Trench knife ID

**Wedgehead30** · 11-08-2013, 01:32 AM

I picked up a few trench knives from an estate sale recently. I know what the top one is but I'm stumped on the bottom one. I know it's the wrong scabbard too.

Any help appreciated,
TNX
Scott

**Walkwolf** · 11-08-2013, 02:29 AM

Looks to have been fashioned from a sword blade - Italian ?

Are these knives 'interchangeable' ? Does the small knife
fit in the shorter of the two scabbards.........?

**USNV5** · 11-08-2013, 03:39 AM

It is an Italian trench knife made from the end of an Italian Vetterli M1870 bayonet. In 1915, during the emergency of WW1, the Italian military converted many of their antiquated M1870/87/15 Vetterli-Vitali from 11mm (?) to the modern 6.5mm Carcano caliber. They then shortened the Vetterli M1870/87 bayonet creating the M1870/87/15 bayonet. Being frugal, they used the cut-off front section of blade to make short trench knives that were then issued to Italian front line troops.

**Marc** · 11-08-2013, 03:44 AM

The knife at the very top, I can assure you is Austro-Hungarian, kind of a hybrid mix of the German and Italian knives of the era. The others look like modified Carcano bayonets.

**Wedgehead30** · 11-08-2013, 03:53 AM

by USNV5

It is an Italian trench knife made from the end of an Italian Vetterli M1870 bayonet. In 1915, during the emergency of WW1, the Italian military converted many of their antiquated M1870/87/15 Vetterli-Vitali from 11mm (?) to the modern 6.5mm Carcano caliber. They then shortened the Vetterli M1870/87 bayonet creating the M1870/87/15 bayonet. Being frugal, they used the cut-off front section of blade to make short trench knives that were then issued to Italian front line troops.

Wow....that is exactly what I needed to know. Thank you so very much. I would have never ID'd it on my own.

Thanks to all who replied.

Scott

**Walkwolf** · 11-08-2013, 04:43 AM

Italian 1916-pattern fighting- knife -10.jpg

**Wedgehead30** · 11-08-2013, 01:32 PM

Thanks guys. Now I just gotta put a value on it. Not a lot of them changing hands lately.

Scott

**USNV5** · 11-08-2013, 02:21 PM

They are far from common. The Italians also manufactured a metal handled ersatz bayonet for the Carcano rifle using the same blade remnants.

Marc, if I confused you by my identification statement above, I was speaking about the short knife shown on the bottom of Wedgehead's photo. You are, of course, correct with your identification of the Austro-Hungarian trench knife shown at the top. My apologies, I should have been clearer.