Trench Knife - Real? or Repro?

[mojjax]

I was wondering if this is a real one or a copy . The knuckle handle is brass - the blade is steel . Thanks for any info !

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

I read it but I really dont know you need to study this link. There are several variations and replicas.. Read this: http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...brass+knuckle+knife"&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

[MilitariaCollector]

I think yours is a copy. The two most common makers were L.F.C (Landers Frary & Clark), and a French maker, Au Lion. The L.F.C knives were marked 1918 on the handle and L.F.C. just below the date. The Au Lion knives were just marked 1918 on the handle, with Au Lion over a lion on the blade. The blade should be 6 3/4" long. Reproductions of the knives are still being made to this day. It is quite common to find copies that have been artificially aged, and attempted to be sold as originals. Your handle looks like a lower quality modern casting, probably from somewhere overseas. The numbers arent as bold and as crisp, they are kind of rough. There also is no patina on your knife, and the color of the blade doesnt even look like steel (maybe just looks like that in the picture). The original 1918 L.F.C metal scabbards for the knife are usually worth as much as the knife itself.

 

[Drache]

How to spot an asian copy:

The blades are stainless steel, and much thinner than the original. (On these "replicas" the blade is only 1/8" thick, while the original was 5/16".)

The nut that holds the blade in is brass

On these Asian replica Mark One knives, the handle is marked simply US 1918 in letters that are too large.


As for the blade not looking like steel, the original's had blades that were darkened.

 

[nhbenz]

I don't know if the other makers mentioned in the above article varied the pattern, but it doesn't match mine, made by L.F. & C. Besides the non-blackened blade I noted differences below:

 

[Drache]

It might just be one made in Japan that was sold to the US Troops going to Vietnam, that is where most of the copies come from.

 

[Got_4by4]

You didn't say how you came by it! If you bought it it might be a repro. if you dug it it might be real

 

[twogunz]

Up here, having a knuckle duster as they are called will get you five years. Seems in the 1970's some guy punched a cop in the face with one, and that put paid to owning one of those

 

[Africa]

Hi is this original or a copy, I looked at your links but my eye sight is not too good and I am not sure