# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Chinese, South-East Asia (CSEA) >  old "yari"  pole sword?

## clifford w

Have old pole weapon. need help, Chinese or Japanese? blade about 78 cm, width about 5 cm, at hook about 8 cm. thick 1.2 cm, pole same length 78 cm. (pole not original)

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## clifford w

Can anyone read this kanji, 1 character on one side, 4 on other side. Have had this for long time and have not been able to find anything about it. just starting, should have had these on first message.

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## Timo Nieminen

Looks very Chinese. Very popular Ming-era military weapon. Very unlikely to be earlier than late Ming, could be later, too, to early 20th century if a "martial arts" weapon (even without being fake). 

The chipped edge suggests that the blade might be differentially hardened.

Could be non-Chinese, but is clearly Chinese-influenced. If non-Chinese, I'd say that Vietnamese is the most likely, but could also be elsewhere from in South-East Asia. Could be Korean. The writing (no, I can't read it) might offer a useful clue.

I like it!

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## clifford w

Thanks Timo, an hopeing to get someone to read it. Maybe it will tell me more. Blade is not in good shape but bough it as a 12 yr old kid. Gene

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## clifford w

Have old pole weapon. need help with idenification, and reading Kanli. Blade about 31 inches, 2 inches width (3.25 inches at hook), 7/16 inch wide. pole not original but is 31 inches long. Never had pole off.  Thanks for any help

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## Max C.

Doesn't look Japanese to me, possibly Chinese?

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## Mark McMorrow

Chinese for sure.  Characters say something about a 'red flag'.  Shifting this to the appropriate forum...

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## clifford w

Mark, on the old Yari, I had a Japanese historian look at it. She could not read it very good but did as you and said  "red",  "flag". "Hang". Could not read anything else. You both must be very good to get that much because I have found noone else to read it at all. Thanks, hope someone can confirm and read the rest.

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## Hon Cheah

I could be wrong but I was wondering if the phrase "正紅旗" has something to do with the plain red banner, one of the banners in the Manchu eight banner system?

As for "漢" (han), it just means Chinese.

Hope that helps a little.

Can't really read the second picture, but I am guessing it is 得 (de)?

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## clifford w

Hon, thanks for the help. What would the "de" mean. The Japanese lady said this might be "e" or maybe "toku". You probably know better because she was not sure if Chinese or Japanese. If possible let me know what either may mean. Thanks again.

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## Sancar Ozer

I know almost nothing about South East Asian polearms but From what I can see from the picture above( if my eyes don't betray me), this blade looks like it has some good quality steel; might it be wootz? New close-up pictures of the blade might be helpful to determine that. And if it is wootz, this might be helpful to narrow its origin.

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## Christopher Treichel

looks like a guandao... chinese polearm... take a look at the ones in this pic.

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## Timo Nieminen

> I could be wrong but I was wondering if the phrase "正紅旗" has something to do with the plain red banner, one of the banners in the Manchu eight banner system?
> 
> As for "漢" (han), it just means Chinese.


That will be it - the weapon would have been carried by a soldier in the Chinese (Plain) Red Banner. Some good concise info on the Qing Banners at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Banners .

This would date it to c. 1650-1850.

(This isn't a classic guandao (AKA yanyuedao) - too straight, too narrow. I've seen these types of polearms simply called "dao". Also perhaps pudao/podao, but the hook/notch is usually absent. Sometimes "dadao" (which just means "big sword".)

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## clifford w

Sancar, here are a couple more pictures of the blade. Was in this condition when I bought it. Been oiled and wrapped in closet for 40+ years.

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## clifford w

Thanks Christopher, Ihere is a some resemblance but except for the width of the blade. Surely someone has one like this, in better shape. There must have been a good many made. Really appreciate everyone helping ID this.

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