Original U.S. WWII Theater-Made Fighting Knife with OSS Drop Knife Guard, Coin Spacers, and M1 Scabbard - Named
In stock
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Theater knives are knives made by military personnel in the various theaters of war. Each knife is unique in its own way due to the maker's style, preferences and materials available. Most theater knives were made from spare parts, wreckage, tools and already existing blades.
These knives were made by the armorers and engineers on request. The larger ships needed to have skilled fabricators on board to make repairs and modifications to weapons and gear. Usually the blades were made from existing weapons or from steel components, and the hilts were cast from metals such as aluminum or zinc.
This is a fascinating theater-made knife made from parts of several different knives. It has a stamped D-guard with four knuckle ridges taken from an OSS Drop knife, although we are unsure where the blade came from. The grip is made from 15 pieces of stacked acrylic, with octagonal coin spacers at each end. The pommel is a threaded screw with a nut attached to keep the handguard in place. The coin spacers appear to be clipped Australian Florin silver quarters, so this was likely put together in Australia.
The blade measures 8 ⅞” and still retains a small leather blade buffer. The blade is a double-edged dagger and is in fair oxidized condition with some heavy wear across. The overall length is 13 ⅝”.
The included scabbard is from an M1 Bayonet, which has been painted a light green with the four playing card suits engraved over the name KING. As this is an M1 Scabbard, it has two prongs at the throat that would lock to the M1 bayonet, but as there are no holes in the guard, it does not fit all the way and there is some spacing. The end of the scabbard shows heavy bending and wear.
An interesting fighting knife made from parts of several different knives, a great soldier-made example. Ready for display.
Dimensions:
Blade length: 8 7/8”
Overall length: 13 5/8”
Scabbard length: 11 1/4"
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- Prohibited and therefore not available for shipment to the following states: Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington. Please check all local laws and restrictions before ordering.
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