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THE HISTORY OF THE M3 FIGHTING KNIFE

Knives have been a key fighting weapon in every war. No matter how advanced the technology, a good knife always has a place in battle.
A special breed of knives saw extensive development during WWII. Known as the "fighting knife". While it could be employed for the uses of a regular knife, its primary goal was for hand-to-hand combat. The design, balance and materials employed varied from the run of the mill knife.

This page provides a sample of the various fighting knives used during WWI and beyond. The samples displayed here cover various countries that participated in the war. Information provided includes the identification of fighting knives and pricing of fighting knives.

The M3 knife was one of the most successful fighting knives during WWII. This weapon was favored by paratrooper forces as well as the regular GI.




The design of the knife consists of a round metal pommel. the handle is composed of a series of compressed leather rings. when put together it forms a series of peaks and valleys that enhance the gripping ability. The crossguard has one protion that is straight while the other is bent downwardly. The blade is of double edge construction.





The M3 knife can be marked in a few different places. The picture on the left shows the blade marking which is harder to find. The photo on the right illustrates the crossguard marking.

In both cases the information displayed includes the knife model and the manufacturer's name.

The following are some example of the scabbards used with the M-3 knife. In some cases the scabbards are not the ones that were issued officially by the US government. The reason why may be that the scabbard may have been lost or damaged in the field but the soldier wanted to continued carrying the knife. He would make one himself or hire a local shop to make one for him. Another reason why the scabbard may differ is because after the war, when the knives hit the surplus market, the scabbards may have not been available for sale so the enthusiast would have to get one made on his/her own.



This scabbard is made of fiberglass. A metal throat piece is stamped with the markings USM8A1. A canvis section is attached to the back fo the scabbard. This is how the knife was attached to a utility belt.

This is a custom leather scabbard. The perimeter of the scabbard is secured with rivets and heavy duty stiching. An extra piece of leather forms a belt loop near the handle. A set of snaps ensures the knife will be held in place.

This is the official leather scabbard for the M-3 fighting knife. Complete with the leather leg ties. The scabbard is enforces with a setries of rivets and white cotton stiching. A metal square is riveted near the bottom section.



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

The information provided here is brought to you courtesy of MilitaryItems.com . The premiere provider of military collectibles to museums, education institutions and the general public.






 
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