At the start of WWII America, like many countries on both sides of the war lack adequate quantities of almost everything. This included “combat knives.” Many knives were made by hand, often in the somewhat crude and makeshift machine shops; and some, like the WWI (and WWII) bayonet maker, KUTMASTER. Here are two ex-KUTMASTER Bayonets that have been converted to fig(5ing knives; the (probably chromed) Knife is more then likely a factory done job; shortened blade with a “knife” profile; the barrel ring has been cut and peeled over, and the bayonet lug has been filled in to preclude its original use as a bayonet. The darker finished knife was probably done by someone who copied what KUTMASTER had done. Some of the WWII Theater Knives were very well made knives and others were quite amateurish. Many commercially made hunting knives were often rehandled - with plexiglass, plastics, or leather; the has also been counterfeited knives as the collectibility and value rose.
