Picked up a nakiri...thoughts?

Hey all,

I picked up a used nakiri off ebay in part to practice my sharpening skills with a cheaper knife (since I'm still relatively new to this) and in part because, well, I think I'm obsessed with nakiris.

I just got it and am surprised at how nice it seems, so I thouht I'd ask if anybody might be able to give further insight into it. The seller said it came from a military guy who got it in Japan over 40 years ago. Seems like this might be from an estate sale.

When looking at the top, darkened part of the blade with the right light, you can see dents along the full length from hammer blows. They're not super obvious from a straight-on view (or in pictures), but they're definitely there. There is a faint line where it appears that the blade and tang are welded/forged together.

The size is almost identical overall to my 165mm Gesshin Uraku, but the blade is almost half the thickness. There's also much more of a significant taper along the spline from the handle to the tip. Some measurements:
Blade thickness half way between blade and spline: 0.90mm (Uraku is 1.65)
Width of spline above heal: 4.40mm (Uraku is 2.25)
Width of spline half way along length: 1.55mm (Uraku is 1.75)
Width of spline 1cm from tip: 0.85mm (Uraku is 1.55)

The bolster is loose and the handle is a tiny bit loose. Not having done this before, is it more worthwhile to try to epoxy (or other glue) things back in place (if I could even get glue down in the gap) or create a new handle (I do woodworking as a hobby)?

Thoughts? Can anyone identify it?

Thanks,
Tyler

Looks like the same tojiro dp that I have.:cool2:

Good looking blade. Can't help you with identifying it, but as for the handle. If it's loose just pop it off (very easy to do, quick web search for info) and then decide if you want to keep it or not. If so, then just epoxy it back on. If you like woodworking, making handles is a real hoot. Find some odd-ball materials around the house and go to it.
Have fun.

Yeah, I've definitely been debating what to do about the handle. The current handle is in good shape, although a tiny bit loose. Keeping that would remain true to the style and overall look. But, I also have some beautiful pieces of desert ironwood, including some with burl, that I dragged back from a recent trip. I've been looking for a knife that's worthy of using this wood. I'm not sure which way I'll go.

I also need to do some research on how to nicely clean the blade without putting scratches in it or ruining the overall look. There's a tiny bit of rust and some discoloration that I need to get rid of. Any pointers toward good resources are welcome!

Thanks,
Tyler

The blade looks like it hasn't been used in a while. I would do an easy sharpening session with say a 1k then a 3or4k wet stone, most of the scratches on your bevel will be gone by your second session. The edges around the spine, etc., look a bit rough which would benefit from some 400/800 wet/dry paper. Don't do anything to the black part of the blade except oil it (I use whatever is laying around, usually olive oil, for the handle too). Then just use the hell out of it! amazing how usage actually cleans up a blade, seriously.