WW2 Anaconda Fighting Knife

[trenchbuff]

After searching a long time for an good example of this knife, I finally found one this Summer. These were made by the Anaconda Company in Montana and given to their employees who went off to war. This example was carried by a Butte, Montana soldier all through the Pacific as a member of the 163rd Infantry Regiment, 41st Division.

[Oldcop]

Great knife. Never heard of this before. Thanx for the info and picture. Dave

[thebladeslinger]

Very nice knife. I've seen a couple of them sell this year and they seem to be going for a pretty high price.

[nuke41]

Nice one, I bought a couple a few years back when they werent worth much at all, prices on these seem to have jumped allot. Being in Silvey's book helped their collectability I think.

[Frank Trzaska]

An extremely nice piece trenchbuff, great find.

 

To clear up a few misconceptions if I may...

 

Knives were made by employees of the Montana Power Company. The blades were ground at the Black Eagle Power Plant and the handles were cast at the old street car facility in Great Falls. All materials were donated or scrounged to keep the cost down, you see the price to the servicemen was free. All the knives made by the Montana Power Company employees were given to servicemen passing through the area on the troop trains, not just company employees. From the best recollections they made about 1200 knives and took them all to the troop trains stopping in Montana and gave them all away.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

[thebladeslinger]

An extremely nice piece trenchbuff, great find.

 

To clear up a few misconceptions if I may...

 

Knives were made by employees of the Montana Power Company. The blades were ground at the Black Eagle Power Plant and the handles were cast at the old street car facility in Great Falls. All materials were donated or scrounged to keep the cost down, you see the price to the servicemen was free. All the knives made by the Montana Power Company employees were given to servicemen passing through the area on the troop trains, not just company employees. From the best recollections they made about 1200 knives and took them all to the troop trains stopping in Montana and gave them all away.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

Great info Mr. Trzaska. Seems like there is always something new to learn about military knives. Keep up the good work:)

[trenchbuff]

An extremely nice piece trenchbuff, great find.

 

To clear up a few misconceptions if I may...

 

Knives were made by employees of the Montana Power Company. The blades were ground at the Black Eagle Power Plant and the handles were cast at the old street car facility in Great Falls. All materials were donated or scrounged to keep the cost down, you see the price to the servicemen was free. All the knives made by the Montana Power Company employees were given to servicemen passing through the area on the troop trains, not just company employees. From the best recollections they made about 1200 knives and took them all to the troop trains stopping in Montana and gave them all away.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

Thanks for the great info Frank. I have heard bits and pieces of the story, but you're the first one who put it down so clearly. Much of the misconceptions, sad to say, came from vets themselves. I spoke to a gentleman this year who worked for Anaconda and also served in WW2. He swears you had to have been an employee of the company to get one. I was always a little skeptical of that, but what can you say when the Vet tells it to you. Sadly also, the Black Eagle Plant, the Anaconda Plant and the Street Car Facility are all gone now.

Thanks again Frank!!!

[nuke41]

One reason I suspect you see so few of these type knives today is that they were useful after the war as a regular knife. Most of these got tossed into tool tackle boxes after the war and were used up over time. They made 90,000 Murphy Combay knives during the war, yet they arent very common today, same reason I think, they ended up being used after the war, where pure fighting knives like a 1918 MK I didnt have any use for most people.

[gastrapsforme]

Late to this thread but very neat. Kevin

[Tlowe95]

just arrived on my door step today!!! Love these knives, made by great Americans! 

[Tlowe95]