Home Home
   Swat the Shopping Bug to view related military items!

US M3 CAMILLUS FIGHTING KNIFE

This is an M3 fighting knife. As issued during WWII. The M3 fighting knife or M3 trench knife was an American military combat knife first issued in March 1943. The M3 was originally designated for issue to soldiers not otherwise equipped with a bayonet. However, it was particularly designed for use by elite or 'shock' forces in need of a close-combat knife such as airborne troops and Army Rangers, and these units received priority for the M3 at the start of production. As more M3 knives became available in 1943 and 1944, the knife was issued to other soldiers such as Army Air Corps crewmen and soldiers not otherwise equipped with a bayonet, including soldiers issued the M1 Carbine or submachine gun.

The M3 trench knife was discontinued in August 1944. After the M1 Carbine was modified to accept a knife-type bayonet, the M3's blade and handle design was incorporated on the new bayonet, officially designated the Bayonet, U.S. M4.





The knife featured here has a handle made of compressed leather rings. The blade is stileto style. Double ebge. The markings "US M3 CAMILLUS" are stamped along the blade. This is a more desirable attribute. The pommel is flat black steel.

The scabbard is made of leather. Sinegle snap on the upper section. Silver rivets along the perimeter. Heavy duty White thread stitching applied along the edge. The words "Camillus USA" are stamped on back.




This page is a recognition and identification guide for military fighting knives. Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points that should be noted.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my fighting knife worth?". A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the knives is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the edge weapons in the collector's market is illustrated.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com, a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
  1. FAQ's
  2. knife anatomy
  3. knife construction materials
  4. knife makers and markings
  5. Fighting knife blade types
  6. Identifying fakes and reproductions
  7. Purchasing a fighting knife
  8. Perspective View






The M-3 knife was manufactured by the following companies;

COMPANY NAME BLADE MARKING CITY
Aerial Aerial Cutlery Mfg. Co.
Boker H. Boker & Co. / BOker
Camillus Camillus Cutlery Co. / Camillus New York
Case W.R. Case & Sons / CASE
Imperial Imperial Knife Co. / Imperial
Kinfolks Kinfolks Inc.
PAL Pal Blade & Tool Co. / PAL
Robeson Robeson Cutlery Co.
Utica Utica Cutlery Co. / Utica
Viner Viner Bros. / Viner








This edge weapon is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the collectible.



If you have an interest is seeing other fighting knives, you can do so by going to our Military Fighting Knives Price Guide identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Army Air Force, USMC and other organizations.

The knife shown here is not for sale. However, similar items to it are available at MilitaryItems.com . Even if a similar item is not available right now, make sure to visit often as new items arrive almost in a daily basis.












PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for WWII fighting knives and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com . The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Value $150.00 $160.00 $170.00 $190.00 $200.00 $220.00 $240.00 $250.00 $280.00 $310.00 $330.00 $350.00
Availability Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare
Invest Grade A A A A A A A A A A A A

  MARKET ANALYSIS
Jan 8th, 2017
Blade stamped M3 knives are scarce. The item featured here is in very nice condition. A knife sought after collectors. The value will go up over the years.


While the item featured here is not for sale, similar items like it are available for purchase in our website MilitaryItems.com


 
� 1997 - 2022 MilitaryItems.com - All rights reserved.