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WWI US Army trench fighting Knife - L.F. & Co.
A fighting knife, also commonly called a combat knife, is a knife designed for military use, specifically for close combat. Although since the end of trench warfare, most military knives have been primarily designed for utility
or tool use. Activities such as clearing foliage, chopping branches for cover, opening ammunition crates, etc.
Trench knives are either purpose-made weapons, or are made from cut-down (shortened) bayonets or swords, and intended for close-quarter fighting, the design originating in the trench warfare of the First World War. They were particularly useful for trench raiding operations, along with other mêlée weapons.
The United States employed several trench knives during WWI. The one featured on this page is one of them.
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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.
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The design of the knife consists of a wooden handle with a heavy duty handguard on one side. The handguard
doubles as knuckle busters. It has triangular shape protrution that serve as a striking surface. The pommel
also has a triangular point that can be employed to deliver an overhead strike with downward force. The
top of the triangle in the pommel is capped with a rivet that holds the assembly together.
The handle bears the manufacturer's markings which are located in the lower section and read "U.S. L.F. &
Co, 1917".
The blade is of triangular shape. The reson for this design was to inflict as much damage as possible
when cutting the enemy. A wound caused by a triangular shaped blade is harder to heal than one caused
by a normal blade. Triangular blades were outlawed by international law after the war.
The scabbard is of tubular shape, leather construction with a metal tip and a metal throat. The
design presented some difficulties because metal is stronger than leather. over time the points
where the leather meets the metal wear out and breakage begins. This problem is more present
when pulling out the knife from the scabbard.
The leather portion shows some heavy duty stiching where the closure occurs.
This style of US trench fighting knife was produced by several companies. Our collection includes the
following examples:
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