- Joined
- Dec 4, 2002
- Messages
- 1,350
I figured y'all would appreciate a bit of knife history I just learned.
A few months ago my dad gave me the knife and leather scabbard he was issued in WWII. Well, last Thursday I received the new May 2003 issue of "American Rifleman" magazine from the NRA.
And there on page 24 is a picture of the similar knife and similar scabbard !!
It is the M3 Trench Knife, and the scabbard is the M6 model. The picture in the magazine shows the scabbard with protective staples at the location where the blade enters the scabbard, and small metal plate near the bottom. Yep, just like my dad's !!
Here are some technical details:
-- dagger-style blade length = 6-3/4" from hilt to point.
-- handle length = 4-7/8" from hilt to end of steel pommel.
-- max blade thickness = 0.173" (nominal).
-- blade is sharpened from point to hilt, less 1/4" at the hilt.
-- the blade is a dagger style, and the top edge has been sharpened a distance of 3-1/4" back from the point (toward the hilt).
-- the handle is stack leather, brown in color. Design is "identical" with the Kabar style, but not as big around.
-- the pommel is steel (in the Kabar style)and fastened in the Kabar style. I don't think any pounding was ever done with this knife, as I'm guessing the marks on the tang/pommel are those made in the factory when assembling the tang/pommel.
-- the sheath "back piece" is one long piece of leather, 15-3/4" long by 2" wide by 1/8" thick.
-- The sheath "front piece" is 8" long by 2" wide and 1/8" thick, and is fastened to the "back piece" by sewing and with rivets.
-- near the top of the "back piece" is fastened a leather band with snap, this band goes around the handle to hold the knife in the scabbard.
-- the sheath has two small metal plates (1-3/4" x 2") at the bottom of the sheath, on front and back, to (hopefully) prevent the knife point from poking through the leather. The plates are attached with rivets.
-- there is a hole with metal insert at the bottom of the sheath to allow a cord to pass through.
-- neither the knife nor the sheath have any identifying marks whatsoever.
-- sharpness: I ran all sharpened edges across my big sharpening steel... no problem deforesting the arm !! I don't know what the steel is but it takes a great edge.
The "American Rifleman" article says the M3 was standardized on 14 January 1943 and designated as a "critical item" in July 1943, and that production of the M3 ceased in August 1944.
I'm gonna offer a SWAG that my dad was issued this knife in early 1944 when he arrived at the SeaBee base in Port Hueneme, CA. (He was also issued an M1 Carbine at the time but somehow never managed to keep it as a souvenir when he left the Navy... bummer).
Cheers,
Carl
A few months ago my dad gave me the knife and leather scabbard he was issued in WWII. Well, last Thursday I received the new May 2003 issue of "American Rifleman" magazine from the NRA.
And there on page 24 is a picture of the similar knife and similar scabbard !!
It is the M3 Trench Knife, and the scabbard is the M6 model. The picture in the magazine shows the scabbard with protective staples at the location where the blade enters the scabbard, and small metal plate near the bottom. Yep, just like my dad's !!
Here are some technical details:
-- dagger-style blade length = 6-3/4" from hilt to point.
-- handle length = 4-7/8" from hilt to end of steel pommel.
-- max blade thickness = 0.173" (nominal).
-- blade is sharpened from point to hilt, less 1/4" at the hilt.
-- the blade is a dagger style, and the top edge has been sharpened a distance of 3-1/4" back from the point (toward the hilt).
-- the handle is stack leather, brown in color. Design is "identical" with the Kabar style, but not as big around.
-- the pommel is steel (in the Kabar style)and fastened in the Kabar style. I don't think any pounding was ever done with this knife, as I'm guessing the marks on the tang/pommel are those made in the factory when assembling the tang/pommel.
-- the sheath "back piece" is one long piece of leather, 15-3/4" long by 2" wide by 1/8" thick.
-- The sheath "front piece" is 8" long by 2" wide and 1/8" thick, and is fastened to the "back piece" by sewing and with rivets.
-- near the top of the "back piece" is fastened a leather band with snap, this band goes around the handle to hold the knife in the scabbard.
-- the sheath has two small metal plates (1-3/4" x 2") at the bottom of the sheath, on front and back, to (hopefully) prevent the knife point from poking through the leather. The plates are attached with rivets.
-- there is a hole with metal insert at the bottom of the sheath to allow a cord to pass through.
-- neither the knife nor the sheath have any identifying marks whatsoever.
-- sharpness: I ran all sharpened edges across my big sharpening steel... no problem deforesting the arm !! I don't know what the steel is but it takes a great edge.
The "American Rifleman" article says the M3 was standardized on 14 January 1943 and designated as a "critical item" in July 1943, and that production of the M3 ceased in August 1944.
I'm gonna offer a SWAG that my dad was issued this knife in early 1944 when he arrived at the SeaBee base in Port Hueneme, CA. (He was also issued an M1 Carbine at the time but somehow never managed to keep it as a souvenir when he left the Navy... bummer).
Cheers,
Carl
