This is a nice complete example of the 1918 Trench knife with its original scabbard (which are usually lost) used by American troops in France during the First World War.  It was produced by Landers, Frary, and Lark aka LF&C in 1918.  This is one of the better examples we've seen still showing most of its blackened finish on the blade and a considerable amount left on the handle with the brass showing through mostly along the sides and around the finger grips.  The skull crusher on the bottom is intact and unaltered.  Interestingly enough, many of these 1918's ended up in the hands of soldiers during World War 2. 

I can remember my step-grandfather telling me about his service in the Army during World War 2.  He was an 18 year old Quaker from North Carolina when he joined up so they made him a medic.  He was assigned to a re-con unit that were some of the first to come ashore at Okinawa in 1945.  He explained that there was a great deal of intense fighting on that island...that you either ran or crawled everywhere you went.  At any rate, there was a guy in his unit who had a Model 1918 trench knife that was given to him by his father or grandfather who had used one like it in hand-to-hand combat in World War One.  Well, my grandfather admired his knife and this fellow liked his watch which glowed in the dark (I guess that was a big deal in 1945) so they made a bet.  If either one got killed on Okinawa, they would get the knife or the watch.  Unfortunately, the fellow with the knife was later killed by a Japanese soldier in a sugar cane field and George, my grandfather, received his knife from another comrade. He carried it with him for the remainder of the battle and still has it to this day.

Item# 0535

$695.00 SOLD