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1 vintage U.S. World War II premium theater/home front fighting knife available.  In 1942, the U.S. military didn’t have enough fighting knives to provide to its troops so there were War drives where hunting knives, etc. were donated by regular people for the War effort.  This WW2 knife is marked on the scabbard ‘LT. BERNARD B. BEARSON, TC    B-5968‘.  This theater combat knife would make an important addition to any collection.

Theater knives are fighting knives made by soldiers or craftsman here at home for soldiers, or were hunting knives, etc. that were donated by the citizens for the War effort.  Knives made by soldiers were often made with materials that were readily available to them–like plexiglass spacers made from enemy aircraft windshields, aluminum, brass, leather, and blades or handles from Issue fighting knives.  

This WW2 fighting knife is similar to a Foster Bros. knife.  The blade on this knife is etched ‘ROBINSON KNIFE   SPRINGVILLE, N.Y.  CARBON STEEL U.S.A.’.  This WWII knife measures 10 1/4″ overall.  The blade itself measures 5 1/2″.  The knife handle is also marked with the G.I.’s Serial #: ‘B5968’. 

1 vintage U.S. WW2 V-44 fighting knife available.  This theater V-44’s scabbard is marked with the Alaska theater.  This World War II V-44 would make an important addition to any collection. 

This V-44 is theater-made.  Note the unique brass guard, and the oversized handle.  This knife measures 15″ overall.  The blade itself measures 9 11/16″. 

The front of the scabbard is marked ‘1943   ALASKA   1945‘.  The back of the scabbard is marked ‘WW2  11TH AIR FORCE   SGT. JOHN B. SLIPP‘. 

The leg tie-down thong is woven into a combat braid.

This offering is for the exact knife that was photographed for Mike Silvey’s Knives of the United States Military–World War II.  This knife appears on page 192 of the book. 

Note the comparison photos.  This theater stiletto was made using the blade from a Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife.  The handle is made of aluminum, aircraft plexiglass, and colored spacers.  This knife measures 11 3/8″ overall.  The blade itself measures 7″. 

This offering is for the exact knife that was photographed for Mike Silvey’s Knives of the United States Military–World War II.  This knife appears on page 190 of the book. 

Note the comparison photos.  This knife was made with theater materials–aluminum, brass, and wood.  This knife measures 11 3/8″ overall.  The blade itself measures 6 1/2″. 

1 vintage U.S. World War II premium theater combat knife from the Roger Ballard collection available.  This premium knife comes with its original hand-drawn ID card that Roger Ballard made for this knife.  This knife would make an important addition to any collection.

This knife is from a known/ID’d maker.  This knife was made by “Bud” Fhaver in Oklahoma City during World War II.  According to Ballard’s ID’d card–“Fhaver worked at Tinker Air Force Base and had pattern knives on display in his work area so that soldiers could order the knife they needed.  Knives were made from scrapped airplane parts.”

This huge WWII combat knife measures 17 3/4″ overall.  The blade itself measures 12 3/4″. 

1 vintage U.S. World War II premium theater/home front fighting knife available.  The sheath has trench art on its front with the image of a 1940’s pin-up girl from back home.  This is an awesome fighting knife.  Collectors that like out of the ordinary theater knives will love this one. 

Theater knives are fighting knives made by soldiers or craftsman here at home for soldiers.  Knives made by soldiers were often made with materials that were readily available to them–like plexiglass spacers made from enemy aircraft windshields, aluminum, brass, leather, and blades or handles from Issue fighting knives.

This WWII theater knife was made with downed aircraft plexiglass.

This combat knife measures 12 3/16″ overall.  The blade itself measures 6 15/16″. 

1 set of 4 U.S. WW2 theater knives by the same maker! available.  This rare set of 4 matching theater knives would make an important addition to any collection.

Theater knives are fighting knives made by soldiers in the field, or by craftsman here at home for soldiers.  Knives made by soldiers were often made with materials that were readily available to them–like plexiglass spacers made from enemy aircraft windshields, aluminum, brass, leather, and blades or handles from Issue fighting knives.

It is so very unusual to find theater knives made by the same guy–literally, if you look through 1,000 theater knives, they will have been made by 1,000 different guys. 

These knives are recognizable as being by the same maker for a couple of traits.  First and foremost, note the shape of the pommel–same shape on each knife.  Second, note the brass spacers alternating with colored bakelite. 

