Does anyone know what kind of knife this is? It was my father's, he was in the army in the late 1950's. Trying to figure out if it's military or not. There are no markings on it. 
Sidearms & Scatterguns Knife Identification
- Thread starter bkglock
- Start date
It looks like someone made a knife out of a bayonet.
FWIW, there is a long history of troops making knives out of whatever they can find. Navy personnel made all sorts of neat knives during WWII, and other troops make knifes out of broken bayonettes, kitchen knives, or whatever they can find. Some are very crude, others are very well made and effective. The one OP has looks like a great pig sticker type knife, and I would be pleased to have it in a collection.
A close friend of mine has a knife that was made out of the tip end of a broken Katana. The blade is 8-9" long, and it is obvious where the blade came from. It is really cool folk art from WWII.
I look at many of these types of knives as trench art, or folk art types of knives. Many have wonderful value from the folk art/trench art perspective.
A close friend of mine has a knife that was made out of the tip end of a broken Katana. The blade is 8-9" long, and it is obvious where the blade came from. It is really cool folk art from WWII.
I look at many of these types of knives as trench art, or folk art types of knives. Many have wonderful value from the folk art/trench art perspective.
^^^ this would be my best guess ^^^ Pretty rad price of history.
I really like some of the trench art knives. The ingenuity of some of the people who make the trench art knives is occasionally truly impressive.
D
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The full length fuller dagger with a stacked leather handle and no hand guard. Tell me this is larger than a letter opener.
The collection in the first link is remarkable. Good steel is always valued by people who need it. The care in the grinds and some of the sheaths are indicative of people who valued what they had. I made my second sheath knife from a 1917 pattern bayonet in the early sixties.
The finest sheath knife I own was made by Sean McWilliams in the '90s. It is a seven inch Panama Fighter. It was not bought as a fighter but rather as a large general purpose, camp, Bowie style knife. It's speed in the hand, balance, edge holding qualities and everything else are superb. If you look at the grip of the McWilliams and the 1917 bayonet you will see that what's new is often old.
Sorry guys, can't get the picture of the 1917 pattern to come up. If you're interested just Google it and you'll see the grip profiles are very similiar
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It's not a letter opener, the blade is 5.75 inches and very sharp, the handle is 4 inches. I am thinking that this could have been put together by my grandfather, he was very skilled at making things from leather metal and wood. I know he made several kitchen knives for grandma.
That knife could come in pretty handy if your father had any association with the dark side of European post WWII occupation. Then again, it could come in pretty handy on the dark side of any town there was a military base near. GI's were often targets. They didn't have much money, but it went far enough for those that would take it from them. A lot of places were off limits when I went in the Army in the early '80's. It was worse in the '50's.
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