Unusual WWI Trench Knife Identification
Hello,
I’m considering purchasing this knife but the blade is unusual. The handle looks authentic to me but the blade is curved. Is anyone familiar with this style? I can’t find anything about it and I suspect a soldier custom made the knife for his own preferences. Thoughts?
Thank you in advance
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Hmm....can’t see where to upload an image. Any help on that?
can you supply a picture?by Customx12
I’m not sure I know how to upload it.
Success on image upload! Sorry, I was on the mobile version of the site and the option wasn’t given. Thank you again for any and all replies.
It looks to me as though someone has cobbled together the knife using a WW1 trench knife handle and some other kind of blade. I'm sure that someone will come along and give you a definitive answer though.
Cheers,
Steve
That’s what I’m thinking, too, but I’m hoping the person who cobbled it together was a soldier who did it during the war and not some guy last week in his backyard or something.
It might be something that was done in WW2.
Interesting, though it doesn't quite pass the soldier made/carried smell test.
Greetings all,
It is possessing an original Mark I's handle, yet this construct would be an awkward thing to carry into combat. An issued machete's scabbard would be too straight to fit the curve of that blade, so if meant for carry where is the scabbard to make it possible to do so? My supposition is the posted knife was cobbled together in North Africa likely as a "souvenir" piece for a passing sailor/soldier or just as easily, it could be a post-war outlaw biker's wall hanger (although, those examples usually have a set of SS Runes stamped somewhere on them).
It doesn't mean that the posted knife never possessed a scabbard or that the scabbard couldn't have been lost to time, yet if it did possess a plausible scabbard, then I could readily view it as possessing the ability to be carried safely/securely. As such, without a viable scabbard forthcoming, I view this knife as more decorative than functional.
There are extant plenty of examples of WWII "theater made knuckle knives" and "theater altered originals," which were meant to be carried, to compare this example against and while it is interesting, I don't believe the shared example is one of those (i.e soldier made or soldier carried). Unless, we're speculating this was made or carried by a Moroccan Goumier….anything is possible....just requires the right photograph to back it up. There are a few period images of Moroccan Goumiers using Mark I Trench Knives during WW2, just none sporting a blade looking like the posted example's. Perhaps, the posted knife was meant to be carried mounted on a horse's saddle versus the belt? Again, get that on a contemporary image and you'll have a rare knife (& the envy of all knuckle knife collectors).
Still, it is a unique example of what some folks will do with their free time.I assume the blade is soldered to the handle on the back where the skull crusher's nut would normally be found? In any case, thank you for taking the time to post the images and of course, the opportunity to share my thoughts on that weird knife.
Best Regards,
V/r Lance
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