Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Model 1917 C.T. Bolo knife, manufactured by Fayette R. Plumb Inc, whose main factory was in the Bridesburg region of Philadelphia, PA. They had another factory, just constructed, in St. Louis as well, and 1917 bolos were produced at both.

This model was a moderate simplification of the earlier 1910 Bolo made by Springfield Armory. The main difference is the lack of the catch mechanism on the scabbard and grip. It was manufactured by contractors such as Plumb and A.C. Co. The blade ricasso of this example is marked:

PLUM[B]
ST. LO[UIS]
19[18]
The reverse is marked:
U.S. MO[D.]
1917 C.T.

The markings on the blade were struck unevenly, so part of the markings are missing.
 
Blade and ricasso are in good shape, with little of the original finish, and some oxidation closer to the edge. A few small dings to the blade edge are evident. The main edge of many 1917s, such as this one, is mostly ground from the factory from one side, while the other side was left flat. The edge on the tips and near the ricasso are ground from both sides. This example still has the original blade profile intact.

The grip is in good condition, unfortunately with almost all of the original ribbed texture missing, but has a nice walnut color. The screws are still holding both sides tightly. The leather tip of the canvas scabbard sleeve is marked:

FRED MEDART MFG. CO.
1918

Scabbard is in very good condition, with only light wear, and fully intact leather and stitching.

The face of the scabbard has a name written on it: WENTHE. After a quick search, it turns out that Wenthe is not a very common last name in the military. We were able to come up with multiple potential owners of this blade, and it so happens that one is a WWI/WWII veteran by the name, Henry Albert Wenthe. We believe the blade to be Henry’s. He was born on August 23, 1888 in South Dakota and enlisted in the Army at the age of 22. We have not been able to find much information on him, only draft cards for WWI and WWII, making this a great candidate for further research.
 
Overall Very Fine, and a great chance to add to any military knife collection.
 
Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Blade Style: "Bolo" Machete
Overall length: 15 ¾”
Crossguard: 3 ½”
Scabbard Length: 11"
 
A bolo is a large cutting tool of Filipino origin similar to the machete. It is used particularly in the Philippines, the jungles of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as in the sugar fields of Cuba.
 
The primary use for the bolo is clearing vegetation, whether for agriculture or during trail blazing. The bolo is also used in Filipino martial arts or Arnis as part of training.
 
The bolo is common in the countryside due to its use as a farming implement. As such, it was used extensively during Spanish colonial rule as a manual alternative to ploughing with a carabao. Normally used for cutting coconuts, it was also a common harvesting tool for narrow row crops found on terraces such as rice, mungbeans, soybeans, and peanuts. Because of its availability, the bolo became a common choice of improvised weaponry to the everyday peasant.