Shobo

Dagger

Shobo
Type	Dagger
Place of origin	Japan
Service history
Used by	Ninja
Specifications
References

A shobo is a weapon, similar to the Emeici of China, which was used by the ninja of Japan for striking pressure points on an opponent. It was a piece of wood that was gripped by the wielder and was hung by a ring worn on the middle finger. Some versions were rings with a wooden peg attached on top. The ends were exposed and were usually sharp, which made them effective for paralyzing and even killing enemies quickly and without leaving a trace. They were easily hidden in the fists and were very lightweight and portable. They were usually worn in pairs. Many ninjas constructed their own shobo, although some were given from master to student.

Due to the secretive nature of the ninja, there is no way of knowing exactly when and where the shobo was invented (meaning no more precise than feudal Japan) and exactly how popular it was among the ninja. It is believed this was an improvised weapon, with common origins cited as bridle bits for horses and livestock, harness rings for reins, and metal hinges for gates and doors.^[1] How the weapon was formalized is still up for debate.

References

^ results, search (1 September 1994). "Exotic Weapons Of The Ninja". Paladin Press – via Amazon.

Japanese weapons, armour and equipment

Swords

Chokutō Dōtanuki Guntō Katana Kodachi Nagamaki Ninjatō Ōdachi Shikomizue Tachi Tantō Tsurugi Wakizashi
Construction	Glossary Horimono Sword mountings Sword polishing Swordsmithing Tameshigiri

Knives and daggers

Kabutowari
Kaiken
Kunai
Yoroi-dōshi

Polearms and spears

Practice weapons

Armour

Auxiliary armours Bōgu Dō Dō-maru Haramaki Kabuto Karuta Kikko Kusari Men-yoroi Ō-yoroi Sangu Tatami
Types	Brigandine Lame Lamellar Laminar Mail Plate Mail and plate armour Scale

Clothing

Samurai accoutrements

Abumi
Daishō
Horo
Kaginawa
Kate-bukuro
Kubi bukuro
Kura
Uchi-bukuro
Yebira

Chain and rope weapons

Clubs and truncheons

Staff weapons

Projectile and throwing weapons

Firearms and guns

Bajō-zutsu
Bo-hiya
Ōdzutsu
Tanegashima

Improvised and other weapons

Kama
Kiseru
Metsubushi
Ono
Ōtsuchi
Shobo
Suntetsu

Signal devices

Gunbai
Hata-jirushi
Horagai
Kabura-ya
Nobori
Saihai
Sashimono
Uma-jirushi

Users

Japanese armour
Weapons of Japan
Japanese swords
National Treasure swords
Military equipment of Japan

v t e Knives and daggers
List of daggers List of blade materials
Kitchen and table knives	Boning Boti Bread knife Butcher knife Butter knife Caidao Cheese knife Chef's knife Cleaver Electric knife Fillet knife Grapefruit knife Lame Mezzaluna Parmesan knife Pizza cutter Splayd Steak knife Tomato knife Japanese kitchen knives Deba bōchō Maguro bōchō Nakiri bōchō Santoku Sashimi bōchō Udon kiri Unagisaki hōchō Usuba bōchō Yanagi ba
Other knives	Aircrew Survival Egress Knife Athame Balisong/Butterfly Ballistic Ballpoint pen knife Bayonet Boline Bolo Boot knife Bowie Cane knife Ceramic knife Clip point Combat knife Commander Corvo CQC-6 Deba bōchō Diving knife Drop point Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife Gerber Mark II Ginsu Golok Gravity knife Guna Hacking knife Higonokami Hunting knife Husa knife Ivan's Knife Jacob's ladder Karambit Kard Kirpan Kitchen knife Kukri Laguiole knife Machete Mandau Marking knife Misericorde Mora knife Multi-tool Navaja Neck knife Nontron knife Opinel knife Palette knife Pantographic knife Parang Penknife Penny knife Pesh-kabz Pirah Pocketknife Phurba Putty knife Puukko Rampuri Resolza Sabatier Sami knife SARK Scalpel Seax Sgian dubh Sharpfinger Sheath knife Shiv Sliding knife Smatchet SOG Knife Straight razor Strider SMF Survival knife Swiss Army knife Switchblade Taping knife Throwing knife Trench knife Tumi Ulu Utility knife Warrior knife Wedung X-Acto Yarara Parachute Knife Yatagan
Daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh nakh Balarao Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dha Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Gunong Hunting dagger Janbiya Jile Kabutowari Kaiken Kalis Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Kunai Liaoning dagger Mark I trench knife Microtech Jagdkommando Parrying dagger Poignard Pugio Push dagger Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō U.S. Marine Raider stiletto V-42 Yoroi-dōshi
Manufacturers	Aitor Knife Company Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Aritsugu Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives Chroma Cnife Clauss Cutlery Company Cobray Company Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Dalian Hanwei Metal Dexter-Russell Ek Commando Knife Co. EKA Emerson Knives F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Gerber Legendary Blades Füritechnics Glock Ges.m.b.H. Imperial Schrade Ivan's Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives KitchenAid Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives Marble Arms Medford Knife and Tool Microtech Knives Morseth Muela Murphy Knives Olfa Ontario Knife Company Opinel Randall Made Knives Ranz Cuchillos Rösle Sabatier Shun Cutlery Slice, Inc. SOG Specialty Knives Spyderco STI Knives Strider Knives Thiers Issard TOPS Knives Tramontina Victorinox W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Carl Walther GmbH Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Wüsthof Yoshida Metal Industry Global Zero Tolerance Knives Zwilling J. A. Henckels
Knifemakers	Rex Applegate James Black Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Bill Harsey Jr. Phill Hartsfield Gil Hibben Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve A. G. Russell Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler
Associations	American Bladesmith Society Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Knifemakers' Guild
Category:Knives / Daggers