Original U.S. WWII Heavy Lead Cast Theater-Made Knuckle Knife with Custom Leather Sheath

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Theater knives are knives made by military personnel in the various theaters of war. Each knife is unique in its own way due to the maker's style, preferences and materials available. Most theater knives were made from spare parts, wreckage, tools and already existing blades.

These knives were made by the armorers and engineers on request. The larger ships needed to have skilled fabricators on board to make repairs and modifications to weapons and gear. Usually the blades were made from existing weapons or from steel components, and the hilts were cast from metals such as aluminum or zinc.

This is an interesting genuine example of a custom theater-made heavy lead-cast knuckle fighting knife with a polished 8¾” blade. This example appears hand-cast with the grooves well-designed for a good grip. The construction is overall crude, with a strange brass crossguard that would suggest that the hilt under the lead casting may be brass as well, but the piece of metal protruding from the pommel is not brass, and has a hole through it meant for attachment of a lanyard. The blade has a small bit of play. The knife overall measures roughly 14”.

The original leather sheath is custom-made with the securing strap being a very uneven cut piece of leather which is still well-riveted to the belt loop. The shape of the strap appears to have been cut for the knife, as it wraps around it very well. The stitching of the sheath itself is well-retained, with only two rivets at the mouth. The leather is a bit crazed and there is cracking in places. The knife does not fit the sheath perfectly, and if pushed in entirely, the tip of the knife appears at the bottom of the sheath.

A lovely example of a classic theater made fighting knife rarely encountered on today’s collector market. Check local legal restrictions on metal knuckles before ordering.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 8 3/4"
Blade Style: Double Edged Dagger
Overall length: 14“
Scabbard Length: 8 1/2" + belt loop