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American WW2 era San Antonio Iron Works fighting knife made from SA 1914 M1913 Patton Saber, original “tooled” leather scabbard -RARE type

$1,079.98

Original WW2 San Antonio Iron Works fighting knife made from WW1 era Springfield Arsenal M1913 Calvary Saber (Patton Sword) dated 1914. Rare type in great condition; orig “tooled floral pattern” leather scabbard included.

1 in stock

Description

WW2 San Antonio Iron Works fighting knife made from WW1 era Springfield Arsenal M1913 Calvary Saber (Patton Sword) dated 1914. Rare type in great condition; scarce original “tooled floral pattern” leather scabbard included.

Very rare WW2 era fighting knife made during the war by San Antonio Iron Works in San Antonio, Texas from the hilt part of WW1 era M1913 Cavalry Saber, typically referred to as the “Patton Sword”.  The original M1913 Calvary saber was developed by the now-famous General Patton prior to WW1. The sword was an excellent weapon but it was rendered useless by the advances in modern warfare by the time the United States has actually entered WW1. After the Great War ended most of the M1913 sabers ended up collecting dust in the government arsenals. I have an intact M1913 example available for sale in my store, please take a look.

During the first couple of years of WW2 the US servicemen had no standard-issue fighting knife. The US military was desperately looking for a quick way to  satisfy the demand for the much-needed fighting knives early in the War. So someone came up with the idea of re-purposing these old (and by than obsolete weapons anyway) into fighting knives and daggers. A large quantity of Patton Swords and even older Civil War sabers were converted into somewhat crude, but very practical fighting knives and trench daggers.  Each M1913 saber was made into 3 fighting knives. Obviously, the “hilt part” fighters are scarcer than the rest. These intimidating “Patton Sword” fighters were made by a number of American makers during the war, including San Antonio Iron Works of San Antonio, TX. The “San Antonio” daggers and knives are some of the best known examples of such side arms. This exact type is illustrated on page 222 of the KNIVES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY WORLD WAR II book by Michael W Silvey – a well-established expert and the author of a number of books on the subject of the US military edged weapons (see book’s scans attached).

This huge fighting knife is about 14-3/8” / 38 cm overall; the blade is about 7-7/8” / 20 cm; dual-edge blade is razor-sharp still; the tip is intact. The original M1913 Saber that this knife was converted from was manufactured by the famous Springfield Arsenal (SA) in 1914. The ricasso is stamped SA / 1914 / US “flaming bomb”  ordinance mark on one side,  arsenal serial number 10769 /  US on the other. The original M1913 handle scales have been replaced with leather woven and tied into some some very fancy sailor’s knots. The handle is in excellent condition, considering the age; all parts are tight; the guard has a tiny bit of a play.

Original San Antonio “floral pattern type” leather scabbard is in excellent overall condition. All original stitching is intact; the leather is is soft and supple still; the keeper is a bit dry and cracked but is still in one piece. This WW2 era San Antonio Iron Works fighting knife made from WW1 era M1913 Cavalry Saber is a great find – today most of the surviving WW2 era “San Antonio Patton Saber” fighting knives are in private collections and are off the market. This is one of the best WW2 era “non-regulation” US fighting knives with a lot of character and in excellent overall condition, you will not be disappointed!

This original WW-II era WW2 San Antonio Iron Works fighting knife has not been cleaned or tampered with in any way, it is in 100% original “as is” condition. These are the actual photos; spent brass is not included with the lot 😉  I have several fighting knives made from converted sabers, as well as some scarce WW1 and WW2 fighting daggers and trench knives available for sale – please take a look in our Militaria section.

For collectible knives and edged weapons Argo C&C accepts payments via credit cards, personal checks drawn from US-based accounts, certified US-based bank checks, and money orders. Please email me at info@argocoins.com if you would like to make a credit card purchase over the phone. Follow me on Facebook @argoman400BC to keep an eye on the latest additions and promotions.

DOMESTIC USPS PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING WITH SIGN-FOR DELIVERY CONFIRMATION WILL BE $14.75 FOR THIS ITEM

International shipping for this item will be $55 and up to most countries on our “ship-to” list.

Additional information

Weight 2.1 lbs

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