Antique Knives

1 incredible U.S. World War 2 theater fighting knife.  This exceptional theater dagger would make an important addition to any collection.

This double-edged WW2 theater fighting knife was beautifully made.  This maker had both skill, and taste.  The thick brass guard is pointed towards the blade’s center line.  The handle is made of theater-scrounged aluminum, leather, and brass & colored spacers.  The leather scabbard is decorated with a single mother-of-pearl crest. 

This knife measures 12 5/16″ overall.  The blade itself measures 7 1/4″. 

1 vintage U.S. World War II premium theater combat knife from the Roger Ballard collection available.  This knife would make an important addition to any collection.

This knife is from a known/ID’d maker.  This knife was made by “Bud” Fhaver in Oklahoma City during World War II.  According to Ballard’s ID’d card–“Fhaver worked at Tinker Air Force Base and had pattern knives on display in his work area so that soldiers could order the knife they needed.  Knives were made from scrapped airplane parts.”
 

This knife was with another of Bud Fhaver’s theater knives in Roger Ballard’s collection.  Roger made a hand-drawn ID card for the other knife–a copy of that knife’s ID card is provided with this knife, because it has the history on these knives. 

This huge WWII combat knife measures 16 1/16″ overall.  The blade itself measures 11 1/4″. 

1 set of 3 U.S. WW2 theater knives by the same maker! available.  This rare set of 3 matching theater knives would make an important addition to any collection.

Theater knives are fighting knives made by soldiers in the field, or by craftsman here at home for soldiers.  Knives made by soldiers were often made with materials that were readily available to them–like plexiglass spacers made from enemy aircraft windshields, aluminum, brass, leather, and blades or handles from Issue fighting knives.

Occasionally a theater knife will stick out above the rest–these three knives, all by the same maker, are it.  It is so very unusual to find theater knives made by the same guy–literally, if you look though 1,000 theater knives, no two knives will be by the same maker. 

These knives are recognizable as being by the same maker for a couple of traits.  First, note the shape of the pommel–same shape on each knife.  Second, note the thinner piece of metal at the top of the guard on each knife.  Third, note the spacing and thickness of the colored part of each handle–the same. 

Each blade is unique–one has an M3 trench knife blade.  A second has a upturned clip point blade.  And the third knife is still unfinished!  Looks like he used a hacksaw blade as his blade stock on this knife–and on the second knife.  The knives vary in length from 11 1/16″ overall for the unfinished knife down to 10 3/4″ for the clip point bladed knife.