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WW1 era French fighting dagger/trench knife, original Gras bayonet scabbard

$279.99

Original WW1 French dagger fighting knife with large 8.9″ dual-edge blade in re-worked M1874 Gras bayonet scabbard. Excellent quality overall; RARE type

1 in stock

Description

Original WW1 French dagger fighting knife with large 8.9″ dual-edge blade in re-worked M1874 Gras bayonet scabbard. Excellent quality and in great overall condition, considering the age; rare type.

Very cool and rare WW1 era French military fighting dagger/stiletto trench knife; probably was made from the hammered-out tip of the older French M1874 Gras bayonet. Early in the war the French military faced the need for a great number of fighting knives suitable for trench warfare. So in the first few years of WW1 many older bayonets were cut up to make several daggers from each. Known as “Coutrot Knife”, the general type is attributed to Colonel Coutrot of the French Army, who came up with the basic design of this cheap and easy to manufacture weapon. The scabbard for this stiletto dagger is made from M1874  Gras “sword-bayonet” scabbard; the blade has probably come from that bayonet as well. These “bayonet trench daggers” were popular with the French infantrymen as they provided to be much handier in the close-quarters fighting than the standard issue long rifle bayonets or sabers.

This dagger is about 13-1/2″ / 24.3 cm overall; the blade is about 8-7/8″ / 22.5 cm long.  Excellent overall condition, considering the age; all handle parts are tight with no play. Wood grips are not damaged; handguard is solid; the tip is slightly bent. Original metal scabbard holds the blade tight; it still has about 80% of its original blueing;  a few rust spots are noted for accuracy.  Very cool and very hard to find WW1 French dagger fighting knife, especially with the original scabbard. This old timer is in 100% serviceable condition still, even after 100+ years.

Today most of the surviving WW1 era French trench daggers are in private collections & rarely come up for sale. Don’t miss your chance to add this original WW1 French dagger fighting knife to your collection!

We have a small but very interesting collection of various edged WW1 and WW2 era weapons to sell. Don’t forget to check out our Militaria section for other WW1 and WW2 era combat knives, including WW1 French daggers, German WW1 era trench knives, vintage USAF WW2 Pilot Knives and a couple of rare WW2 “OSS Drop” knives we offer for sale.

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Additional information

Weight 2.1 lbs