1918 Trench Knife

[mcnubins]

Hi guys. First post on the forum but I have a question(s). Came across what I believe is a real 1918 AU Lion in a box of old 70s porn rags when cleaning out an old barn about 20 years ago. Its been in a light box since then. I've never tried to polish or clean it but I have wiped the blade with oil from time to time to prevent further rust. My main question is...........what is one in this condition worth these days? What is the best way to take to market? Ebay? I tried a gun show but a police officer at the door told me I had 10 minutes to leave or he would have to confiscate it and cite me for having brass knuckles.

 

 

[mcnubins]

The pictures I meant to upload in the first post.

[Government Issue]

Is that a laundry number stamped on the handle forward of the 1918 stamp? If so, you may be able to ID the original owner. By laundry number I'm referring to in WWII the soldiers used to mark their gear with the first letter of their last name followed by the last four digits of their serial number. I have no idea if that is what it is but there are 5 consecutive stamps.

 

The sheath has had the prongs broken which is common and would decrease value. I have an LFC and the rear nut "skull cracker" securing the blade is different than the four sided pyramidal piece on yours. I have no idea if that is a production difference between Au Lion and LFC or not and very well may be.

 

I'll let others chime in on value, but good job not cleaning the blade! So many people ruin collectible knives by doing that or resharpening them. Preserve them as they are is the way to go, which is what your doing.

[mcnubins]

The number stamped on it is M2196. I don't know what it is for, nor where I could look it up. The owner of the barn was a Korea vet and his father was not in WW2 or WW1 because of polio. He had no idea where the knife came from and let me keep it as part of my pay (I was fresh out of college and was doing odd jobs for cash). We burned all the porno.

My grandfather was in WW2, Korea and Vietnam in the 2nd ID and before he passed he told me he had seen the knife on some officers but he never had been issued one. Based on that I kept it.

[bayonetman]

Laundry number can only tell you so much. Here is the list:

 

http://wwii-enlistment.com/search/?q=M2196&select=laundryNumber&quick-search=1

[1972firebird]

do you have more photos in better lighting we could see?

[mcnubins]

In my short life I've learned to plumb a house, tend bar, capture alligators, program a robot and have earned bachelors degrees in history and business administration but photography is a skill I've ever figured out. What part do you want to see better? I'll see what I can do, but no promises.

[mcnubins]

Laundry number can only tell you so much. Here is the list:

 

http://wwii-enlistment.com/search/?q=M2196&select=laundryNumber&quick-search=1

 

Are you saying that that number means that potentially one of the men on that list could have been issued this weapon? Wow.

[1972firebird]

In my short life I've learned to plumb a house, tend bar, capture alligators, program a robot and have earned bachelors degrees in history and business administration but photography is a skill I've ever figured out. What part do you want to see better? I'll see what I can do, but no promises.

Just a closeup of the date stamp, and maybe the nut, nothing special.

[mcnubins]

Just a closeup of the date stamp, and maybe the nut, nothing special.

 

[buzzbomb]

Yes 4 sided nut is what you should see on an Au Lion ?

[Burkhard45]

Looks okay to me, I have not seen any fakes with a stamping on the blade.

As for getting it to market, I believe eBay has banned full size brass knuckles, so this would be prohibited. Scabbards alone have sold for $450 or so on there though.