rcmodel
Member in memoriam
While the Marines had the Ka-Bar & USN MKII early in 1943, the Army was left with a limited number of 1917 / 1918 trench knives still in storage from WWI.
They were considering the same Combat/Utility knife the Marines adopted, but they apparently determined in the numbers they envisioned needing during the course of the war, thousands of pounds of high grade steel could be saved by adopting the narrower blade used on the M3.
The design was adopted Jan 14, 1943.
They have a 6 9/16" blade, with a steel guard bent on the top for blade edge orientation in the dark.
IMO: Although successful as a fighting knife, it was not nearly as good as the Navy MKII / Ka-Bar for the other 99.9% of the time it was needed for all the other things a solder uses a good knife for.
During the course of the war, at least 9 companies made M3’s.
They were made by Pal, Utica, Camillus, Imperial, Kinfolks, Case, Aerial, Robeson, and Boker.
Total production totaled 2,590,247 according to some sources.
The first knives were deeply blade stamped with M3 - Makers name - 1943 on the right side.
Later, the 1943 was dropped, and more makers info added.
Still later, all markings were moved to the guard, as it was found the deep blade stampings weakened the blade.
They were first issued in the M6 leather sheath.
It was a 15 7/8" long, drop-leg design intended to carry the knife well below the parachute harness and other equipment the solder was burdened with.
It was soon found to be ungainly and unsatisfactory, and was replaced with the M8 hard scabbard with belt loop.
The M8 was soon replaced with the M8A1 hard scabbard which was the same as the M8, but also had a wire pistol belt hook added.
Shown here are a blade marked Imperial, and a blade marked Utica, and a guard marked Imperial M4 Carbine bayonet in U.S. M8 hard fiber sheaths.
In May of 1944 a bayonet was adopted for the M1 Carbine, and the M3 Trench knife became it.
The M4 bayonet is basically a M3 Trench Knife with bayonet attachment handle for the M1 Carbine.
Some early transition M4 bayonets will be found with M3 stamped blades.
A post-war Kutmaster (Utica) made from surplus M3/M4 blades after the war and sold commercially in hardware stores and sporting magazine ads for like, $1.98.
A older gentleman in the neighborhood gave me this one when I was about 9 years old.
I regret not buying every 1943 blade marked M3 I could find years ago when they were selling for next to nothing. After "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" came out, prices went off the charts!
Now that the buzz from all that has died down, prices have fallen again somewhat.
But still today, excellent condition blade marked M3's can bring several hundred dollars depending on the maker & rarity.
rc
They were considering the same Combat/Utility knife the Marines adopted, but they apparently determined in the numbers they envisioned needing during the course of the war, thousands of pounds of high grade steel could be saved by adopting the narrower blade used on the M3.
The design was adopted Jan 14, 1943.
They have a 6 9/16" blade, with a steel guard bent on the top for blade edge orientation in the dark.
IMO: Although successful as a fighting knife, it was not nearly as good as the Navy MKII / Ka-Bar for the other 99.9% of the time it was needed for all the other things a solder uses a good knife for.
During the course of the war, at least 9 companies made M3’s.
They were made by Pal, Utica, Camillus, Imperial, Kinfolks, Case, Aerial, Robeson, and Boker.
Total production totaled 2,590,247 according to some sources.
The first knives were deeply blade stamped with M3 - Makers name - 1943 on the right side.
Later, the 1943 was dropped, and more makers info added.
Still later, all markings were moved to the guard, as it was found the deep blade stampings weakened the blade.
They were first issued in the M6 leather sheath.
It was a 15 7/8" long, drop-leg design intended to carry the knife well below the parachute harness and other equipment the solder was burdened with.
It was soon found to be ungainly and unsatisfactory, and was replaced with the M8 hard scabbard with belt loop.
The M8 was soon replaced with the M8A1 hard scabbard which was the same as the M8, but also had a wire pistol belt hook added.
Shown here are a blade marked Imperial, and a blade marked Utica, and a guard marked Imperial M4 Carbine bayonet in U.S. M8 hard fiber sheaths.
In May of 1944 a bayonet was adopted for the M1 Carbine, and the M3 Trench knife became it.
The M4 bayonet is basically a M3 Trench Knife with bayonet attachment handle for the M1 Carbine.
Some early transition M4 bayonets will be found with M3 stamped blades.
A post-war Kutmaster (Utica) made from surplus M3/M4 blades after the war and sold commercially in hardware stores and sporting magazine ads for like, $1.98.
A older gentleman in the neighborhood gave me this one when I was about 9 years old.
I regret not buying every 1943 blade marked M3 I could find years ago when they were selling for next to nothing. After "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" came out, prices went off the charts!
Now that the buzz from all that has died down, prices have fallen again somewhat.
But still today, excellent condition blade marked M3's can bring several hundred dollars depending on the maker & rarity.
rc
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