Original U.S. WWII Collins & Co. Legitimus No.18 Machete V44 Knife with Horn Handle & Sheath

Original Items: Only one available. These types of knives are extremely rare on today's market. Made by Collins & Co. of Hartford, Conn, this is a LEGITIMUS model No. 18 V-44 type “Machete” with horn handle. This Bowie style knife measures 14 inches long overall, with a 9 3/8 inch clip point blade. Blade is 2 inches wide at the widest point. It is offered in heavily service-worn condition, complete with leather sheath. The ricasso is nicely marked:

COLLINS & CO
LEGITIMUS
MADE IN U.S.A.
No. 18

The blade is in good shape, and has some light oxidation spotting. The edge is still sharp, and there aren’t many chips we can see. The blade shows signs of moderate use.

The leather sheath is also marked with the COLLINS & CO. / LEGITUMUS name around the trademark logo, and is their style 13 sheath. The leather is in fair condition, but there is some heavy wear and loss of material at the tip, and the tip of the knife sticks out. The belt loop is still attached and sound, but there are two small holes in the front. The ornate tooled embossing is still mostly visible.

This is a nice service-worn example of one of these knives, and would make a perfect addition to any WWII edged weapon collection.

Dimensions:
Blade length: 9 1/8”
Blade style: Clip-point "Bowie" knife
Overall length: 14”
Crossguard:4 1/4”
Scabbard length: 9 3/8" with belt loop

Many people think that these were exclusively used by the Marine Corps, and while that is true the connection to the USMC is only a minimal fraction of this blades history. It's principle legacy lies within the Army Air Corp or Army Air Force depending on the era you are referencing. Following the declaration of war in December 1941 emergency procurement were made to include the procurement of 9 inch machetes the Collins #18 being one manufacture. The Collins #18 would have been acquired by the AAF at this time to fill emergency requisitions to supply new contracts of the old type emergency parachute kits and to supplement other kits until the 10 inch folding machete became available.