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VERY RARE, BIG PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS MADE D-GUARD FIGHTING KNIFE WITH LEATHER SHEATH
MADE FOR A KNOWN SERGEANT OF ENGINEERS

This is a large, very well-made D-guard fighting knife that was made in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II specifically for an American Sergeant in a Separate Engineer Battalion and has spent the last 74 years in the hands of his family until we bought it recently.    IT IS NOT some fantasy piece, or concoction.   It is the real thing, and we will be happy to supply the high bidder with the name of the man for whom it was made during World War 2. The family member from whom we bought the knife had heard the story of the knife many, many times since WW2 from his father and could recite it verbatim.

** SOLD **

The knife itself is a handful but easily fits my size large hand. The overall length of the knife is 12-¼ inches of which 7-1/8 inches is a beautifully made, double-edge steel dagger blade. That blade is cast into a 4-5/8 inch long, very solid aluminum handle. The knife weighs almost exactly one pound. It is perfectly clear from the shape and workmanship on the blade and the handle that this was not the maker's first knife. It is very well made and still very sharp. There are no identifying markings on either the blade or the handle. The blade is still very sharp, and the patina on both the knife and its leather sheath is perfectly consistent with its 74+ years of age and its origins. We have not cleaned or altered anything on this piece.

The scabbard is 100% original to the knife and was made at the same time as the knife if the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II, and the family member from whom we bought the knife explained the scabbard construction in great detail as he had heard it explained by the original WW2 veteran owner: the thin aluminum material that lines the outer leather of the scabbard still has lots of OD paint on it and the original owner said it came from the outer skin of a crashed American "P-39 or P-40 fighter airplane". He also claimed that the leather covering of the scabbard was cut from aircraft seat upholstery material.   

The scabbard is made with a 2-inch belt loop on the back side and bent metal hanging wire taken from a canteen or other piece of GI equipment so that the sheath could be hung from a common U.S. web woven utility or pistol belt. The single feature of the scabbard that was not made specifically for this knife is the marked snap loop that holds the knife handle in the scabbard and that was taken from a MARBLE knife, and probably supplied to the knife maker by the buyer. We don't know for sure.

We have carefully examined the archive of combat knives beautifully depicted in the Silvey book KNIVES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY WORLD WAR II and found many that share a lot of the features and typical workmanship evident in this knife, but none that exhibited more attention to details and exotic materials than this one does. We would call the condition of both the knife and its sheath excellent for a knife of this age.

The knife in the scabbard weighs 1 pound 7 ounces and is about 16-½ long, including the braided leather leg tie-down on the bottom end.

If you know anybody who collects World War II combat knives or military knives in general, we know that they would be happy if you'd call their attention to this fine historic piece.

** SOLD **