Kakute are

rings Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

made of iron or steel that were sometimes worn by the

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

, and favored by the

kunoichi is a Japanese cant term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Yamada Futaro in his novel ''Ninpō Hakkenden'' (忍法八犬伝) in 1964 ...

, having one to four metal spikes protruding from it. The spikes were sometimes dipped in

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

. Kakute were usually worn on the middle finger with the spikes hidden inside the hand, and then used to attack when the enemy least expected. The spikes were also excellent for holding onto an opponent, striking across the face, choking, and sometimes climbing as well. Some kakute had a tab with a hole, that was used for hojojutsu techniques. In this sense, the hojo (rope) could not be easily pulled away from the hands of the ninja or kunoichi, since it was tied to the kakute ring on their finger."Meifu Shinkage Ryu Kakushi-buki Jutsu Nyumon"; p.22, 236-253

References

Rings (jewellery) {{japan-culture-stub