Searching for an OD7 web machete sheath, I caught this leather one marked Viner Bros 1944. I did know Viner bros only for their M6 leather M3 knife scabbard so I asked Bayonetman some clue about.

He told me Viner Brothers had a contract for machete sheaths for $110,000 (nearly 100,000 pieces) that ran from the end of 1943 to November 1944. The contract was with the Army Engineering Department. He said he never saw one and he think it could have seen service only in ETO.

This is a lot of info but how much can I offer for it? I see Turnerriver is selling his reserve of leather Boyt42s about 70-80$ each, but this Viner?

Searching for an OD7 web machete sheath, I caught this leather one marked Viner Bros 1944. I did know Viner bros only for their M6 leather M3 knife scabbard so I asked Bayonetman some clue about.

He told me Viner Brothers had a contract for machete sheaths for $110,000 (nearly 100,000 pieces) that ran from the end of 1943 to November 1944. The contract was with the Army Engineering Department. He said he never saw one and he think it could have seen service only in ETO.

This is a lot of info but how much can I offer for it? I see Turnerriver is selling his reserve of leather Boyt42s about 70-80$ each, but this Viner?

 

I used to own a leather "VINER BROS 1944" M1942 machete scabbard and sold it since I knew it unlikely to have ever been used by the Marines, my collecting specialty. I must be getting old 'cause I don't remember what I sold it for but it certainly wasn't more than $100. The leather machete scabbards are relatively scarce compared to the plastic ones but ,this being said, they made thousands and thousands of M1942 machetes so I believe you ought to be able to find such a scabbard without paying ridiculous money. In my opinion the "BOYT 42" leather scabbards aren't worth significantly more than the VINER BROS

I have 2 of these scabbards one made by Milwaukee Saddlery and dated 1942 and one made by Boyt 1942.....i havent seen any dated younger than 1943.In my opinion a classic piece of GI field gear

 

Regards

 

Lloyd

Hello Again, Artu:

 

I replied to your other questions about this scabbard on the MCF Forum, so you may want to see what was said there.

 

http://www.militariacollecting.com/index.php?showtopic=53337

 

I am very familiar with the leather machete scabbards that Turnerriver has been selling on Ebay since I helped him find and buy them several years ago. Those are not the same scabbards as the one you are interested in. Turnerriver's scabbards are for the M1939 machete with the 22" blade while the one you are interested in is for the M1942 machete with the 18" blade. A big difference.

 

Turnerriver's scabbards are unissued with only storage wear. The one you are interested in looks to be in good shape but it is missing the hook. Thus, I think that it should not be valued at more than $100. Since it is on Ebay though, anything could happen.

 

Hope this helps you.

 

Charlie Flick

Hi Charlie....so they made a LEATHER scabbard for the M1942 18" machete also !!!!

 

Regards

 

Lloyd

Nice deal! I got it on ebay Belgium at 20.50$. I have to say I always did my best deals on european ebays. There is little aknowledgement there then they are asking you 50$ for a pick mattock with cover or 80$ for a jungle first aid half empty while a very good WWI 1910 T handle entrenching tool sold at 25$. It's a good thing for me american collectors wouldn't watch european ebays.

Here are three M1939 22" machete scabbards from my collection.

And two M1942 18" scabbards.

Hi Robin:

 

Nice blades and scabbards all.

 

The Hotze 1942 scabbard may not be a M1942. Looking at your pic you will notice that the 1944 Viner Bros. scabbard is clearly made for the straight-backed M1942 18" blade. Both sides of the scabbard are perfectly parallel. The Hotze scabbard is different and was made for a curved 18" blade. Its sides are not parallel.

 

So what is the curved 18" blade? The late D.E. Henry, in his Collins Machete book, indicates that these curved 18" scabbards were probably made for the 22" M1939 blades that had been cut down to 18" in length. Henry suggests that these were 1600 blades that had been cut down for use by the experimental jungle platoon in the Panama Canal Zone. (P.128) He goes on to state "But some 18 inch leather scabbards were actually made for the altered machetes by BOYT and HOTZE who had made the M1939 scabbards in July or August, 1942. Scabbards were not made for the 18 inch M1942 machetes (Collins no. 37) then being developed."

 

So, I think your Hotze scabbard is technically a M1939-style sheath for the altered M1939 machetes that were cut down to 18" in length. Maybe we should call it a "M1939A1" since there does not seem to be a specific model number assigned to it.

 

 

Charlie Flick

Charlie, I think you're right! I never noticed the slight curve before, but it is there. I layed it on top of a M1939 scababrd, and the curve is an exact match, but there is no evidence of it being modified. That is to say there are no stitching holes that run off the edge of the leather as if it had been cut down and reshaped.

If I compare Robin's Viner with mine I see belt attachement are different. Of course when I'll have the sheath in my hand I will be more accurate but now it seem to me mine would have conceived with a loop for the belt and it didn't miss the 1910 hook. In this case it would have two rivets more plus a square stitching and all this stuff dont seem get lost in the pic but never installed. And more there is also initials of the inspector N.T.K.

I always thought machetes were used in the jungles of the PTO

and parrot beak wire cutters were used in the ETO. Guess I was wrong.

 

I always thought machetes were used in the jungles of the PTO

and parrot beak wire cutters were used in the ETO. Guess I was wrong.

 

 

For the same purpose...?

The Japanese used the jungle for defense. The Germans used barbed wire for defense.