Kampfmesser.

I

irbailey

Joined
May 11, 2008
Messages
657
There's a long story behind this one.
When I was nine or ten, I was given a steel knife sheath. It had no belt loop on it, but my Father made one from a piece of old conveyor belt and riveted it on for me. For the next few years it was used to carry several leather and stag handled knives bought from the local fishing tackle shop.
At some point, the belt loop disappeared and I learned that it was an original Hitler Youth sheath.
For years it has sat in my shed gathering dust, until last week, when I decided to do something with it.
First job was to fit a new belt loop based on the one it would have had on it originally. I then aged it to try and give it a 1930's/40's look.
Next step was something to go in it.
I decided on a trench knife influenced by WWI and WWII German designs.
With a little cold blue, and some select distressing, I also tried to make this look 70 years old.
The blade and guard (complete with period style leather washer) are 01, the handle is beech as was often used on these type of knives and the pins are steel.
As well as my name, I also added the month and year I made it to give it a more military look.
A strange project, but hopefully you can see what I have tried to achieve.

Thanks for looking,

Ian.








 
That looks 70 years old. Mission accomplished! :thumbup:

VERY cool project, man.
 
Sorry, I forgot to put the dimensions...the blade is 5 1/8" and the handle is 4 3/4". Both blade and guard are 5/32" 01 tool steel.

Thanks for all your comments.

Cheers,

Ian.
 
Been exited with this one, pics and updates by Ian in the mobile.
It has truly turned out emazing and the look that you wanted to achieve is spot on.
love military equipment, and this has really flicked my switch!
Can't wait to see it when I come over soon.
Nice on Ian.
Another set of skills aged it and getting it spot on!
Lata
Bri
 
Thanks for taking time to comment. It's very much appreciated.

Been a fun build this one...no worrying about finding a scratch three stages into polishing, no sewing, no trying to keep leather spotlessly clean and no 2000 grit wet and dry and aching fingers.

Bri, thought you'd like this one. I've not done a leather handle for years...might have a go at a 'vintage' Ka-Bar sometime. But as you know, that depends on what I get the urge to make next.

Attention span of a hyperactive three year old!

Good to see you on the forum again.


Cheers,

Ian.
 
Good looking knife. Very much in the vein of the old German 'Trench Knife.'

Nice, that the old sheath got a new lease on life.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the comments.

I'm quite surprised to be honest, as I'm well aware that this sort of thing isn't for everyone.

Cheers,

Ian.
 
Ohh, I like it - because you resurrected a piece of perfectly useable gear with family history to it and not least because Ive had a scout knife with a metal sheath for many years, som am interested in these types of sheaths/knives. Further more the German Trench Knife is a nice, simple and sleek knife. Your knife looks to have all those qualities and look great too boot.

My old knife is like the old HJ knife from the 'bad old day' which continued to be made after the war by German Solingen manufacturers.

Basically the same as the HJ knife but just understandably with the HJ single lightning rune exchanged for a Fleur de Lis (scout symbol).

Lightning runes didnt seem all that much the vogue post '45 for some reason ...

A metal sheath trench knife would compliment a metal sheath scouts knife just fine IMO.
 
This is what my old post WWII German made scout knife looks like (photo of generic scout knife snagged from the web) - notice inlaid handle diamond scout organisation Fleur de Lis symbol.



Various other knives also still comes with a similar metal sheath - here is but one example. This has similar blade and sheath (not handle) to one version of the post WWII Bundeswehr knife, just labelled 'Boot Knife,' for that tacticlol vibe as sold on the civilian market. Eickhorn made.



Here is what the post WWII Bundeswehr knife looks like. So a lot of overlapping and selling military styled knives on the civilian market - most likely many were military knives simply relabelled and/or with slightly different details (handle config, logos, markings etc etc).



(the millions of WWII German bayonets were of course also made with metal sheaths).

Here a German WWI & WWII 'Grabendolch' ('Trench Knife').



Notice how the sheath of the 'Grabendolch' is more pointy than the scout knife above.

My theory is that your sheath maybe is from an old HJ or scout knife due to the age (could of course be any other metal sheath knife military or civilian - maybe the Bundeswehr knife above (would depend on measurements, I suppose) - who knows).

Would be interesting to know where and when your father sourced the sheath - that would go a ways in regards to determining, which knife it is.

IMO you may have combined your excellent 'Kampfmesser' to a HJ/scout knife-style sheath, which I find perfectly fine - in fact fitting (no pun intended). No way to be sure though - I dont know the measurements of your sheath. It might not be as wide as the old HJ/scout knife sheaths. The metal sheath scout knives came in several different sizes BTW.

I might of course be totally wrong and your sheath might also just be an old metal sheath from an entirely different civilian or military knife.

Feel free to correct me.
 
Thanks Bladescout.
Some interesting knives there, especially the Grabendolch. That along with the Luftwaffe fighting knife I own were probably my biggest inspiration with this.
I'm pretty certain that the sheath is HJ. It came from an old man who lives near me who had a lot of WWII militaria, my Father just fixed up a belt loop for me.
I also had a 1945 dated US issue folding shovel, a 1943 dated US issue canteen and a WWII US respirator case from him.
The sheath looks identical to a HJ sheath, and is the correct size. From what I know about HJ knives, the main thing which sets them apart from post war scout knives is the lack of lip on the top.
The rivet holes are also identical as are the zinc plated internal retainer springs. I may be wrong, but all the evidence seems to point towards it being an HJ sheath.
As with all militaria/antiques, it's a shame these items can't speak.
I remember the Bundeswehr knife well from my time in Army Cadets in the late 80's/early 90's. Quite a few people used to have these on the front ammo pouch of their webbing in the place meant for the L1A1 SLR bayonet.
Funnily enough, a few years ago I actually made a slightly larger modernised version of the HJ knife.


Thanks,

Ian.
 
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