Eickhorn Combat Knife KCB 77 L CS

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Dump1567

Joined
Nov 26, 2005
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I picked this up in a local antique mall for $50. Before buying it, I did a little research and found that it's a West German made Eickhorn, but really couldn't find too much info. on these. This one has no markings at all.

Anyone know much about these or the value? My looks pretty used, but by who? Any Military use these?
Thanks.

http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/Germany__Post_WW_II_/aes_catalog_ca_1984.pdf
Q61keRZ.jpg

BMPFBy8.jpg

GRNesi1.jpg
 
Welcome to the forum.

As a Reg User cant ask for knife values.

I have a shorter version of your knife and assume the longer version is a derivative.

I find the knife ugly and ungainly looking but in spite of the stocky handle, the knife handles surprisingly well.

No doubt it would do its job just fine.

A very teutonic blade - for better or worse ;-)

According to Eickhorn (here a bayonet version called the KCB 77 M1-LE - assume its all the same family):

In Zusammenarbeit mit der niederländischen Firma Nedelandsche Wapen en Munitfabriet N.V. entwickelte Eickhorn 1970 das Modell KCB für das amerikanische Stoner-Sturmgewehr, das im Vietnam Krieg vorwiegend von den U.S. Navy SEALS eingesetzt wurde. Das Design der Klinge und der Drahtschneider entsprachen weitestgehend dem russischen Kalaschnikow-Bajonett. Den Griff aus glasfaserverstärktem Kunststoff passte Eickhorn dem Handschutz des Sturmgewehrs an. Die Streitkräfte Irlands und Australiens führten das KCB77M1 für das Steyr AUG Sturmgewehr viele Jahre als offiziellen Ausrüstungsgegenstand in ihren Beständen. In einer limitierten und nummerierten Auflage von 999 Stück weltweit verabschiedet sich das weltweit bewährte KCB77M1 nun aus der Solinger Eickhorn-Fertigung. Die Klinge aus bruchelastischem 55Si7 Federstahl (HRC 51-53) ist mit Kalgard überzogen. Die zum Lieferumfang gehörende Kunststoffscheide sichert das Messer auch ohne geschlossene Griffschlaufe vor Verlust. Kann dank des U-Bügels auch am U.S.-Lochkoppel getragen werden. Passend für Sturmgewehre der Baureihen Colt M16, M4, Diemaco C7, C8, Steyr AUG, IMI Galil AR, ARM, SAR, Beretta AR70/90 sowie FN FNC. NATO-Vers.-Nr. 1095-12-353-9348. Gesamtlänge: 30.2 Zentimeter Klingenlänge: 17.6 Zentimeter Klingenstärke: 3.6 Millimeter Gewicht: 300 Gramm Stahl: 55Si7 (HRC 51-53)

"Working with the Dutch company 'Nedelandsche Wapen en Munitfabriet N.V.' (red Dutch Ordnance and Munitions) Eickhorn developed the Model KCB for the US Stoner rifle (used by the SEALs in the Vietnam Conflict) in 1970.

Design of the blade and the barbed wire cutter resembles the Russian AK bayonet. Eickhorn fitted the reinforced synthetic handle to the handguard of the rifle.

The armed forces of Ireland and Australia adopted the KCB77M1 for the Steyr AUG rifle and used the combo for many years.

Eickhorn now offers a special limited edition run of 999 KCB77M1s with serial numbers of this proven blade.

Blade of 55Si7 spring steel (HRC 51-53) is Kalgard coated.

Sheath holds the blade securely.

Can be worn on US issue equipment.

Fits Colt M16, M4, Diemaco C7, C8, Steyr AUG, IMI Galil AR, ARM, SAR, Beretta AR70/90 and FN FNC. NATO-Vers.-Nr. 1095-12-353-9348. Length: 30.2 centimeter Blade: 17.6 centimeter Blade width: 3.6 Millimeter Weight: 300 Gramm Steel 55Si7 (HRC 51-53)"
 
Thanks for the info. I saw this and really didn't know where it originated from. I was thinking East German or Russian due the the AK style wire cutter. I also wonder how it ended-up in the States and who used it. I wish this thing could talk.

I see Eickhorn Solingen offers the Field Knife FK 500. I may have to pick one of those up as a companion to this one.

Eickhorn-FK-500-Field-Knife-825213-001.jpg
 
In another life I used to own the very long version(until it was stolen), you can see the handle and the bottom of the sheath/wire cutter down below my pouches.
In the image you can see that I had the top part of the sheath bent right back and down so it exposed the handle and was easier to draw, it also meant that it could be higher up the on the belt which was a better way of carrying it with it being so long.
The blade was easily held firm by the sheath, I think it had some kind of spring steel inside to hold the knife firm, you could see the 'rub' marks on the blade.
It was a good piece of kit, not a lot of use for anything delicate but it was a heavy blade useful for chopping and the length gave a lot of leverage when using the wire cutters.
I have a small collection of knives and wish I still had that one.
royal-engineers-600.jpg
 
About that dutch bayonet, fyi...
http://muetstege.com/kcb70m1.htm
It was thought that the accute clip on the ak 47 bayonet
Was more effective in puncturing than the standard western european spear point.
I presume, the copycat forces that be didn't figure that there would be any difference
In the delivery of the bayonet's performance, seeing that the warsaw pact bayonets
Were mounted edge up, whilst theirs were mounted with the bayonet's edge downwards...
The wire cutting feature was all the rage.
In fact, the ak 47 bayonet was more of an effective wire cutting breaching tool
Than it would have been in any (god forbid), a last resort bayonet charge?!
It would appear that a blade with lengths reaching that of ww1 trench relics
Would make an attractive choice to compensate for shorter modern day assault rifles :-)
Besides, no one can deny that long bayonets make a far more dramatic detail for parades.
Seeing that it doesn't have bayonet fixtures like a muzzle ring and spring latched catch assembly?
Could it be possible that these long knives were created
In the spirit of emulating german foresters knife?
Also the story of the eickhorn company is far more complicated.
After the last eickhorn family owner had lost the company;
He went on to produced some knife models thru another entity.
Minus the eickhorn squirrel trade mark.
These products somehow still bore the eickhorn name.
So much so that the present owners had to identify themselves as
The original eickhorn-solingen company limited.
 
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