I've been looking at photos of World War I knives. Most of them have a utilitarian design, except for some of the knuckledusters.

First, 2 American knuckedusters

M1917 with a 9 inch triangular stiletto blade.
Replaced by the M1918 trench knife, 11.5 inches overall with a 6.125 two-edged blade.

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M1917

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M1918

Here are 2 English knuckledusters

A very mean looking aluminum push knife.

I'm pretty sure the other is also English. It seems similar to some of the American civil war D-guard bowies. Lke many of those knives, the blade migtht have been made from a worn out file.

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Push Knife

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Theres a staggering array of these knives out there. Everything from military issue, to private contract or purchase as well as home made/trench art. I've owned a number of these over the years but my father has/had one of the best i've ever seen. It started off life as an sword bayonette for I believe an Enfield Rifled musket. It was cut down during WWI to be used as a trench knife and went into action again in WWII for the same purpose. It had been in the same family since the ACW and whoever in the familly cut it down to be a trench knife in WWI had put the family names and history into the sheath that they made for the cut down bayonette and then whatever family member carried it in WWII added his name and service date to the sheath.

Here is an Austrian trench knife, followed by a couple of German ones. There are some private designs on the German side, plus a whole bunch of general issues that of course, look exactly alike

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Austrian

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German

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Another German trench knife

In 1916, the English baron de Walden, an aristocratic antiquarian had a knife designed for the Royal Welch Fusiliers machine gunners based on a Welsh short sword called a Cledd. It has a leaf shaped blade with a folding guard,an overall length of 23.5 inches, blade length 17.5 inches, widest point - 3 inches. Those that have picked them up say they are too heavy for easy use. Maybe they worked better as camp knives.

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Here are a couple of bolo knives, generally used as a tool by the engineering corps. or the machine gunners to help create their gun emplacements. Teh first has a 15.5 inch blade, the second M1917 Bolo has a 10.375 inch blade.


And let's not forget that weapon of convenience favored by Erich Maria Remarque, the sharpened entrenching tool.

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M1917 Bolo

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Atlanta Cutlery (Windlass Steelcrafts) offers a few trench knife designs:

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I've often wondered about the connection between these two German WWII-era designs. Folks who like the look of the German trench knives but don't want to wear a fixed-blade knife should consider this Mercator k55 ( http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...hlight=k55 ). I still love mine and carry it every day. Great design.

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Matthew - I'm pleased that I was able to put up a photo that will be helpful to you.

Many of these knives must show up in this book by Frederick J. Stephens, shown below. Unfortunately, it is out of print and used copies start at $80.00.

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If anyone is interested, you can get custom replica trench and fighting knives here:

http://homepage.mac.com/dbrock76/Menu8.html

Here is a French trench knife, Model 1916, overall length 11". blade length, 6.5"

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I am a knife collector i don't have Trench knife Model 1916 some idea where i can buy this? thanks.

http://snyderstreasures.com/pages/knuckle_knives.htm

Matthew,
Splendid job on the scabbard! You are quite lucky to own one of these rare short swords/knives.

Jonathan