Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice original WWII U.S. M3 fighting knife manufactured by Imperial Knife Co., paired with an original 1943 dated M6 leather scabbard by Milwaukee Saddlery Co., or MILSCO.

Imperial was one of several American manufacturers contracted to produce M3 fighting knives during WWII and also manufactured other edged weapons for the U.S. military.

This is an early blade marked example. The blade is stamped: US M3 IMPERIAL

This marking style identifies an early production variant. The very earliest M3 knives were blade marked with both the maker and 1943 date. The date was later omitted, as on this example, before markings were ultimately moved from the blade to the crossguard on later production.

The spear point blade measures approximately 6 3/4 inches and remains in very good condition, retaining most of its original finish. There is some staining and normal service wear, but no major damage is evident.

The stacked leather grip remains in very good condition with attractive age and honest service wear. The pommel retains the U.S. Ordnance Flaming Bomb proof mark.

The accompanying original leather scabbard is marked:

U.S. M6
MILSCO
1943

The M6 was the original leather scabbard developed for the M3 knife and was soon superseded in service by the fiberglass M8 and later M8A1 scabbards.

This example retains its belt attachment and shows a very attractive aged leather appearance. There is some cracking and localized dry rot, particularly near the throat, and the securing strap is somewhat delicate from age. Despite the wear, the scabbard remains a desirable and correct early companion to the knife.

The M3 fighting knife, also known as the M3 trench knife, was first issued in March 1943. It was intended primarily for soldiers who were not otherwise equipped with a bayonet, but priority was initially given to troops requiring a dedicated close combat weapon, including airborne forces and Army Rangers.

As production increased, M3 knives were also issued to Army Air Forces personnel and to soldiers armed with weapons such as the M1 Carbine and submachine guns.

The M3 was developed in part as a replacement for the WWI era Mark I trench knife and was designed to conserve strategic materials while remaining effective as a fighting weapon. Its narrow dagger style blade and stacked leather grip made it well suited to thrusting use, although the design was less effective when pressed into ordinary utility work such as opening crates or ration tins.

Manufacturers known to have produced the M3 under wartime contracts included Aerial Cutlery Co., W.R. Case & Sons, Imperial Knife Co., PAL Cutlery Co., Camillus Cutlery Co., Robeson Cutlery Co., Kinfolks Inc., Utica Cutlery Co., and H. Boker & Co.

The M3 had a relatively short production life. By 1944, the Army was developing the M4 bayonet for the M1 Carbine, which incorporated the same basic blade and stacked leather grip concept. The M4 could serve both as a bayonet and as a fighting knife, making the separate M3 increasingly unnecessary.

Production of the M3 ended in August 1944, by which time approximately 2,590,247 had been manufactured. Although its own service life was brief, the M3 blade pattern remained highly influential and continued in later U.S. military bayonets including the M4, M5, M6, and M7.

A particularly appealing early M3 combination with desirable Imperial blade markings, substantial original blade finish, a strong stacked leather grip, and a correct 1943 dated MILSCO M6 leather scabbard.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 6 3/4 inches
Overall Length: 11 3/4 inches
Crossguard: 2 1/4 inches
Scabbard Length: 13 1/4 inches