Kunai
| Kunai | |
|---|---|
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| Information | |
| Weapon type: | dagger |
| Designations: | Kunai |
| Use: | Tool, weapon |
| Region of origin / author: |
Japan , armory |
| Distribution: | Japan |
| Overall length: | about 20 cm to about 48 cm |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Kunai ( Japaneseく な い or in Kanji 苦 無, something like "effortless / painless" or 苦 内 about "inner effort") is a "multi-purpose device" of ancient Japan . It originated in feudal times and was mainly used by carpenters and other craftsmen.
description
The kunai has a double-edged, long and wedge-shaped blade. It is forged from softer metal and not very sharp, as it was often used to cut and work on hard things (wood, bricks, but also bones). If it were made of harder steel, there would be a risk of breaking, since hard steels are inevitably more brittle than soft ones. The shock loads that occur when chopping and throwing a brittle blade would lead to breakouts at the cutting edge or to the tip breaking off. The handle is wrapped with ribbons and at the end of the handle there is a ring to which, for example, a rope with a weight or iron ring was attached to the kunai, creating a kunai fundo . Since the kunai was a very common tool, it was easy for ninja to carry it with you and use it as a weapon. They wore it either in a leather sheath on the obi or tied diagonally around their bodies with a rope. Due to these circumstances, the kunai proved itself as a ninja weapon and spread among them. The ninja could use it as a burglary tool, as a climbing aid or as a weapon. It was used in a similar way to a tanto . The Kunai was double-edged but unlike the Tanto, which further applications were; In addition, it could be used to dig, stab, cut, hit with the end of the handle and lever. Sometimes it was used as a throwing knife and spearhead .
literature
- Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts , Kodansha International, 2003, pages 7, 120, 123, 211, ISBN 978-4-7700-2941-6
- Stephen R. Turnbull, Warriors of medieval Japan , Osprey Publishing, 2005, p. 162, ISBN 978-1-84176-864-9