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I'm guessing you don't see too many of these
- Thread starter jonshoup
- Start date
It's a late 1930s hunting knife that has had the handle replaced with plexiglas rings. Many of these were modified in various areas during WW2. Usually the plexi comes from crashed aircraft canopies. Usually referred to as theater modified knives.
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- Dec 20, 2012
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Nice lookin knife, I like it
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- Nov 15, 2006
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My wife's grandpa has a set of BBQ tools with the same handles. He made them while stationed on an air craft carrier in the pacific during WWII.
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- Jul 24, 2011
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I was just kidding, I have never seen one like it. Very nice!
My grandpa has a knife with the same kind of handle that went through WWII that he got from a friend.Sorry, i dont have pics but the story i got was that a dude made the plastic handle out of plexiglass from a japanese zero. My grandpas knife hase a different blade (ground down bayonet), but the handle looks just the same.
Edit:
I talked to my dad, my grandpa got it from a guy who got it from a dude that made the knife while stationed in the pacific.
Edit:
I talked to my dad, my grandpa got it from a guy who got it from a dude that made the knife while stationed in the pacific.
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To collectors of Military knives these are referred to as "Theater Knives". Knives that were made or modified probably in the theater of operation. The knives that often are placed in this rather loose category tend to also include other knives made in rather limited numbers by domestic craftsmen back in the States, not really a theater knife by the description.
Most of the positively identified Theater Knives from WW2 seem to originate in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Probably mostly due to the original leather handles of most of these knives not holding up well due to the environment they were in and a lack of proper maintenance on them.
the level of craftsmanship exhibited in these type of knives can vary a lot.
For the most part their value will be something less than an excellent example of an original unmodified knife. As time goes by fewer original WW2 pieces of memorabilia are around to collect. So collectors tend to start driving the prices up. A big problem with these type of knives is it becomes problematic trying to establish where and when a knife like this was actually made.
The period of time that your KA-BAR blade was made and the nature of the handle modification would attract interest from collectors of the Theater Knife.
Most of the positively identified Theater Knives from WW2 seem to originate in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Probably mostly due to the original leather handles of most of these knives not holding up well due to the environment they were in and a lack of proper maintenance on them.
the level of craftsmanship exhibited in these type of knives can vary a lot.
For the most part their value will be something less than an excellent example of an original unmodified knife. As time goes by fewer original WW2 pieces of memorabilia are around to collect. So collectors tend to start driving the prices up. A big problem with these type of knives is it becomes problematic trying to establish where and when a knife like this was actually made.
The period of time that your KA-BAR blade was made and the nature of the handle modification would attract interest from collectors of the Theater Knife.