Talk to me about this trench knife.....

[Mikej]

I've got a friend, of a friend that's liquidating some of her husbands stuff and has this trench knife. She got an estimate that it's worth $1000.00 but looking around that's a pretty happy estimate. I told her I'd take it to the OAC show next month to see if anyone was interested in it. What say you knife folks here on the knives forum?

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[66PonyCar]

Here's a link for you. Looks like it's sold out. If authentic then $1,000 may not be far off.

Original U.S. WWI Model 1918 Mark I Trench Knife by L.F. & C with Matching Scabbard

Original Item: Only One Available. The U.S. Model 1918 Mark I Trench Knife was the second major Knuckle Knife to be officially adopted and issued to the US military. It was developed for use in the horrific trench warfare that typified the stalemate on the Western Front during the latter part of...

www.ima-usa.com

 

[Alexx1401]

I've got a friend, of a friend that's liquidating some of her husbands stuff and has this trench knife. She got an estimate that it's worth $1000.00 but looking around that's a pretty happy estimate. I told her I'd take it to the OAC show next month to see if anyone was interested in it. What say you knife folks here on the knives forum?

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If some expert can tell her its really an original that is the kind of thing that some collector would pay big for. How many of them could there still be floating around from a century ago. Be real interesting to find out if it really is that old.

 

[Unka-Boo]

Have it professionally appraised, they are one of the most reproduced knives out there.....

 

[Wombat of Doom]

If original , 700-1500 is not off base. I have a fairly poor condition original, and it was ~$500. Blade is heavily pitted Has sharpening marks all over.

 

[DLS]

... they are one of the most reproduced knives out there.....

Yep, there are tons of copies of this knife and a ton of counterfeits as well.

 

[Mikej]

Yeah, I have on of the copies, a friend gave it to me when he was cleaning out a bunch of his dad's "Stuff" when he went into a rest home. It probably cost $9.95 when his dad bought it. It says "Stainless" over "Taiwan" at the base of the blade. Obviously not trying to put something over on a would-be collector!

Someone at Rapid Fire Arms in Sandy had put the $1000.00 price on it already. But looking at completed sales on Gun Broker showing the few completed sales at high $600.00s to low $700.00s. The question is where to put it now to get a fair price for the owner? I'll be taking it to The War Front down in Milwaukee to be looked at. Is there anywhere else you guys know of in the area?

Thanks for the input guys.

Too bad it's so far away for the BIG August OAC show. I've come to meet a couple of WWI collectors there.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

You likely know this already, but there may be people reading this that don't, so for anyone that finds an old knife or sword, DO NOT try and clean it up before you have it appraised. If it is authentic the cleaning will only decrease the value and if you are lucky enough to have an authentic WW II Japanese sword improper cleaning can irreparably damage the blade.

 

[Member 5605]

The question is where to put it now to get a fair price for the owner?

You don't. Tell them the pricing is all over the place, fakes abound and if they find somebody willing to pay them 1G then take the money and be gone.

 

[UnionMillsNW]

The majority of value with antique items (be it knives, guns, furniture, ect ) comes from three things:

1. Current interest in the category of item. Some antiques, like WWII memorabilia, still have a strong market, but good luck trying to offload collectable plates, silver dining sets, or giant oversized furniture right now. Each generation has different interests. Knives will always have a good base of interest but the value tends to ebb and flow.

2. Rarity of the item. Just because something is old doesn't make it valuable. I'll point to the ever popular Mosin Nagant as an example. Over 37 million Mosin's were produced; so while they are old they are not rare. Their value only increased when the U.S. curtailed importation.

3. Provenance. This is the most important factor when determining value. A guitar is worth $600.... a guitar owned by Elvis that has the paper trail proof and a picture of him holding the guitar? Sky is the limit. Even non-celebrity provenance increases value. An authentic WWI trench knife could run upwards of $700, but if it was known to be assigned to a certain unit or issued out to a certain soldier, it's possible that value could increase significantly.

If possible I would ask your friend if there is any family history/documents leading back to WWI see if there is any connection with the knife.

They are a fun piece of history and, to the right buyer, a real treasure.

Good luck.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

IMO it is the baddest bubblegum knife ever made. The history is cool. A lot have clipped sides on the round guard. The screaming eagles were known to carry them that way as they belt carried easier that way. Mine is just an ugly one that looked like it got buried awhile.

 

[Mikej]

I have the MK I trench knife in hand now for some better pics.

The strange X marking on the handle don't look scratched in. They look stamped.

The workings on the sheath are interesting. "Trench Art"?

The original scabbard has been enclosed in a custom leather sheath. You can see the makers stamping at the top of the scabbard, "LF&C 1918" . You'll see loops of copper wire wrapped at the top front of the sheath. Why? At the bottom of the sheath there is also one loop of copper wire passing through the leather and a hole in the scabbard to keep the scabbard from coming out of the leather sheath.