commercial Buck with DUMMY pommell: Japan Field Knife 1?????

[Carlo]

note the pommell.......





Could this be the "Japan Field Knife 1"?????
This bayonet is my first M9....from where it all began!
I guess that applying this dummy pommell the M9 was able to be sold as "knife" and not as "bayonet".

[Quarterbore]

This is from my somewhat unrelaible memory but as I recall bayonets are illegal in Japan but they like knives a great deal. In order for the Japanese to import and own these knives this pommell was added.

Now, if I am wrong I welcome someone to correct me as I just did a couple quick searches and couldn't find a reference for this. Perhaps Bill will know for sure?

[porterkids]

Buck manufactured two different groups of bayonets for sales in Japan. One group had a standard crossguard (as seen in the photo above) and the plain butt cap in place of the bayonet pommel. The other group had the blank pommel and a crossguard without the hole for the muzzle ring. I don't have the production numbers handy but can post them Monday. I have the model that is not shown above, I'll post a photo tomorrow.
________
mexico city hotel

[Carlo]

For those interested, take a look at this ebay auction
http://cgi.ebay.it/Baionetta-US-M9-P...2em118Q2el1247
and note the dummy pommell
P.S. I am not the seller!