Curio purchase (not gun sorry)

[sealocan]

here it is in its original condition when I got it.

and here's a link to the SAME photograph of the knife as it was in its original condition.
sorry it is not a before and after photo show at this point I don't have new photos yet.
I just put the link because I know my photos don't always appear or if they do they're too large.

http://i.imgur.com/JIrzpwih.jpg

[pitfighter]

Here is a great website with almost every military knife (and a lot of custom hand built ones that were made the machine shops on the ships going into the Pacific.) , a lot of information and some nice color photographs of them.

http://www.quanonline.com/military/military_reference/fighting_knives/fightingknife.php

Yes - that was the first site I visited -
I wanted an M3 fighting knife for sometime - so I'd been there before.

The leather on this is used and then some - but, it's strong and tight, and not going anywhere - I like the initials carved in, I am fine with it. I put a little leather oil on it, it's good now.
There are plenty of later blades on that site with the M8A1 scabbard - so I'll stick with this (an M8 scabbard would be nice though) - I was offered a really salty M6 leather scabbard, but it was too expensive, though in retrospect it would have been cool - but I think my blade is later than the M6 scabbard - based on the site info.

It wasn't my aim to restore the knife, but there were rust monkeys hanging off the blade, it was going to die if I didn't do something!!!!!

Another favorite knife of mine is the British MOD survival knife - they had them in Retting for a while, all gone now.

PS - I am getting the same knife pic for your before and after images.

[sealocan]

here's a photo of the pommel and it also looked like it had seen its share of hard use but was built so strongly that it still is solid as a rock.




I also want to add that I only paid $5.00 and have found out since then, that it is worth over $100 in mint condition.
and I've got it into at least good condition.

but that really doesn't matter because I never plan to sell it.

[sealocan]

sorry for the confusion. it was not a before and after photo show, I don't have pictures of the knife and its new condition. I just put a link as well is a photo of the knifes origional conditions.

the leather sheath that was issued with my knife is a hard to find (inexpensively) left-handed design.

the military thinking was your G.I.Colt 1911 .45 automatic was going to be on your right hip so the knife should sit on your left side.

people are often mistaken that these were only issued to quartermasters for opening crates.
evidence has been found that proves without a doubt that so many were made and then purchased during World War II by our government that it had to be more of a general issue item.
it was also something to the military did not keep strict itemized numbered records of ( Unlike things like rifles or machine guns.) so many found their way home with the GI's returning back to the USA.

[pitfighter]

Yours looks like a handy blade - I'd carry it at the shooting range.

The M3 however, was really only designed with one purpose in mind - and it wasn't utilitarian.

[Tom-ADC]

here it is in its original condition when I got it.

and here's a link to the SAME photograph of the knife as it was in its original condition.
sorry it is not a before and after photo show at this point I don't have new photos yet.
I just put the link because I know my photos don't always appear or if they do they're too large.

http://i.imgur.com/JIrzpwih.jpg

Sealocan I have five of those, 3 of the blades are a little better then yours the other two are worse. All the handles were shot the leather washers just came apart in my fingers, I now have disassembled all of them and using the best parts doing a refurb, I sold a few off had 8 I think. I soaked the pommels in "Oil of Wintergreen" overnight the pins tapped out not sure I can reuse them if not screw nails will work.I bought two different sets of washers I think one set is two thin for these the other set is thicker takes 5 to make just over a inch so 20 for the handle. If this works out I'll post pictures.

[Tom-ADC]

This is my before picture:

[2761377]

here's a couple pics of-

-my undated Utica M3 and original M8 scabbard,

-the U.S.M.C. Ka-Bar found in the rafters of my sister's garage the day after escrow closed.

WW2 blades are a collector's abyss. must resist, yet I still really want a fallschirmjager gravity knife.

[pitfighter]

(I show the pics of these as I just went through 20 pages of photo bucket trying to find a pic of my FJ knife, and cannot, and realize talking about something you owned without being able to prove it is borderline BS nowadays. ..)

G41(w)


G41(m)

[2761377]

^^^^

sorry for the crappy focus; any photo quality from me is pure luck.



one of the pommel-



as regards the gravity knife- I did not know they were used by regular air crew; I thought only by Parachute Infantry. I've never actually beheld one in real life either. it's always been an abstract desire anyway since posession would be dubious legally.

at one time, 20 years ago, I had the idea of collecting WW2 semi-auto rifles. this had started with my Garand fetish. through Gunlist, I acquired a nice Walther G-43. boy, that thing was a clunker. not ergonomic for me at all. to be honest, I considered myself lucky to find a crack in the rear cover that justified my returning it.

live and learn. thanks for the input on the knife.

[2761377]

better pic of guard-

[pitfighter]

Thanks for the close ups they are great - we have the same knife - in different condition

Here is the only pic I can find of my Luftwaffe knife - see top of pic below ammo box.

[Gutter]

That scabbard looks much better in those pics than it did in the box in my garage. Glad it found a good home

Had a change to pick up an M3 in an M8A1 at an estate sale this weekend, but was 20 minutes too late (had to settle for the m/1896 Swedish Mauser bayonet instead). Looks like I missed out.

[pitfighter]

I am very happy with it, thank you, Gutter

[Tom-ADC]

here it is in its original condition when I got it.

and here's a link to the SAME photograph of the knife as it was in its original condition.
sorry it is not a before and after photo show at this point I don't have new photos yet.
I just put the link because I know my photos don't always appear or if they do they're too large.

http://i.imgur.com/JIrzpwih.jpg

I don't think these were parkerized at least mine don't appear to have been. Any way I used automotive rubbing compound and a buffing wheel mounted on a drill motor and except for the real deep pitting the blades cleaned up real good.