My father-in-law gave me a few old things this weekend....

An M5 bayonet and scabbard that fits on a M1 Garand
A bayonet and scabbard for a 1873 Springfield trap-door rifle
A wicked looking trench knife and scabbard.
A Martin machete made in Belgium.

Anybody know anything about the trench knife? The only marking is a arrow on the handle. It fits real nice into the metal scabbard. Is it a reproduction or real? I think this is similar to some used in WWI. I would hate to for someone to get ahold of me with this thing!! You could ruin somebody's whole day.

He also gave me a little 1970s Case copperhead 62109x (delrin) that cleaned up real nice, and a Crosmann 2240 pellet pistol......

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Unk

If you don't watch the news, you are uninformed. If you watch the news, you are misinformed.

Unfortunately, this is the only place I've ever seen that trench knife: http://usmilitaryknives.com/m1918mk1.htm

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The beatings will continue until morale has improved...

Thanks Elbertson,

I kinda figured the trench knife was a repro. It doesn't have the patina of a 100 year old knife. It's still a pretty cool novelty, though.

I think the bayonets are the real deal, from what I can tell (although I am no expert). My father-in-law gave the guns (the M1 Garand and the Springfield trap-door) to my brother-in-law, and I got the bayonets - lol.

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Unk

If you don't watch the news, you are uninformed. If you watch the news, you are misinformed.

I'm not a bayonet expert, but your M5 looks good to me, and in real fine shape. I have doubts about the M8A1 scabbard, though. The lack of U.S. before the M8A1 and any manufacturers initials is something I can't find any reference to, so it may be a commercial item or reproduction. Here's a link to US Model 1855/1873 bayonets that may help you: http://arms2armor.com/Bayonets/us1855sb.htm
Can't see why the machete wouldn't be right...sheath is obviously adapted from a barrel cover.

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The beatings will continue until morale has improved...

The trench knife looks to me like one of the old Enfield "spike" bayonets that has had a different handle put on it. The scabbard looks exactly as I remember the spike bayonet scabbards.

Whether or not it is "issue" material, I've no idea.

I had over a 100 of those damn things at one time. Couldn't sell 'em for a buck a piece in the 80's. Peddled 'em off for use as tent stakes. LOL

Had a tub full of M-5 bayonets back when they weren't worth anything either. The steel in those things is too soft to make a decent knife of any kind out of.

You'd think the old man would have kept the guns and bayonets together and given each of you one. Oh well.

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Member of The West Texas Chapter Of Gun Ownin', Pickup Truck Drivin', Jingoistic, Right Wing, History Changin', Huge Carbon Footprint Leavin' Conspirators.

Sorry to revisit this old subject but I can help with the mysterious M8A1 scabbard shown above. The scabbard was made in Taiwan for the Nationalist Chinese Military as indicated by the marking beneath the throat. Apparently the bayonet and scabbard were Nationalist Chinese surplus. The Taiwanese military received a great deal of military aid from the US during the Cold War and this bayonet was part of that.

Greece apparently also had a contract for scabbards with this Taiwanese company as indicated in Gary Cunningham's "Bayonet Points" article here:

http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/bayo_points_36.htm

A Greek M-7 Scabbard with this marking for the US M1 bayonet is shown at the end of the article.

gew8805 - Welcome aboard. Grab a rack, stow your gear and report for duty.

Unk - If the Trench Knife is a marriage as Willie suggests, the handle looks to have been issue. The arrow is the British Ministry of Defense acceptance broad arrow or a very good reproduction. A little research uncovered the following.

http://www.jerzeedevil.com/forums/showt ... ench-Knife


Here’s a quick switch to the UK. It is WWII vintage and reportedly was manufactured for the invasion of the Continent; D-Day (yeah, they were there, too). The need for fighting knives during the War was critical and often designs came from the need for knives that could be made quickly, inexpensively and did I mention – quickly?

It is well made with brass knuckles, spike type blade, scabbard and frog. This same type of spike was used on many of the British rifles as bayonets (SMLE) during the same period, so they were readily available. British Broad Arrow proofed during the manufacturing process. Many knives similar to this utilized during the War were virtually ignored and were not cataloged until recently. As a result, they were ignored by collectors as ‘fakes’, of course until an actual photo or combat record proves otherwise.

I have read instructions for both US and UK forces as to the ‘proper’ use of the spike type blade in combat. In fact, use of spike type knives was also taught when I served. I remember thinking how very interesting it is; the many efficient ways we (people) come up with which to kill each other.

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Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012

Thanks for the welcome jerryd6818.

Your M5 bayonet was made by Jones and Dickinson Tool Company - they received one contract in 1954. Your M8A1 scabbard is not a repro, but is of Nationalist Chinese manufacture (Formosa, Free China, Taiwan) for use by their armed forces (we armed a lot of allies in the post WW-II / Cold War era).

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1970 Buck 301 that started my pocketknife collecting ways!