Gift Ideas - Trench Knife

For me and mine we keep 2 big cans of pepper spray on nightstands. And guns locked up. Also on my side a asp baton. Can't really help on the knife selection.

Pepper spray would be my choice.

Not that I do not love my knives, but you don't want to get in a knifefight.

the M3 blade was used as a bayonet for the M1 and M2 Carbine, the M1 Rifle, the M14 Rifle and the M16A1 rifle with variations in handles and the method of attaching the bayonet to the given weapon.

From age 10 to 18 I used the version for the M1 Rifle, the M5A1, as a camp knife. I think it worked as well as anything else for general sheath knife use.

I sharpened both the long edge and the shorter "False edge"

As a fighting knife it is best for the stab as it lacks the forward weight of a chopping blade. I once did some non scientific testing involving a spoiled beef roast in a plastic bag in one trouser leg hanging by a three foot rope from a tree branch. A simple slash from the side at speed produced three inch deep cuts. a back hand produced cuts over an inch in depth. Lunging stabs went all the way to the guard. Lunge and jerk about produced large wounds inside the meat.

No science, just a bag of meat, but I thought it interesting.

I now await the scientific rebuttals about what a poor fighting knife blade the M3 was.

As other folks have said knife fighting is to be avoided when ever possible. If such a thing makes you sleep better maybe it would be fine. You expressed concern for children has you locking up your firearms, you might consider that a sharp knife can do a lot of damage to little fingers and faces and such pretty darned quick. Perhaps for yourself a better purchase might be a fast opening night stand lock box for a handgun might be better than a 1943 fighting knife.

as for a WWII gift for buddies....how about a nice Zippo lighter with a unit crest on it, maybe engraved with their name?

-kBob

Ontario makes are really nice version of the M-3 for less than $80. I bought one years ago, and it's a nice sticker. Not the best utility knife, but it's a sharp on one and a third sides and pokes a pretty good hole. The carbon steel takes a nice edge, and it's cheap enough you won't baby it much. I would say that I prefer the Gerber MkII over the M-3 when it comes to a dedicated fighting knife, but I have carried my M-3 as a basic hiking knife before. It'll do most jobs well enough.

I would say that for a bit less money you could get a Ka-Bar like knife (made by Ontario or Ka-Bar or whomever) and have a knife that not only will fulfill the fighting role but will also do a lot more work.

Check legality. Some places do not allow knuckle dusters or knifes with them attached.

Oh, and some one mentioned not wanting to get into a knife fight. Quite right. If you get into a real knife fight you will get cut. You might even win and still bleed out before help arrives. Man invented guns so he didn't have to go toe to toe using sharpened steel.

Just a quick quip since the Goober Toad Stickers got mentioned Both the Mark II and later (why?) Mark I have stub tangs and are not full tang knives like the M3 and its bayonet children.

-kBob

An idea, but a name brand that might be meaningful or special.

You could give them all a "Glock" knife.
There or other vanity brands also.
If they're into Zak Brown band then a Southern Grind knife.
I might chose a SOG Seal Pup.

To be fair, I think you might just wanna give him a trench knife just because you can. Even if he does or does not use for SD. It’s a pretty wicked gift. IMO.

kBob said:

the M3 blade was used as a bayonet for the M1 and M2 Carbine, the M1 Rifle, the M14 Rifle and the M16A1 rifle with variations in handles and the method of attaching the bayonet to the given weapon.

Click to expand...

The same blade is also used in the bayonet for the German G3, as well as variations used in other countries. (The Pakistanis, however, use a derivative of the British Jungle Carbine bayonet on their G3's.) The G3 is unique in that it mounts its bayonet above the barrel.

There was a blade recovered from the Atocia wreck I got to handle that was the same style blade but about doubled in size It was a sinister and unfortunately the guard and hilt were gone. it however sang like it was new when I tapped it on a table edge despite a 350 year salt bath

No I did not even have the money to start bidding. just got luck enough to handle a few things.

Gerber sort of borrowed the blade shape of the M3 for their Mark I fighter.

-kBob

Miss Kitty and I were in Costco today and Cutco had a booth set up. You know Cutco, right, the kitchen knife people. They're expensive and Miss Kitty loves them. We didn't need anything but she had to stop and see what was new. I didn't know until the rep told me, and even then I came home and verified, but Ka Bar is owned by Cutco. The rep showed me a Cutco branded clip-point hunting knife and a fishing knife that were excellent and the pair only $144. Another idea.