Each blade is unique–one has the blade from a bayonet.  A second has a sticker blade shape.  The third knife has a long Bowie shape.  The last knife has saw teeth.  The knives vary in length from 11 5/16″ overall down to 16 7/8″ overall.

1 exceptional U.S. WW2 theater fighting knife available.  This G.I.-made theater fighting knife was made from a captured Japanese Samurai sword in the Pacific theater.  This theater fighting knife would make an incredible addition to any collection.

The blade was made from a centuries-old Samurai sword.  The blade has a beautiful, traditionally-made temper line.  The handle is from a Japanese WW2 military sword. 

This knife measures 11″ overall.  The blade itself measures 6″.

1 U.S. WW2 theater fighting knife available.  The sheath is an original M.H. Cole sheath.  Roger Ballard was visiting Mr. Cole back in the day when Mr. Cole gave him this sheath.  Roger told me that it took him many years to find the right theater knife to go with this M.H. Cole sheath.  

The knife has a walrus ivory handle.  measures 11” overall.  The blade itself measures 6 7/8”.   

Roger Ballard ran with all the original military knife guys—M.H. Cole, Bill Walters, etc.  Roger hand-draws a knife record ID card for each knife.  His original hand-drawn ID card is included with this knife. 

St. Croix Blades buys WW1 & WW2 fighting knives, and entire collections.  Need an appraisal or wish to consign your collection?  Pricing out an estate collection?  Call us.  715-557-1688.  info@stcroixblades.com

1 exceptional U.S. WW2 Ka-Bar USMC Mark 2 fighting knife available.  This U.S. WW2 edged weapon would make an important addition to any collection.  

This is a really cool knife.  The sheath and leather belt are marked with the battle theaters the G.I. fought in in the Pacific.  

This Ka-Bar measures 12 1/8” overall.  The blade measures 7”.

1 U.S. World War 2 Richtig fighting knife with provenance.  This is the Richtig–with attached history–that every collector is looking for.  The soldier that carried this knife was with Patton’s 3rd Army.  The back of the scabbard has the soldier’s name and serial # ‘R.G. RUPP   O-391107‘.  This knife comes with an original map of Germany with field markings on it.  Also attached to this knife are two ‘RESTRICTED’ documents from Sept 1945 that provide instructions for movement of a convoy through Germany.  In addition, and of equal importance, is a letter from the veteran that explains where and how he bought this knife.  The man he speaks of–the blacksmith knife maker–was Frank Richtig.  This knife would make an important addition to any collection.

This knife was made by a legend in knife-making.  Frank Richtig had a secret steel tempering process that allowed him to slice through railroad spikes and automobile leaf springs.  Frank would demonstrate this at county fairs–after slicing a railroad spike or leaf spring, he would slice through a piece of paper with the same knife.  Frank earned himself a spot in a ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’ magazine in the 1930’s.  These knives can be used for decades, because of Frank’s superior craftsmanship.

This is a large double-edged 8″ Richtig fighter.  This knife measures 12 15/16″ overall.  The blade itself measures 8 1/16″.  This Richtig fighter is unmarked.  The guard and pommel are brass.  The pommel has an extended lanyard ring.

The scabbard is very fine, and is of an attractive and unique design.  The belt loop is a separate piece, and is attached to the knife scabbard with an Army gear belt clip.  In addition to the R.G. Rupp’s name and serial # on the back, the top of the scabbard is stamped ‘R.G.R.’. 

Many military collectors look for knives, swords, or other military equipment with attached history.  They can then research the soldier’s rank, service record, medals earned, theater(s) of operation, etc. 

1 rare vintage Frank J. Richtig World War II fighting knife available.   This fine WW2 Richtig fighter would make a rare addition to any knife or military collection.
 
This rare Richtig WW2 fighting knife has a 4 5/8″ blade.  This Richtig fighter measures 9 5/16″ overall.  The handle is stamped ‘F.J.R. CLARKSON NEB.’.  The G.I. that used this Richtig carried it in a Mark 1 sheath.  The keeper strap is a piece of braided leather. 
 
This listing represents a rare opportunity to own a knife by a maker that Presidents and generals have been proud to own. M.H. Cole in his book The Best of U.S. Military Knives Bayonets & Machetes wrote, ” SOME OF RICHTIG’S SATISFIED CUSTOMERS WHO HAD SENT HIM LETTERS TO THAT EFFECT, ARE GEN. GEO. PATTON, GEN. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, GEN. DWIGHT EISENHOWER, & FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT, ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ, AND OTHER NOTABLES .”