Luftwaffe close combat knife

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-03-2009, 11:19 PM

Hi "FP", very nice to see you here. Welcome!

The knife is a very good fit into the scabbard. I have never seen another one like it before. I tried it in a K98 frog and it fits OK but as you can most likely see, the stud on the scabbard is situated lower down than on a K98 scabbard.

Cheers, Ade.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-03-2009 11:19 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Frogprince** · 03-04-2009, 09:24 PM

Ade, Thank you for the welcome!!

I like the knife, and am wondering if it could have been something of a trials or test piece? It’s obvious I think that they did not want to use the WW I style leather strap scabbard hanging contraptions. And might have been testing alternative approaches to the problem?

As a non-German analogy: The scabbards for the U.S. M-3 fighting knife, and its successor the M-4 bayonet went through an evolutionary process. From the M-6 leather scabbard which was unsatisfactory. To the M-8 plastic, the M-8 modified, and finally the M-8A1.

No proof, but not IMO an unreasonable hypotheses at this juncture. Given what seems to be a fairly high standard of manufacture from what I can see in the images.

Best Regards, FP

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-04-2009, 10:11 PM

Hi "FP", I will shoot a few extra pics of the scabbard for you tommorrow

Cheers, Ade.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-06-2009, 01:48 PM

Here are the pics.

Cheers, Ade.

dave · 03-06-2009, 06:50 PM

by Adrian Stevenson

Hi Dave, sorry but you are wrong here, as both my knives came from Canadian Vets 25 years ago now.

Cheers, Ade.

Adrian just because it comes from a vet it dous not mean its right with these items.Haw many times i have seen this going on .Like i said its only my opinion.Dont trust no one my friend make your own mind up and i say to that to all on here.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-06-2009, 07:23 PM

Hi Dave, don't worry I do share your sentiments.

But 25 years ago these knives were not faked.

Cheers, Ade.

dave · 03-06-2009, 07:29 PM

by Adrian Stevenson

Hi Dave, don't worry I do share your sentiments.

Cheers, Ade.

Adrian thank u most kind.I not here to be an expert but if u read between the lines in all my threads im here to share opinians lots of times i am wrong but can i just say most of my posts have come from vets and family but i never trust anything because fakes were being brought back in 1945

dave · 03-06-2009, 10:48 PM

by dave

Adrian thank u most kind.I not here to be an expert but if u read between the lines in all my threads im here to share opinians lots of times i am wrong but can i just say most of my posts have come from vets and family but i never trust anything because fakes were being brought back in 1945

not faked YES they are i have sean lots of them in uk arms fairs adrian

**Frogprince** · 03-07-2009, 09:35 AM

Ade, I liked it before. And am still of the same opinion, thanking you for posting these new images which are very helpful. The standard of workmanship (more or less) mirrors what is seen with contemporary bayonet scabbards, with nothing noticeably out of place.

Something I was not quite sure about earlier was the type of finish, which as I can now see is bluing, that looks like it is worn in a few places. When I get to my primary computer I will look at the images again to see if I can tell what type it is that might help dating.

My overall impression is (as we sometimes say): You have a “keeper” with that one.

With my Best Regards, FP

**Adrian Stevenson** · 03-07-2009, 10:53 AM

Hi "FP", thanks for your comments. I keep everything

Hi Dave, I am fully aware of the Indian made repros which you can now find at shows. But if you re read what I said, I was saying that these knives were not copied over 25 years ago.

Cheers, Ade.