Wilde Tool Bayo Knife

[thorin6]

I picked this up this weekend at an antique fair; it’s a WWII M1 Bayonet by Wilde Tool that has been converted to a fighting knife. It’s the second bayonet conversion to a knife that I’ve picked up where the bayonet was made by Wilde Tool, the rarest of the M1 bayonet makers. This conversion is interesting in that it still has the original grips, which are unique to the Wilde Tool bayonet. The sheath appears handmade but the stitching is obviously by a machine. It has the name “James T. Owen” and an anchor stamped in the front but nothing on the back. The markings on the bayonet for Wilde Tool are faint but readable, and the name “J T Owen” and the town “Geneva, O” are scratched on the side opposite the maker’s marks. Geneva, Ohio is just a few miles from Lake Erie and I’m assuming that James T. Owen was in the Navy based on the anchor on the sheath and the relation between the Navy Training Station and the Great Lakes. I searched for information on a James Owen from Geneva but didn’t turn up anything useful. I don’t have an Ancestry.com account where you can search the Navy Muster Roles but if anyone does have an account I would appreciate a search on the name. For some reason I’m starting to accumulate knives converted from bayonets, several from M1s and Krags, and others from various bayonets included an Italian bayonet. It’s interesting where this hobby takes you.

 

 

[thorin6]

Other side

 

[thorin6]

Anchor stamp

 

[thorin6]

Maker's Mark

 

[thorin6]

Name and Town on blade

 

[thorin6]

And the unique grips with the black rectangle inside the reddish brown grip.

 

[30-Cal]

I'm not very good at searching so hopefully somebody better at it comes along but I got this hit on a James T Owen

 

Birth:
1924
Kentucky

 

Enlistment Date:
20 May 1943

 

Branch:
Army

 

Enlistment Place:
Cincinnati Ohio

 

Army Serial Number:
35802100

[thorin6]

I'm not very good at searching so hopefully somebody better at it comes along but I got this hit on a James T Owen

 

Birth:

1924

Kentucky

 

Enlistment Date:

20 May 1943

 

Branch:

Army

 

Enlistment Place:

Cincinnati Ohio

 

Army Serial Number:

35802100

 

For some reason I didn't even think to check the Army records. Thanks

 

 

 

[Patchcollector]

Very nice piece.I like the bayonet conversions in general but this one is the best I've seen.Congratulations!

[Red Devil]

Very nice knife! I'm partial to those cut-downs--and the WT grips are fantastic!

[sactroop]

Score another one for thorin6. Thanks for sharing, and happy hunting on the name search.