WWII Knife Crafters Knife - Made From Civil War Sword
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2026 12:57 am
Saw this at a local auction this past weekend and decided to bid and got it. I had always been intrigued by WWII knives made from Civil War era swords. So, not knowing anything at all about swords, I posted several photos on an AI site to see if it could narrow down what sort of sword it was made from. The AI site asked numerous questions and wanted me to take photos from several different angles and it concluded: “Your Knife Crafters knife was made from the mid-section of a M1840 German made cavalry saber, almost certainly a Kirschbaum, originally imported and retailed by Horstmann of Philadelphia.” So, I went out and found a photo of a Kirschbaum M1840 and looks like the AI assessment might be correct. As I understand it, Knife Crafters was located in Philly, so seems like a logical match. There’s a hand-written name on the sheath, but neither I nor AI could determine who it was. Anyway, it’s a well made knife and it probably had some great stories to tell.
