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A little late to the discussion. Lee, the knife you posted on January 26, is an M-3 Trench knife. This knife was supposed to be issued to anyone who carried a weapon that couldn't mount a bayonet (early M1 carbines, M1928 & M1 Thompson SMGs, Machine gun crews, etc.) The V-42 was a stiletto designed by LTC Robert Frederick for the First Spacial Service Force.
M3 Trench knives were made by several companies in WWII, however they had a short run before the Army cancelled the order and the M3 became the M4 Bayonet. WWII production numbers are around 2.5 million* from all makers making it a very low amount for combat knives.After the war, existing stocks were destroyed or converted into M4 Bayonets.
M3's continue to be made to this day as the blade is the same as that used on subsequent bayonets including the M7 Bayonet used with the M16 into the 1990s.
The V-42 was a much shorter lived production knife with less than 6.000 being produced. (some estimates are as low as 3,500).
* The 2.5 million is often attributed but might actually be high as many M3 knives were shipped back to the factories and converted into M4 Bayonets before ever being issued!
Below is a current production Ontario M3 and a fairly accurate repro of a V-42. Note he much slimmer build of the v-42 as well as the geometry of the handle. The skull crusher pommel is also a distinct difference. Not visible on the V-42 is the thumb print ricasso (sorry i should've flipped the knife over) Also the V-42 has a 7 1/4 double edge blade - the M3 a 6 /34 inch is 1 1/2 edges with a sharpened swedge on a classic bayonet spear point. Both were made from 1095 carbon steel. The V-42 had a blued finish where are the M-3 finish varied by maker.
The V-42 has a leather pad on the back of the bent guard. Only the top of the M-3 guard is bent forward. Most M-3 trench knives had deep grooves cut in the stacked leather, however a few makers did not do this.
Three new ones just in!
http://iknifecollector.com/forum/topics/case-peanuts-from-the-origi...
And another new one....http://iknifecollector.com/group/casefans/forum/topics/case-peanuts...
GREAT looking set Rhamer!!
I "need" to get the Peanut.
I put this in the discussion about the Case Classics but I would like to you all see it too.
If the Case Classics were to be made again
WHAT PATTERN WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE??
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