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M1918 Trench Knife modified to fit M8 Scabbard


JJSchwartz
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I volunteer for the R.I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and am working on a D-Day Normandy paratrooper exhibit. I have a reproduction WWI M1918 L.F.&C trench knife that I have noted in photos as being carried by some paratroopers. These knives were often carried in M8 scabbards (for the M3 knife often carried strapped to the lower right leg). In an attempt to make the M1918 fit the scabbard, I have ground down the width of the blade to approximately 20mm which approximates the width of the M3 knife yet the M1918 L.F.&C still doesn't fit. About 1 inch of the blade is unsheathed. To me the thickness of the M1918 is approximately the same thickness of the M3. Does anyone know what the problem is? Is it the thickness of the blade?

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I volunteer for the R.I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and am working on a D-Day Normandy paratrooper exhibit. I have a reproduction WWI M1918 L.F.&C trench knife that I have noted in photos as being carried by some paratroopers. These knives were often carried in M8 scabbards (for the M3 knife often carried strapped to the lower right leg). In an attempt to make the M1918 fit the scabbard, I have ground down the width of the blade to approximately 20mm which approximates the width of the M3 knife yet the M1918 L.F.&C still doesn't fit. About 1 inch of the blade is unsheathed. To me the thickness of the M1918 is approximately the same thickness of the M3. Does anyone know what the problem is? Is it the thickness of the blade?

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My guess is one of 4 things.

1) the blade is too long to fit in the scabbard.

2) there is something stuck inside the scabbard limiting.

3) The soldiers that did this removed both pieces of the flat spring inside the scabbard to allow it to fit.

4) The handle is too wide to allow the blade to slide all the way down.

 

#3 is my guess as to what your issue really is.

 

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

 

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Thanks. The blade is about the same as the M3 which does fit the scabbard which eliminates the suggestion of an obstruction and the hilt, though to wide and will be ground down, isn't the problem. I agree that the flat springs are in place which prevents the M1 (M1918) from fully seating. The springs interfering never even occurred to me. Thank you. Dave

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I would look to see if the hilt is contacting the part of the metal frog that is attached to the webbing. The offset for the sheath was increased with the introduction of the M5/M5A1 bayonet to accommodate the larger grip.

Don't know if a later sheath would fix the problem. Noticed that a lot of the M1918s had much of their hand guards removed to make them less bulky.

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I have two originals of this knife that were carried by paratroopers. In both cases, the "ears" on the handle have been ground down. Neither one of the knives had their blades altered in any way. Also, both M8 scabbards have had some grinding or cutting to the edges of the material beneath the throat to allow the blade to slide into the sheath the entire length of the blade. You might take a small dremel tool and widen the edges of the sheath.

 

Allan

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