Howdy folks, my grandfather gave me this years ago. Not even sure it was actually his since he was in the AAF in the Aleutians as an armorer. He got a Luger somehow, so I know he collected some stuff. I was reading online how there are tons of reproductions out there made in the 1990s. That was around the time he gave the knife to me. I can't seem to find many with a straight guard like this one. It is a little loose as well. And the back looks unique to pics I have seen. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I was not planning on selling it, so if it is a reproduction, I won't be hurt. Just like to know!
Looks more like the Navy version MKII, or maybe assembled out of pieces. The blade, hilt and pommel look ground down. The handle looks like it has been shaped. That all being said it looks exactly like, what I would expect, a knife to look like that belonged to a bored guy in the Aleutians.
I don't think there is supposed to be a slotted screw on the bottom of the handle. Navy version or otherwise.
Exactly. My Boy Scout scoutmaster was an AAF armorer in the Pacific. He made the sheath knife he carried on camping trips from a file. The handle was shaped from plexiglass from an airplane windshield. It was a beautiful looking knife.
Brad, Takao, and Dave, thank you all for the comments. Dave I owe you a salute, I'm out. I just talked to my Dad this morning on fathers day, and I mentioned it to him. He said he never remembered my grandfather buying militara in later years. Regardless, someone working on P-38 lightnings would probably not have been issued a knife like this, right? This is more for infantry, paratroopers and such?
That actually looks like a Nutsert, which makes look even more likely that it was assembled out of spare parts by a bored guy in the Aleutians
I have seen him modify other knives as a kid, he loved to tinker with stuff. Thanks guys! Btw, sorry Brad, I called you Bobby by mistake. I corrected it.
I think almost all Navy flight deck people carried sheath knives in case they had to get crewmen out of planes in an emergency. Don't know if Army ground crew doubled up on crash duty during takeoffs and landings.
Don't forget that there were a an f-ton of knives "made in theater". So, if not specifically issued one, a knife such as this could be had fairly easily "outside of normal channels."
