Favorite WWII Knife

[THE PILGRIM]

During WWII, the U.S. military bought more different knives than it ever did before or since.
Just the variations in one knife, the Navy Mark I are seemingly endless.
The Navy just sent out an loose spec and told the knife companies to make and ship knives.
The KaBar was made in large numbers and widely used by the Navy, a Marines and others.
There were a number of specialized blades made in very small numbers.
I have some Mk1 black switchblade paratrooper knives, made by Shrade, fairly rare.
But it it gets to what is your favorite WWII knife?
I go with the Cattaraugus 225Q. It was somewhat of a specialized commando knife, but quite a few of them survived in the USA. That usually means they weren't shipped overseas.
When knives went overseas most of them usually didn't return.
Just the ones that returned with surviving vets.

 

[ATF]

I've always liked the shape of the British SAS Commando knife. It's sole purpose is to kill. The Nazi's made some beautiful silver daggers that go for $1000's of dollars now if you can find them

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I've always liked the shape of the British SAS Commando knife. It's sole purpose is to kill. The Nazi's made some beautiful silver daggers that go for $1000's of dollars now if you can find them

I have seen a bunch of the nazi blades.
Most of them are very well made.
I especially like the paratrooper gravity knife and the Red Cross Knife.
But I don't really like anything nazi stamped and don't want or have any.

 

[ATF]

I have seen a bunch of the nazi blades.
Most of them are very well made.
I especially like the paratrooper gravity knife and the Red Cross Knife.
But I don't really like anything nazi stamped and don't want or have any.

Yes I agree I don't buy Lugers for the same reason.

 

[RudyN]

I have the KaBar that my father carried in the Navy.

 

[Ματθιας]

I've accumulated a collection of WW2 bladed weapons - Bayonets mostly. I managed to find a Case 337 quartermaster knife locally - but I paid for it... That was a tough one to find.
I have a couple of K-bars with different blade shapes.
I also have a Hiteryouth knife that was made into a boyscout knife with the red and white swastika diamond replaced with a green boyscout logo.

 

[Frizzman]

I have an old worn Kabar that was chrome plated and was carried by a friend's father when he was a Seebee in the Pacific. He traded it to me for something that I don't remember. The blade has been worn down by lots of sharpening and the leather discs have shrunk and are loose but I still prize the history it has had...I agree with the other comments regarding Nazi stuff. My father spent WWII trying to kill Nazis and I have no use for anything associated with them...That stuff gives me the creeps.

 

[bamacisa]

I have two Cattarugus 225Q knives. My Dad bought them brand new shortly after WW2. I have been told that they were quartermaster knives. Maybe that is what the Q stands for?

 

[30-30remchester]

I have been a collector for a few decades now. One of the things I do is study old photos, looking for guns and knives. Pilgrim mentioned his favorite 225Q quartermasters knife. I have only seen a few photos of soldiers wearing this model. The believe I had about these knives, (and it is only a believe as I have no evidence to back up my assumptions) is this model of knife was mainly used behind the lines by quartermasters. I assumed the heavy blade was used for prying open crates and the heavy pommel was for hammering the nails back in. I have acquired a few of these over the decades, both Case and Cattaraugus. I have one Case that has many owners names and locations etched into the sheath. This knife must have been lost in a dozen poker games to have so much history inscribed upon its sheath. I have many favorites, but a particular favorites are the Western blue bladed shark pattern knives. On another note, I have just posted on a military forum, a story about a homemade knife that took me 28 years to uncover its story. I will post some pictures in a day or two on this forum of this knife and the results of my nearly 3 decades of research trying to locate the original owner.

 

[JOBYT]

My fav

I am a Western fan myself and do have a couple of sharks.The L77 has always been my favorite.Thought I'd throw in my favorite WWII revolver as well.

 

[Drm50]

K-Bar

K-Bar by far. I sill have mine from VN. Sometimes a little bigger
than you need, but it will do about anything required of a knife.
Easy to sharpen and holds good edge. The dagger type knives
are only good for one thing, sticken! If you are going to carry a
knife you can't go wrong with the old K-Bar!

 

[HarryD]

This is been a really great thread for me to read, I have a couple of I guess World War II military knives that I know absolutely nothing about. One is a sheath knife, The other is a bayonet with a metal sheath. I will take some photographs and post if you guys would be so kind as to tell me what they are I would certainly appreciate it.

 

[snubshooter]

My favorite WWII blade is my Plumb machine gunner's Bolo.
I got it at my first gun show when I was 10.

 

[30-30remchester]

I am a Western fan myself and do have a couple of sharks.The L77 has always been my favorite.Thought I'd throw in my favorite WWII revolver as well.

I own several tubs full of US military knives and I have never owned the coveted L77 or the uber rare L76. You are a lucky man. I sold my Case smatchet in order to buy a L77, and by the time I got my money, the knife was gone. My most valuable but un-interesting WW 2 knife I own is a Cole 9 knuckle dagger. Just doesn't do anything for me.

 

[JohnRippert]

I have to say that the bowie point M1 Garand bayonet is my pick. Fits my hand size well.

 

[loc n load]

WWII vet

This is a RH 36 PAL....it belonged to an Uncle of mine who made several of the island landings with the USMC in the Pacific in WWII. It has outlived three leather sheath's. I used to carry it afield, but stopped doing so....got too much history to risk losing it.

 

[jlrhiner]

I have to say that the bowie point M1 Garand bayonet is my pick. Fits my hand size well.

You realize thats a cutdown, right?

 

[Frank46]

Still have the pilot's survival knife I got while in the navy many moons ago. Not much to look at but does bring back some memories. Frank

 

[Texas Star]

I recently saw a WWII photo of a US photographer using a movie camera and on his belt was a 225Q knife. I think more served in battle zones than some think. I read an article on them by Chuck Karwan a few years before he died and he thought they were frequently issued as combat knives.

I'm torn between rhe First Model Fairbairn-Sykes and the M-3. The M-3 was sometimes pictured upside down, the result of a photographer knowing nothing about knives.

I do like the WWII Ka-Bars, really made first by Camillus. Current ones have thicker handles, not to my liking.

I'm sure that many men carried Remington and PAL knives as well as Marble's Ideal Model, which inspired the Ka-Bar. And Randall's Model 1 debuted in 1942. Buck sold to soldiers, too. These were all private purchase knives. The men bought what they could find or had before the war, if they were hunters or campers.

You can find some photos of M-3's strapped to paratroopers' boots.

 

[BubbaBlades]

This is a Randall Knife that was made in Springfield MS during WWII. It is my favorite WWII knife but it would become even more of a favorite if I knew its history.

Mark