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US M3 Knife with unusual crossbar?


MrNova
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Hello

 

I'm new to the forum and wonder if someone would be kind enough to offer me some advice.

 

My father recently found a rusty old knife in the garden shed and while initially thinking it nothing special, on further inspection found "USM3 - CASE" on the crossbar. After poking around on the internet for a bit, I believe it to be a genuine US M3 Combat Knife made by W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.

 

It has no scabbard and is in very poor condition, so I doubt that it is worth anything. I am however intrigued by the crossbar. In all the pictures I've seen of the M3, the crossbar has one bent end and one straight end. The example I have has both ends bent, one towards the handle and the other towards the blade. Both bends look uniform in shape and the leather handle follows the form of the crossbar on both sides.

 

As I say, the only pictures I can find of M3s have one straight end of the crossbar, so I just wandered if this example might be unusual in some way. Also, if it is an unusual example, would it be worth anything in its current condition. (apologies, couldn't figure out how to include pictures with the post).

 

Many thanks for any advice any one is able to offer.

 

Kind regards - John

 

 

 

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Bonjour.

 

Simply the fact that the former owner gave this form of custody, to limit the set of washers, when they were all present. Common practice.

 

solcarlus.

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Hi manayunkman... thanks for the welcome and thanks also for sorting the pictures out... you're a better man than I am!

 

Hi solcarlus.... Many thanks for your reply but apologies, I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying that the crossbar has been bent out of shape on purpose by a previous owner?

 

Again, many thanks to all

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I'm still convinced that the majority get bent from guys throwing them at trees, which is also why I believe they stopped making blade-dated and blade marked versions. Guys were throwing the, a they broke on the stamp. You'd be hard pressed to break a knife on the thickest part of the blade under normal use. But, I am just speculating. SKIP

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Skip, you may have something here. My late father-in-law said that the glider pilots spent hours throwing their knives at targets of opportunity. I'm surprised that his knife survived in one piece. I've also heard that bending the guard back would be done to tighten up any play between the guard and handle. Probably something less likely to happen if you didn't throw your knife at things. :D

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My view on the bent guard to tighten the handle is why? I have 71 year old M3s that have little to no play from shrinkage. That looseness can be fixed by merely wrapping some thread between the guard, and the leather washers. Why bend it? It's not gonna be so loose that it's gonna make a whole lot of noise rattling. Just my opinion. SKIP

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Skip I'm not saying it would be a best practice. Just that it's a story out there. As far as a stacked leather handle becoming loose from hammering with the knife. I can personally say that it can happen with an item such as a JPSK.

I don't know why the guard on my M3 got the extra bend in it. I didn't have the opportunity to talk to the actual fabricator.

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I think that the bending may have been done on purpose in an effort to cause an opponent's blade to glance off better than it would hitting a perpendicular guard.

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I have one of the many M3s with the bent guard, and I think it was done just for looks. I don't think it had any functional purpose when they did it in WWII. It's possible that later purchasers did it to tighten a loose set of leather washers or to enhance it's "appeal" to a potential buyer, but that's just more speculation.

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wow... thank you so much everyone... mystery solved! So not an unusual double bend crossbar, but rather a crossbar that has been bent a)in use, b)in an attempt to tighten the leather handle or c)in the interest of aesthetics... fascinating stuff.

 

Thanks everyone for your time and knowledge, this is a great forum you have here.

 

On a side note, I'm currently transcribing my Great Grandfather's WWI diary. He fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and I plan on creating a website to coincide with the centennial anniversary. Is this something members might be interested in if I posted a link when complete?

 

Again, thanks to one and all.

 

John

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Bonjour.

 

Custody may be distorted for several reasons:
- Aesthetics.
- Compression washers.

@ Skip.
He must throw his knife very hard to deform guard.

@ Sactroop:
It is always tempting to play with his knife. Kill an enemy by launching its M3, only seen in Hollywood :D

 

Can not tighten the washers with the knob, because of the design of the showerhead assembly / tang.
Use of the string is actually effective.

 

solcarlus

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I suspect we could dispute this subject for ever. But, I'm not gonna go out and toss one of my M3s into a tree til I become an expect, nor purposely bend the the guard to make one look cool, (which would restrict your hand). LOL!! But after serving 20 years in the army, I have seen a lot of guys break blades, and bend guards on a wide variety of knives. My self included. All we can do is speculate. SKIP

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On a side note, I'm currently transcribing my Great Grandfather's WWI diary. He fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and I plan on creating a website to coincide with the centennial anniversary. Is this something members might be interested in if I posted a link when complete?

 

John

Hi John

 

What unit was your Grandfather in?

 

Was he in any other WW1 campaigns!

 

Dutchy

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