Hard to imagine you walk into Kmart back in the 1970's go back to the Sporting Goods, spend under $10 on a knife not even knowing that is manufactured in Seki, Japan by Ichiro Hattori, a gifted knifemaker. Later that knife is considered a collectible.
"Sharp" was a U.S. Importer of knives in the late 1970s to 1980s period. They offered a number of Seki made fixed blades but one that is noteworthy is the Sharp Model 1000s Mfg by Ichiro Hattori. These were sold through K-Mart. 8" OAL, 3.5" Hollow ground blade of 440 steel (many Hattori's were later discovered to use AUS-8 steel). They were packaged in a plain box with no indication of where it was manufactured nor any details on the steel used, size or design.
Hattori later issued this knife as the H-109 Drop Point Hunter, with a 3 1/2″ Aus-8 blade, Nickel Silver Bolster and rivets, rounded and shaped grained Mahogany handle with brass lanyard hole.
For more info: http://hattoricollector.com/2015/10/01/beretta-and-valor/
