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M-5 Knife Leather Sheath


JimD
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I bought a pile of M8A1 scabbards and reproduction fighting knives, etc., at an estate for the purpose of putting them on my table at the next local militaria show here in Arizona. I saw this scabbard and tossed it in the pile as a make-weight because it looked unusual. I believe it is for the last bayonet made for the M1 Garand, the M-5, M5-1 and the M-5A1. It measures just under 12 inches long and the undersides of both snaps are marked with faint letters but I am having a difficult time making them out. DOT? According to page 311, The Best of U. S. Military Knives by Cole :

 

This M5 Leather Scabbard is said to be very rare only 3 or 4 of these are in well known collections.

Note: One well known collector dealer thinks these M-5 scabbards may not a be military item,

but commercial.

 

Any opinions of what I have here? Is this really an obscure item? Fantasy piece? Should it be in a collection or in a fishing tackle box in the garage? Whatever it is it has the feel of a 40-50 year old leather piece with nice wear and no real "leather smell".

 

 

post-2661-0-86049600-1504811347_thumb.jpg post-2661-0-10202200-1504811358_thumb.jpg

 

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To my knowledge these were a commercially made scabbard for knives made up from leftover contract parts. I have, what is called, an M5 fighting knife made up of Milpar M5 bayonet blade, guard, and plastic grip, but never completed w/ latching lever, gas plug stud etc. Supposedly these scabbards were made for those knives, mine came w/ an M8A1. Keep the scabbard, they're cool, and you can use it for anything from an M3 through M7. They were not made for issue w/ an M-5 bayonet. SKIP

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Yes it is a DOT snap. Also somebody someday is going to want to talk to you seriously about that sheath they are going to want for there orphaned knife.

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Bill- Could be! Coles has a pic in "The Best Of", of the M5 Combat Knife, like the one I have. I could see the aluminum handled MILPAR w/ one. SKIP

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Charlie Flick

Skip is right about these so-called M-5 knives probably being commercial knives made up from leftover parts. They are indeed very scarce, as Mr. Cole mentioned, but they are not strictly USGI. I would classify them as Vietnam era private purchase knives.

 

Here is the example I have had in my collection for years. It is a Utica made blade.

 

M-5 Knife Utica unsheathed.jpg

 

M-5 Knife Utica Guard bottom .jpg

 

M-5 Utica sheathed ed.jpg

 

And the page from Coles III on these blades:

 

M-5 Knives ed.jpg

 

Regards,

Charlie

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  • 2 years later...

I picked up one of these M-5 leather sheaths the other day. I thought it was a fantasy piece too. It came with a WW2 Case knife. I just wanted the knife.

 

I may put it up on the trade forum.

 

Rick

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