Lot 907

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Description:

JAPANESE 'KAMIKAZE' KNIFE
World War II Japanese pilot's aikuchi (suicide) dirk/knife. Overall the knife measures 11.75 in. long with a razor-sharp 7.75 in. blade engraved with a dragon for nearly its entire length, with the matching wood blade sheath and absolutely of war-date construction. The blade sheath is purportedly marked with the name of the maker of the blade. This knife is often attributed to kamikaze pilots, but is not one one of those offered to the pilots on the night before their fateful flights. It is almost certainly a rare private purchase dirk, one bought for a pilot by himself or his family in the knowledge he was sure to commit suicide in a kamikaze attack. For further reference see the work by Richard Fuller and Ron Gregory 'Military Swords of Japan 1868-1945' (New York: Sterling Pub. Co.), 1993, for similar examples. rare in authentic, war-date examples.

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April 6, 2022 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000