WWII Sword Knife?

[mikedon]

I have had these two sword knives for a long time. They are made from the center sections of 1860 cavalry Civil War swords. They are both exactly the same except one has the handle wrapped with twine. It looks like the scabbards are from Ross bayonets.

 

Has anyone seen one of these before or seen them in a reference book?

[mikedon]

picture 2

[mikedon]

picture 3

[mikedon]

picture 4

[dhcoleterracina]

Many examples of this being done by the CSA during the Civil War. Why do this during WW2 when materials were plentiful?

[hbtcoveralls]

Many examples of this being done by the CSA during the Civil War. Why do this during WW2 when materials were plentiful?

During WWII there was a cottage industry making fighting knives for soldiers in home shops all across the US

 

Some were sold others given but they were made in the thousands

 

A lot of them used the high quality steel from surplus swords (especially the 1913 sword or the plentiful 1860 sabre) that were sold in catalogs or in ads in American Rifleman for just that purpose.

 

The illustrated sword knives are very typical of WWII sword based knives made in a home workshop. The quality isn't great but that was all over the map at the time.

 

I like them but I haven't seen ones just like these so I don't know the maker

 

Tom Bowers

[Blair217]

Here's one recently listed on e-bay -

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Civil-War-M1860-saber-Cut-Down-Probably-used-WWII-/253305630990?hash=item3afa31310e%3Ag%3A9oUAAOSwnVhaLdgv&nma=true&si=MQJo2VIz8dZi0yFrsQc1syCR8Dg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[sundance]

I love those sword knives. Hard to believe Civil War and later swords were in such abundance around WW2 that you could slice and dice them to make knives. I know knives were needed and swords were not. I was lucky enough to run into a Knife Crafters knife once,grabbed it and have always been glad I did.