Very nice example and a period in use photo to illustrate as well. Well done!
Very nice example and a period in use photo to illustrate as well. Well done!
Greetings all,
This week we have the most prolific and one of the earliest wartime models of German trench knives, known as the “Leupold” model. It is named after its initial Bavarian manufacturer. These knives came in both issued and private purchase models. The issued ones have fraktur marks on them. There are a dizzying array of variants of these knives, most will be found unmarked and without any manufactures’ logo. In this case its 150mm blade is marked with a manufacture’s logo, but without any fraktur marks so it is strictly a private purchase affair. The variants consist of models with differing cross guards and grips’ materials (i.e. stag horn, lighter colored wood & metal). Unlike most other trench knife variants, it is too easy to find period pictures with these styled knives being worn. Njoy!
Regards,
Lance
Double click to enlarge pictures.
I hope this one could be the next on my list :-)
Mfg
Marc
Greetings all,
No period pictures accompanying this posting that would be too much to ask for in this case Just a neat little 229mm long bladed Düna Front “trench art” made piece for a company’s commander. The knife’s original handle may have been wood or antler. It appears it was re-purposed into a small token of appreciation for their commander commemorating his time on the Eastern Front. The knife’s blade may have been converted from a section of an extra seitengewehr variant Model 1898 bayonet’s blade. The knife’s previous owner “Tim” posted this knife on several other forums and I was lucky enough to obtain it. Other views of the knife may be seen here WW I Duna Front Trench Art Dagger/ - - Powered by FusionBB and here Theater Dagger? - SPOILS OF WAR - U.S. Militaria Forum on the latter’s thread there is speculation that the symbol below the owner’s initials (E & M or M & E) is possibly linked to the Latvian “Pillars of Gediminas,” but while of similar design I do not see an exact match. Perhaps the engraved symbol is the commander’s family or unit’s crest, sadly I do not know. Lastly, I wish to publically thank “Tim” for allowing me the opportunity to own this unique knife.
Regards,
Lance
P.S. I tossed a couple of period post cards of various studies of captured Russians in the first photo to add some historical context.
Double click on pictures to enlarge.
Greetings all,
Yes, I of course realize this is not a German or Austrian made trench knife, but it is a close evolutionary derivative of one. In this knife’s case, I won’t rewrite/repeat what you may just as easily read here WW1 TURKISH TOOL WEAPON FOR ENGINEERS Ottoman Turkish Uniforms WW1 History First World War Militaria Turkey Wargaming Military Insignia Uniform Crimea Crimean As you may read on the linked site, it is not a special Ninja Turkish Commando Assault Troop Trench Knife or some such silliness, which you will typically view when these styled knifes are listed for sale (hey, at least most sellers don’t refer to them as “Turkish Paratrooper’s Knives” ...yet). It’s a knife made by various private Turkish contractors made from original German/Austrian bayonets’/short swords’ blades that have been repurposed. No, unfortunately I’ve found no contemporary shots of it being worn by Turkish Pioneer Troops; (please) feel free to post any of those pictures you may care to share.
Regards,
Lance
Click on picture to enlarge.
Last edited by MilitariaOne; 03-13-2014 at 02:00 AM.
A recent addition to my collection and my only example of a Austro-Hungarian Sturmmesser M17. I would think modified by adding grooves to the handle slabs by the original owner. The mark seen on the ricasso is also stamped on the guard.
Ralph.
Searching for anything relating to, Anton Boos, 934 Stamm. Kp. Pz. Erz. Abt. 7, 3 Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 2, 16th Panzer-Division (My father)
Greetings all,
I’m not much on collecting repurposed bayonets made into fighting knives. They usually are poorly done. However, when it is done by someone demonstrating skill I can make an exception. Here is an example of a German trench knife conversion from a standard Gottlieb Hammesfahr S84/98 Bayonet. Both examples are dated “17” as in 1917 and the conversion’s blade length is 170mm long. This is a sort of before and after picture, but actually two different blades.
Regards,
Lance
Double Click on picture to enlarge.
I could not agree more.
The two knives you show are well done.
Especially the bottom one is running a Bowie clip design, which I really like.
Rarely do such conversions come out well, but this one surely did. Some of the theater-made knives looks funky as well.
Bottom one looks good, even if it does cut into the fuller - a pet peeve of mine in the case of
shortened/reconfigured bayonets.
I assume, that we dont know whether a German or Allied soldier made this bottom conversion/cut down.
I can see a GI making a Bowie-like knife.
Im grabbing this out of thin air; I would assume a German would rather go for a trench knife dagger-like tip instead, even though its of course possible, that a German might have made the clip-style knife as well, as that might have worked better with the knife blade; notice how the upturned tip has added strength, as its not in the middle of the thinner material of the fuller hence might acutally be by (clever) design of some German who knew, what he was doing,
This thread is a blast - keep up the good work, pls.
Greetings Scout,
As ever, thank you for your compliments. My thoughts are that it was modified by a German based upon the wooden handle’s design. My 2Cts, no (self-respecting) American would put that much effort into modifying a bayonet (broken or otherwise) and then put a German styled wooden handle on it. I will add some more “cow bell” and keep this thread updated weekly… that is until I run out of blades.
Regards,
Lance
Thanks for a most interesting thread on one of my favourite subjects - cold steel.
I agree with your POV regarding who might have made the knife.
Most likely a German who actually knew what he was doing.
One has got to respect the workmanship.
I like it a lot and wish I had one like it.
As for 'cow bell,' great comment. Laughed out loud.
Did you see my recent post or is this a matter of 'great minds think alike?'
I'd like to think the latter, but suspect the former
Look forward to more cow bell!
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