Why buy an M3 Trench Knife?
The M3 Trench knife was developed during the opening stages of WWII with the design being accepted and put into production in 1943. The knife was a replacement for the woefully inadequate 1918 Mk 1 trench knife which was developed in the closing stages of WWI (the old brass knuckled trench knife) Soldiers who had carried the Mk I found it difficult to use due to the brass knuckle grip which was slippery when wet, cold in the winter and prone to freezing to the scabbard. It also sucked for any other use than punching and short thrusts. It was very difficult to fight with and could be used for little if anything else. Thus, a simplified less slippery grip was developed and a more utilitarian blade design was developed.
The new knife, however, was to remain a chiefly a fighting/thrusting knife, with its chief purpose to be a bayonet substitute for soldiers who did not get issued a bayonet. Thus it was issued to BAR gunners, Tommy gunners, and soldiers manning crew served weapons for hand to hand fighting, not for cutting down brush or opening K-Ration boxes. The M3 was later modified and became the M4 bayonet and issued alongside the M1 Carbine. The basic blade design of the M3 knife was used on subsequent bayonets used for the M14 and M16 Rifle.
While not a revolutionary design, the knife was functional and got the job done. The fact that its basic design was carried on in subsequent military issued bayonets says something about the knife (or the militarys love affair with the M8 scabbard!)
The M3 was initially issued with the M6 leather sheath which was not well received by the soldiers. Its simple riveted design and poor water proofing left it prone to rotting and falling apart. The solution was the adoption of the M8 and later M8A1 scabbard designed with a fiberglass body and steel throat. The scabbard was also used with the M4 Bayonet and several subsequent bayonets.
A small snippet of information: While the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife (Commando Dagger) may have been the most famous fighting knife produced by the British during WWII, the British SAS quickly adopted the American made M3 trench knife as their EDC fighter because it was a much better quality and more robust fighting knife. (They used the M3 Trench Knife in Italy and later in North West Europe, not during the desert campaign. They also adopted the M1 Carbine at this time. The knife also saw use in the Malayan Uprising)
As for purchasing the Ontario or Boker version, Id lean toward the Ontario but would pick up a US issued M8 scabbard. Another option is to pick up an original issue on eBay that was manufactured by any of these companies: Aerial (Aerial Cutlery Mfg. Co.), Boker (H. Boker & Co.), (Camillus Cutlery Co.), Case (W.R. Case & Sons), Imperial (Imperial Knife Co.), Kinfolks (Kinfolks Inc.), Pal (Pal Blade & Tool Co.), Robeson (Robeson Cutlery Co.), Utica (Utica Cutlery Co.)
Is there a better fighting knife out there? Id say there is always a better fighting knife. But were these other fighting knives issued to the U.S military and our allies during World War II? With the exception of the M2 Fighting Knife (Marine Corp Ka-Bar), I cant think of better Government issued fighter from WWII.
That's my two cents.
The M3 Trench knife was developed during the opening stages of WWII with the design being accepted and put into production in 1943. The knife was a replacement for the woefully inadequate 1918 Mk 1 trench knife which was developed in the closing stages of WWI (the old brass knuckled trench knife) Soldiers who had carried the Mk I found it difficult to use due to the brass knuckle grip which was slippery when wet, cold in the winter and prone to freezing to the scabbard. It also sucked for any other use than punching and short thrusts. It was very difficult to fight with and could be used for little if anything else. Thus, a simplified less slippery grip was developed and a more utilitarian blade design was developed.
The new knife, however, was to remain a chiefly a fighting/thrusting knife, with its chief purpose to be a bayonet substitute for soldiers who did not get issued a bayonet. Thus it was issued to BAR gunners, Tommy gunners, and soldiers manning crew served weapons for hand to hand fighting, not for cutting down brush or opening K-Ration boxes. The M3 was later modified and became the M4 bayonet and issued alongside the M1 Carbine. The basic blade design of the M3 knife was used on subsequent bayonets used for the M14 and M16 Rifle.
While not a revolutionary design, the knife was functional and got the job done. The fact that its basic design was carried on in subsequent military issued bayonets says something about the knife (or the militarys love affair with the M8 scabbard!)
The M3 was initially issued with the M6 leather sheath which was not well received by the soldiers. Its simple riveted design and poor water proofing left it prone to rotting and falling apart. The solution was the adoption of the M8 and later M8A1 scabbard designed with a fiberglass body and steel throat. The scabbard was also used with the M4 Bayonet and several subsequent bayonets.
A small snippet of information: While the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife (Commando Dagger) may have been the most famous fighting knife produced by the British during WWII, the British SAS quickly adopted the American made M3 trench knife as their EDC fighter because it was a much better quality and more robust fighting knife. (They used the M3 Trench Knife in Italy and later in North West Europe, not during the desert campaign. They also adopted the M1 Carbine at this time. The knife also saw use in the Malayan Uprising)
As for purchasing the Ontario or Boker version, Id lean toward the Ontario but would pick up a US issued M8 scabbard. Another option is to pick up an original issue on eBay that was manufactured by any of these companies: Aerial (Aerial Cutlery Mfg. Co.), Boker (H. Boker & Co.), (Camillus Cutlery Co.), Case (W.R. Case & Sons), Imperial (Imperial Knife Co.), Kinfolks (Kinfolks Inc.), Pal (Pal Blade & Tool Co.), Robeson (Robeson Cutlery Co.), Utica (Utica Cutlery Co.)
Is there a better fighting knife out there? Id say there is always a better fighting knife. But were these other fighting knives issued to the U.S military and our allies during World War II? With the exception of the M2 Fighting Knife (Marine Corp Ka-Bar), I cant think of better Government issued fighter from WWII.
That's my two cents.
