Help with ID and date

[jeepster]

Please help me ID this knife. I think it's a Mod. 3 but not sure on the date of manufacture.
Thanks.
Ronnie

[jeepster]

More photos.

[jeepster]

Another.

[BoBlade]

Hi Ronnie,

If:

1. The butt is peened.
2. The keeper is original with a large brass rivet.
3. The sheath is original to the knife.

Then it's a 3-6 from the first half of 1946. Reasoning as follows:

1. It's a Model 3 because it has a hump coming off the hilt and the blade is 6".
2. The peened tang puts it 40's.
3. The "blade flat" puts it 40's.
4. The small throat rivets put it post the fall of 1945.
5. The large stamp puts it post 1945.
6. The metal snap puts it pre mid 1946.

Let me know if any.

[Ta2bill]

Well that certainly narrows it down....... Great information Ron!

[BoBlade]

Thanks, Bill. Every now and then you get a knife that can be pigeon-holed, and this is one of them.

[Jacknola]

Great stuff Ron, and very well presented. Thanks for the valuable data.

I occasionally look at other sites and the answers offered to questions about vintage are usually not very worthwhile (your comments excepted of course). Some people are obviously knowledgeable, but don't give rationale for their estimates. Other commentators are just plain ... er ... well ... almost always off base.

Nice to have this site that seems more oriented to the collector. My opinion of course. Regards.

[jeepster]

Great info Ron. I knew I could count on you.
Thanks.
Ronnie

[jeepster]

Ron here is a photo of the pommel end of the knife.
Ronnie

[Ta2bill]

Definitely a 1940's item. Nice knife Ronnie.

[BoBlade]

Thanks, Jack. Much appreciated. I've been trying to share what I learn for a long time. The more educated collectors are, the better the community in general.

Thanks Ronnie, but...........

I threw in a couple of caveats to my guess. One of them is that the tang was peened. You just posted a photo of the butt showing a brass washer and nut. That changes everything! It's a WWII Hunter! Likely late '44 or first half '45 based on the conventional blade grind. I should have picked up on this from the sheath: During WWII, Heiser sheaths for 5-6" blades were narrow throat. After WWII ended they magically became wide throat, and the sheath for this knife is narrow throat. Here is a comparison:

One small feature can make a big difference to a collector.

Best,

[Jacknola]

I saw those caveats Ron and wondered what the verdict would be when Ronnie posted the tang nut. I don't focus on the 1940s-50s, but this is ... velly velly interesting ... I understand that surviving WWII hunters are not plentiful.

[Ta2bill]

Ron, I also want to get your thoughts on this Model 2-7" knife that I picked up last year. It came with a Floyd Byrd Sheath so that isn't any help. Brass nut and washer, 5 wide spacers, large stamp double struck, etc. I believe it to be a WWII era piece.

[jeepster]

Thanks Ron. Appreciated your help.
Ronnie

[BoBlade]

Originally Posted by Jacknola

I understand that surviving WWII hunters are not plentiful.

They are, Jack. I think I've seen a total of maybe a dozen since I've been collecting. I tried to corner the market at one time, but have since sold off several that were duplicates. When we get together for a beer one of these days, I'll tell you a story about a couple that got away.

Originally Posted by Ta2bill

Ron, I also want to get your thoughts on this Model 2-7" knife that I picked up last year. It came with a Floyd Byrd Sheath so that isn't any help. Brass nut and washer, 5 wide spacers, large stamp double struck, etc. I believe it to be a WWII era piece.

Bill,

40's fighters don't have the "tell" that 40's Hunters / Model 3's do (i.e. peened tang after the war), so we have to look elsewhere. First of all, the demand for fighters after WWII ended was virtually nil and didn't pick up again until the Korean war started in 1950 (This is why a fighter in a translucent snap sheath is so rare). At that time, the dominant tightening hardware was a brass washer and a flat SS nut. Therefore, if you have a 40's fighter with both a brass washer and nut, there's a high probability that it is WWII. If it's an early WWII Stilleto, then there are tells such as the stamp on the blade and wrist thong link. But if it's '44 or '45, you have to look at other features like the choils, the handle shape and the guard shape. You have to get a feel for these differences by looking at a lot of knives. Bottom line is that I believe your knife is WWII and if I were in your shoes I'd send it to Joe for an authentication.

Ronnie: My pleasure.

Best,