US M3 Imperial Fighting Knife issued to 513th PIR Officer Operation Varsity

[warpath]

US M3 Imperial Fighting Knife issued to 513th PIR Officer Operation Varsity

 

[warpath]

Not much I can add

[warpath]

It's just nice!

[David D]

That's really cool! And the nicest I've ever seen.

[Ronny67]

whoa

[SKIPH]

Ed- Very nice! Assume it's a personal collection item. SKIP

[manayunkman]

Super M3.

 

What a coincidence, I just posted a scenario on another thread about an M3 Imperial belonging to a paratrooper and what kind of provenance do you need too ID it to them.

 

If you don't mind me asking where does the information linking the knife to the paratrooper come from?

[Allan H.]

That's a stunner Ed! Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

Allan

[sundance]

What a beautiful M3. Thanks for showing.

[byf41]

Oooh .........crispy !

[cutiger83]

Super M3.

 

What a coincidence, I just posted a scenario on another thread about an M3 Imperial belonging to a paratrooper and what kind of provenance do you need too ID it to them.

 

If you don't mind me asking where does the information linking the knife to the paratrooper come from?

 

Very nice M3.

 

I was also wondering how it is linked to the paratrooper.

 

...Kat

[doyler]

Im going to assume ED bought it from the vet.Seeing the note mentioning the knife being not used since he had another is often personal information you only get from the veteran.Many of us have had the opportunity to purchase things from veterans or families over the years and gotten "stories".I hear so often buy the item and not the "story" but then everyone wants to hear how the item was obtained.I can relate many stories on how I got something but never got a vet or family member to sign a document on something.There was no point at the time.Now it seems everyone has to have proof that its real and actually anyone can go get a piece of paper and have it signed.

[warpath]

This knife has provenance from the veteran to the current owner which would be shared if the piece were for sale.

 

I primarily post artifacts from my collection as I run across them while doing inventory ( that might be a stretch) and cleaning out stubborn pockets of resistance in my store and humble abode.

 

Having read the recent interesting threads on provenance I've been tempted to reply with my opinions and real life experiences. For now I'll hold off, but there are some misinformed collectors who seem to lose focus regarding provenance and fail to do their homework with due diligence. If you walk in a mine field it's usually a good idea to have a working mine detector (or a serious BS detector).

 

Ed

[manayunkman]

Ron,

 

How true.

 

So many of my groups were just a bunch of things and stories with very little or no hard documentation.

 

I didn't plan on selling them and at some point I was going to go back to the vet to get the needed whatever.

 

In many cases that never happened and when I had to sell out it I couldn't prove that some groups all came together.

 

My first post (the second time I joined the forum) requesting info. about a group I was selling on eBay drew much attention from doubters saying it was put together.

 

So I must agree with you everyone wants proof these days and judge you harshly when you don't produce it.

 

There is no reason to judge anyone concerning this truly beautiful knife.

 

The irony of my post, on a different thread posted just a couple of hours earlier, with so many parallels amused me.

 

It is my wish to hear the story of this knife, should Ed tell it, and I have no reason to doubt what ever he says.

 

Ed thank you for posting this outstanding piece.

 

Peter

 

 

 

[warpath]

Thanks, Peter.

 

Regarding provenance, I'm often amused by "mystery history" that accompanies artifacts and uniforms and groupings that come from the " magic closets" where artifacts reproduce by unnatural means.

 

Ed

[manayunkman]

You are welcome Ed.

 

And that's one closet I don't want to come out of.

[ccyooper]

Great looking knife, it appears he could have stuck the knife in an m6 scabbard at one time as it has a tendancy to make that lower scratch below the flat. While provenance is important in some cases it is not the end all. I have many items that I have obtained from Vets and yet only a couple of them are documented from the vet. Most of transactions have gone like this...after long friedships during a regular visit... "hey pal, I don't need this anymore and the kids are not interested...you should have it. ... in the moment it was really special ... he would have been mad if I would have said... wait let me run home and get my camera.. or will you write it down that you gave this to me today, etc.. he probably would have said "what, don't you believe me .. or more like, why are you going to sell it?".... you should have seen my face when an old vet said I have a pistol for you.. I wasn't into pistols that much then because they were too hard to move around while in the military between states, posts, etc.. he comes out of the bedroom with a tube sock, and I'm thinking what have I got myself into... he pulls out a 85% condition commercial colt M1911 in the low 93K sn range and says ... it was my dads, and I carried it during WWII, you should have it. I still have it but someone someday will have to trust my little note that indicates where it came from...

 

The neat thing about many of Ed's items are that he obtained them directly from the vet, family member, or close confidant of the original owner. He has/had some great items as he has been doing this stuff a long time.

[Ronnie]

Dang!