy not to damage the equipment. If Uncle Sam wanted it sharp he would of issued it that way to you, and provided a small sharping stone for said purpose.

My first bayonet purchase (Kokura Arsenal) was less expensive than others I examined, because it appeared to have been sharpened after the war. However, it had the hooked quillon and bird of prey design that I wanted. My next one will be more original without the after GI garage look.
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[japbayoman]

Hi Roy,
If I could add a little bit to this discussion, then I would say look on page 100 of my book, "Bayonets of Japan" and you will see a post card with a drawing of a soldier sharpening his bayonet. Under it is a picture of some soldiers sharping there bayonets, so I think it is clear that it was done. I'm sure they had the same restrictions on damaging government property, but I would think I would like to sharpen my bayonet just before a Banzai charge! What do you have to lose, you are more then likely to die in such a charge. Most arsenal sharpened blades have around 7 1/4"-10" of the blade sharpened. That is the reason I placed these pictures in my book, I have had the same question asked of me several times.
This discussion reminds me of the one about mismatched rifles. I'm sure a lot of these were worked on and the rifle has mismatched numbers on the parts that were replaced. The problem lies in the gray area where you have to ask yourself, was this done in the field (battle) or was it done in Bubba's garage? OK, I hope I was able to answer your question and if you still have more questions Roy, drop me an email at; rlabar@windstream.net . I haven't heard from you in a long time!!
Raymond LaBar

[Kavan]

A question for the collectors:

Did some arsenals continue to make their bayonets with the hooked guard until the end, or was there a month and year cut off where the only bayonet manufactured had the straight hand guard ?
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Remembering the battle of GUAM 1944 and the 3rd Marine Division

[gwsiii]

That is more a Ray question than anything else. I'm not sure its as definite as a month/year cutoff. There might be a document somewhere adopting the straight crossguard, and making it official as of some date. But exactly when the changeover was, I don't know. We consider straight crossguards consistant with Type 99 rifle production through the end of the war. Trey
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[DEFUC]

Id think bayonet sharpening would depend more on what your gonna use it for than a general do/dont do policy. If you strictly gonna use it as a bayo,it doesnt serve any purpose for it to be overly sharp,spikes and triangle points do that role just as well as a blade,maybe better,but if your using it as a Knife as well then a edge is advantagous and if your using it as a fighting knife even more so.with a longer blade intended for thrusting ,the weight /momentum will carry the blade thru even if the edge is completely blunt.The japanese bayonet isnt a overly great choice as a fighting knife due to its basic design,but in a pinch you'd want to sharpen it before going into some serious hand to hand ,rolling in the mud SHTF,and it would beat no knife at all. overall the japanese bayo is designed to be a bayonet,and not overly good as a utility knife or fighting knife,unless it were your only option.Now a metford with the edges honed, thats a dual use bayonet.

[japbayoman]

To Roy;
As far as I can tell from pictures and other collectors, they quit making the hook around 1941-42. No documentation has surfaced on the exact time, but I feel comfortable with that time frame. Afterward they started using the flat sided pommels and rivets in the grips. I would say the only abnormality to this is the LB-113 or Matsushita arsenal made bayonet with a unfullered blade and straight grips with a hook. I feel these were made closer to the end of the war with spare parts and the serial numbers were already on the pommels. Roy if you read this, please try and drop me a line, as I'm not sure your emails are coming threw, thank you.
Raymond
rlabar@windstream.net
www.bayonetsofjapan.com