WWll Western Combat fighting knives

[bracebeemer]

I’ve never posted in this section before but I had my modest collection of WWll Western Cutlery of Boulder Co. fighting knives out so I grabbed my phone and took a few pictures. The knife on the left is the G46-6 known as the “Shark”. The middle knife is the G46-8,an 8” fighting knife. The knife on the right is the L77 Commando stiletto knife. Thanks for your interest. Bill

 

[jpage]

Were they private purchase during WW2 ?

 

[BAM-BAM]

Those are coooool and new ones to me! Thanks for posting.

 

[bracebeemer]

I’m not an expert on these knives but they were made for the military and issued to various units. Bill

 

[Oscar Zulu]

My father, a F-84 pilot in the Korean War, carried a small Western in the leg pocket of his flight suit. He told me he bought it in Japan. Said it was kept in reach while flying in case his life raft inflated in the cockpit! I still have the knife, the blade being sharpened to about half its original depth. It dressed a lot of deer and elk since the 50's.
Oscar Zulu

 

[Onomea]

Bracebeemer, check out an earlier thread of mine for some more info: http://smith-wessonforum.com/firear...557108-old-knife.html?highlight=western+knife

 

[MCorps0311]

Those are very nice thanks for sharing!

 

[Texas Star]

I've seen pics of Navy fighter pilots with the shark knife. I doubt that two or three pilots standing together had made the same private knife choice so they were probably issued aboard that carrier.

They may have been bought with general Navy procurement or through ship's funds.

Watch the Korean war epic, "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" and look at the pilots' knives. Wm. Holden has one style of Western and his squadron leader wears another, very like one seen here. These were probably authentic choices on the carrier where the drama was filmed.

One may have been left over from WW II.

I bought a small Western knife from another airman in the mid 1960's, but used it only as intended, a trout and small game knife. I still have it. The leather sheath is floral stamped. I had larger Randall, Buck (Model 105) , and Gil Hibben knives for more serious endeavors, and my first good knife, a German Bavarian style one by Anton Wingen & Co. in Solingen. I got that one when I was about nine and still have it.

I carried a Wostenholm (IX*L) Boy Scout knife for a pocket utility item until I got my first Swiss Army knife in 1966.

I've been a knife buff since I was a fan of Tarzan and Jungle Jim as a lad.

Oh: another airman I knew had a Western (brand) Bowie with eight-inch blade. But it was a more modern style than than seen here.

 

[Bakebfr480]

Are they reproductions? Very shiny also, have you polished the blades?

 

[Texas Star]

Are they reproductions? Very shiny also, have you polished the blades?

Never saw any Western repros. And the blade finish is typical of Western knives.They've just been well cared for.

But they aren't stainless. Use them, and the blades rapidly discolor.

 

[Texas Star]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyySr3pyD4w[/ame]

Observe carefully, and if you're knowledgeable, you'll recognize the Western and PAL RH-36 knives on these F-9F Panther pilots.

In the book, Lt. Brubaker (Holden) was a Denver lawyer until called up for Navy duty, so a Western knife made in Boulder, CO seems a likely choice. Note that the pommel of his knife was drilled for a wrist thong.

His tan sheath looks nice & shiny, probably not worn much.

See YouTube for the next segment, where he's shot down. That'll let you fans of the S&W Victory Model see his .38.

 

[bracebeemer]

Bake, no they are not reproductions. The blades on these Westerns are a high polish blue. These knives are in unissued and unsharpened condition. They are very shiny! Bill

 

[Maddog 521]

My father-in-law gave me his Pal RH36 many years ago. I still have it and cherish it. He was in the Army Air Corp and was a gunner in one of the turrets. He died many years ago and took many of his stories and memories with him. Sure wish I could have a conservation with him today. Thanks for the info and pictures.

 

[ordnanceguy]

Bill:

That is a beautiful set of blades. Nothing modest about your collection. All very impressive stuff!

If you end up going crazy, like so many of us do when chasing stuff for our collections, you may want to hunt down examples of these Western Cutlery knives of WW2. They are the Life Raft knife and the 4 blade Engineers' utility knife. They took me a long time to find.

 

[Texas Star]

What does the life raft knife look like outside the sheath?

 

[ordnanceguy]

What does the life raft knife look like outside the sheath?

You're looking at it. The knife is shown with the curved, blunt end blade outside of the sheath. The blunt tip is designed to reduce the chance of an accidental puncture of the life raft. The yellow handle on the knife allows it to float and it has a lanyard to keep it from drifting away. The male snap on the handle fits into the female snap on the leather sheath when the blade is inserted. The sheath even has the double stitching which was a characteristic of most of the Western sheaths. The blade is marked "Western" in very small letters. The British military had a similar knife which the US borrowed heavily from in designing this knife.