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Help Please - No identifiable Maker. 1943 EGW Style Knife


Slavetothewage
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Slavetothewage

Hello.

 

This was left in my families possession in 1943 by an American soldier on route to Europe. Never used. Beautiful item.

 

Someone questioned its authenticity claiming it to be post war despite my families provenance.

 

The knife has no makers mark beyond the stamp on the blade. Made in USA No 187

 

Has anyone seen a similar stamp? Trying to identify the different manufacturers. Its the same shape and style as an EGW Knife.

 

Thanks.

Scott

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Looks like a legit Waterman to me. I’ve never seen the model number on one before, although 187 is a correct model number to the best of my knowledge. If you want to prove approximate dating of it, you’ll need to research when they would have marked the blades in that manner. I highly suspect they were still made, or at least sold, for some time after the war. It would stand to reason that a fair amount of stock might have been accumulated in anticipation of securing a contract with the military. I know this doesn’t give a definitive answer, but I hope it helps.

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Slavetothewage

Thanks!

 

Its defiantly war time and not post war. Any ideas on how I would find the info about the blade? Does the manufacturer still exist?

 

Thanks,

Scott

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Slavetothewage

Lance! Thank you. I have been hunting for this information.

 

The knife was a model not picked up by the Navy. I have a document showing this. Model 187.

 

What does this mean for the rarity of it?

 

Our families plan has always been to return this so!

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Slavetothewage

Lance! Thank you. I have been hunting for this information.

 

The knife was an EGW model not picked up by the Navy. I have a document showing this. Model 187.

 

What does this mean for the rarity of it?

 

Our families plan has always been to return this so!

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Slavetothewage

This is amazing!

 

Just forwarded to my Dad. Also have found 2 of the daughters from the article and have reached out.

 

Thanks so much!

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Greetings Scott,

 

You are welcome. This type of knife is not rare, its pristine condition that it is in is what is rare. E.G. Waterman were some of the (ahem) "most affordable" private purchase knives available during and after WWII. They have not achieved the value of period military issued knives or any number of other contemporary private purchased knives.

 

I believe the value of the knife to the family may be priceless, however to the majority of WWII US knife collectors (obviously not all) E.G. Waterman knives are not exactly coveted.

 

Best,

 

V/r Lance

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Slavetothewage

Well, thats a shame and its not I guess. Do you think it was a prototype model that was sold off when the military wouldnt take it? Its a lovely thing.

 

I will let you know how I get on contacting the family. I set up a Go Fund Page last week for my family and friends to try and fund a trip to Florida next year to repatriate it from our home in England. Watch this space ?

 

Not sure whether I mentioned it but John left it in leiu of money in our family owned pub in England and was deployed before ever collecting it. Its been sat in storage for pretty much 75 years until it saw the light of day 8 months ago.

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Greetings Scott,

 

While I (seriously) doubt it is a prototype, I will leave it to the diehard E.G. Waterman collectors to confirm my assumption conclusively. The E.G.W. Company made unmarked variants too and likely, these noted "unmarked" variants at one time possessed similar stickers to your example, which simply were peeled off by their owners or wore off with use. My further assumption would be few collectors/aficionados ever viewed an example retaining its original sticker and likely, assumed certain variants left the factory unmarked when (based on your example) they more likely than not departed the E.G.W.'s factory with a sticker/paper label on them.

 

Neat that you are looking to return the knife to the family.

 

Best,

 

V/r Lance

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Lance! Thank you. I have been hunting for this information.

 

The knife was a model not picked up by the Navy. I have a document showing this. Model 187.

 

What does this mean for the rarity of it?

 

Our families plan has always been to return this so!

 

 

You have to understand that the knives submitted to the US Navy were merely samples of the standard line of knives manufactured by EGW for the Navy to test, they were not experimental. The No.187 pattern is not a rare or uncommon knife, it was mass produced and sold through various outlets. Dozens of companies solicited the military in hopes to get contracts, the document is merely one example of an attempt.

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