Description
The typical German fighting knife of World War I and II was a conventional, general purpose knife, sturdily made, with a full tang and slab grips with a steel scabbard. The blade length was generally about 6 inches long. Between 1914 and 1918, there were many makers of these knives which were known as “Grabenmesser” (trench knives). Wooden handles were common and most had a leather belt loop on the scabbard. Some of these knives were privately purchased by the soldiers, while others were issued items.
This particular knife was captured from a German soldier in WWII by a US GI in 1945. Unlike most, this one has a metal clip assembly on the scabbard which allowed the dagger to be attached to a belt or the top inside of a boot. This pattern is most often associated with the Army infantry and the Air Force Luftwaffe in WW2. The 6 5/8” blade is mostly bright and extremely sharp. It has a mark of “S” on the ricasso but nothing more. The sheath retains 90% of the original black paint and the walnut slab grips are near excellent.
