1918 L.F.&C. Trench Knife

Product Description: This 1918 L.F.&C. Trench Knife is an outstanding example of this iconic and very desirable weapon. The double-edged steel blade sports an even, dark finish, and shows only very minimal wear and age. The brass knuckle duster type handle retains nearly all of the original darkening, with only minimal wear to edges that shows the dull gleam of the metal. It’s neatly marked on the grip portion with “U.S. 1918” and below that, in smaller characters, “L.F.&C. 1918.” This 1918 L.F.&C. Trench Knife is complete with its original sheet metal scabbard. The scabbard retains both of the fragile original attachment prongs, and is complete, which is rare to find. The scabbard is extremely well-preserved, with only extremely minor age, some corrosion at the tip of the scabbard. It is  maker marked “L.F.&C. 1918,” matching the knife perfectly. This scarce knife displays exceptionally well, and would be tough to upgrade. This M1 1918 L.F.&C. Trench Knife condition rates as excellent ++.

Historical Description: The first official U.S. trench knife adopted for service issue was the U.S. M1917 trench knife. It was designed by Henry Disston & Sons and based off examples of trench knives that were in service with the French Army at that time. The M1917 featured a triangular stiletto blade, wooden grip, metal knuckle guard, and a rounded pommel. The M1917 proved unsatisfactory in service, and a slightly improved version, the M1918, was adopted within months. Despite this, the M1918 is almost identical to the M1917, differing primarily in the construction and appearance of the knuckle guard. Usable only as stabbing weapons, the M1917 and M1918 frequently suffered broken blades. Their limited utility and general unpopularity caused the AEF to empanel a testing board in 1918, to test various trench knives and select a replacement.

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