Please Help ID Military(?) Knife

Ian · 4th August 2021, 10:46 AM

While this one might have been posted more appropriately in the Euro Forum, we'll leave it here for now.

The knife is obviously in poor condition. It may well have been dug up, as you suggest. It reminds me of inexpensive "bazaar" tourist knives from various sources, including Pakistan, India, Thailand, Philippines, a host of Western countries, Russia and former Soviet states, etc. The quality of "steel" in this example appears to be very low, and the blade is probably quite soft judging from its wear and how it has been sharpened. I've seen similar knives from Pakistan, and was gifted one by a student who knew nothing of knife quality! The blade would not take an edge it was so soft. That would be my best guess, and it's purely a guess because such knives are made widely in imitation of western styles. One of the Moderators thought it could have been a prison shank.

As for age, it's hard to know. Not very old I would say. No earlier than WWII and as recent as the last decade would be my guess.

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4th August 2021, 10:46 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	While this one might have been posted more appropriately in the Euro Forum, we'll leave it here for now. The knife is obviously in poor condition. It may well have been dug up, as you suggest. It reminds me of inexpensive "bazaar" tourist knives from various sources, including Pakistan, India, Thailand, Philippines, a host of Western countries, Russia and former Soviet states, etc. The quality of "steel" in this example appears to be very low, and the blade is probably quite soft judging from its wear and how it has been sharpened. I've seen similar knives from Pakistan, and was gifted one by a student who knew nothing of knife quality! The blade would not take an edge it was so soft. That would be my best guess, and it's purely a guess because such knives are made widely in imitation of western styles. One of the Moderators thought it could have been a prison shank. As for age, it's hard to know. Not very old I would say. No earlier than WWII and as recent as the last decade would be my guess.