Original Item: Only One Available. This excellent condition Model 1917 trench knife has a wood handle, triangular stiletto blade, and leather scabbard with standard GI Pistol belt hook attachment.

The top of the guard is is nicely marked:

Landers, Frary, and Clark (L.F. & C.) began in 1853 as Landers & Smith Manufacturing Company, and in 1862 became known as Landers, Frary & Clark. They were in New Britain, Connecticut, and made a number of house hold items, as well as items for the military. They closed their doors in 1965.

Notable features of this example:

• Triangular 9" steel blade. This blade is excellent condition, probably the best we have ever seen. The finish is well retained, with the expected runner wear, and the tip shows no damage at all. The blade shows very little evidence of use in general, as does the rest of the knife.
• Very good condition wood grip, with a lovely dark red brown color. It does show light wear and some staining, but no cracks or major chips. Shows light use, and even has bit of figuring to the grain!
• Excellent condition spiked steel hand guard, with no dents or bends we can see. The finish is in excellent condition, with just a bit of oxidation speckling. We almost never see them in this great condition!
• Leather scabbard, which is faintly marked JEWELL 1918, with M.S. marked on the throat. Scabbard is in good condition with nice leather that still has most of the original finish, with a bit of light cracking.
• Standard pistol belt steel attachment hook, which still retains some of the original "blacked" finish.

Overall condition is excellent, one of the best examples that we have seen. There is no play in the the crossguard or handle. A fantastic addition to any military knife collection. Read to display!

The first official U.S. trench knife adopted for service issue was the U.S. M1917 trench knife designed by Henry Disston & Sons, and based on examples of trench knives then in service with the French Army. The M1917 featured a triangular stiletto blade, wooden grip, metal knuckle guard, and a rounded pommel. The M1917 proved unsatisfactory in service, and a slightly improved version, the M1918, was adopted within months. Despite this, the M1918 is almost identical to the M1917, differing primarily in the construction and appearance of the knuckle guard. Usable only as stabbing weapons, the M1917 and M1918 frequently suffered broken blades. Their limited utility and general unpopularity caused the AEF to empanel a testing board in 1918 to test various trench knives and select a replacement.

Dimensions:
Blade length: 9”
Overall length: 14”
Scabbard length: 9 7/8"
Handguard: 4 1/2”x 5”