Your knife pick for WWII

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I'd probably use the sheath knife/bayonet and the "Demo" knife I was issued.

I suspect the "Demo" knife would see the most use.
How oft was a sheath knife or bayonet actually used during combat by the "average" trooper in WW II?
My guess is about as oft as a bow and arrow or a spear.

 

I think this combo would do.


Im not rightly sure, but I expect my grandfather probably carried a pocket knife at best since he was driving a tank.

 

Btw that fixed blade I made as a teenager from a 1960's ARMY cooks knife my dad gave me as a project since it's tip had been broken somewhere along the line.

It's not WW2 era but certainly could have existed and would definitely not seem out of place.

 

Yes, leather will rot away when Keaton will not.

I can tell you that our military made some knives with hard rubber scales instead of leather or plastic for the South Pacific theatre because of rotting leather.
I want to say it was for the M4 but I could be wrong. Chances are I am wrong on the model #.

 

If a Case 337Q was not available I would take a Western 8-inch Fighting knife. I have one that has had the leather washer handle replaced by some kind of tropical hardwood, probably as the leather rotted off in the Pacific? John

 

I’d take a Randall model 1 with a cast aluminum handle with the knuckles and death head pommel.

Some of the Navy machinists mates would take aluminum from Japanese planes and cast handles for the rotted leather handles. Creating the ultimate theatre made “trench art”.

 

You are probably thinking of these
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/324342-eugene-w-stone-wwii-knuckle-knives/?

 

Yep. That’s what I was talking about. Pretty cool piece of history. Thanks for the link.

 

History sure has a strange way of making things relavant to the times ...

 

I’d pack in almost any survival/war/combat scenario 3 edged tools

1. Leatherman .... for obvious reasons





2. Sam Lurquin Hurak

Sams design is the biggest little knife I have. With a full size Bowie handle this 4 inch bladed knife serves any duty from eating to defending yourself it’s just a workhorse of a knife. It’s stout nature and convex edge make it a good Cutter with a strong tip. I have these in a few different steels. The first one pictured here is Maraging steel. This is an unusual steel that for me has proven to be tough and takes a decent edge. The second is W2.





3. Mirabile Dragonfly Cutter

This strapped to a pack would be a great camp piece and entry tool



For those that say it’s to heavy to pack



And per the OP’s desire for a sentry removal tool

 

Exploring some old pill boxes with a Glock knife. Found an hunter’s errant arrow in the brush nearby.

Not the flashiest but definitely tough. This would be my pick.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maraging_steel

very interesting stuff - used for fencing blades because it resists cracking & is very strong... but with about 18% Nickel the downside is you really shouldn't use it for food prep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel#Toxicity
& since you have likely over 10% Cobalt, this also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt#Precautions

 

For a modern utility/fighting blade to carry back into war in WW2, I'd say a Peltonen Sissipuukko M95 mark 2 (the one made by Laurin Metalli, from 80CrV2 steel as it is extremely tough). In the plastic ambidextrous sheath. Finnish soldiers seem quite attached to their sissipuukkos (purchased with their own money), still train to fight a guerilla war against invaders and their elders actually were just about the only people ever to fight the Soviet army to a standstill and prevent them from occupying their country. They also used, and use, northern short machetes (the Hukari) for camp work. The modern Skrama bush tool from Terävä is a very much improved version of those, so I'd take that one, too.
I'd also take a good multitool, like a Leatherman Rebar.

 

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I hope this picture comes through.This is the knife my Dad carried in WWII and I carried his knife through two tours in Vietnam.Guess you can say that it is my favorite.

 

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There,that worked. This is the one Dad carried in the 2nd and I carried in the Nam. I'm proud of Dad's knife.I hope he is looking down at me with a smile.

 

Pics of said Western?

 

Wow, I'd love to have pics of my Dad's service, you're very lucky.

 

While the FS dagger is great for taking out an enemy, it's too fragile for the other daily tasks a combat knife would be subjected to in my opinion. If I could carry 2, it might get a nod, but I'm thinking a Kabar and a Machete would be a better grouping for me.

 

I do have pictures of my dad in uniform but that is not him in the photo. That photo is of a bomber crew on Okinawa. My dad was an electrician mate, rated 1st Fireman on the U.S.S. Dayton during the final sorties of the war (last wartime actions bombarding the Japanese shore). Black gang (black uniforms)/below decks. Their shakedown cruise was in the Caribbean with gunnery practice on Trinidad and I know part of that was rigging signalling and target confirmations, as I have topographical maps of the island. It is unclear whether the Watermans were a bulk buy for the ship, issued as part of the kit. Launched in NJ, he had gone straight from high school to Rochester training to the cruiser. He would only refer to it as "the knife", although he also had a two blade electrician's knife.

E.G.Waterman was NY based and did submit examples to the Gov but there were no known contracts. There were several types and at least three variations during the war. The company was still selling during the 1950s and I believe all with red spacers and particularly the camp set pictured are post WWII. They were plentiful and economical as recently as ten years ago but it seems the market has dried up a bit. Still, they can be found occasionally for what a brand new KaBAR costs.

Cheers
GC

 

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That would be a Western G46-8, a pattern that actually predated the war and lasted past it.

Cheers
GC