Description
WW2 Patton Sword fighting knife made from WW1 Springfield Arsenal M1913 Calvary Saber; comes with 5th Rangers patch & unique custom-made “dog tag”. Rare, one-of-a-kind set in great condition, considering the age.
A unique WW2 era GI’s dog tag / 5th Ranger Battalion patch / rare “custom-dressed” fighting knife set in great condition. Rare WW2 era fighting knife was made during the war from the hilt part of WW1 era M1913 Cavalry Saber, typically referred to as the “Patton Sword”. Could be one of the San Antonio Iron Works sword-to-fighting knife conversions, but it’s hard to tell with 100% certainty since the original scabbard and handle did not survive. San Antonio Iron Works of San Antonio, TX produced some of the finest WW2 fighting knives that were derived from the cut-down M1913 Calvary Sabers; all are highly collectable and thought-after fighters nowadays. I have a few San Antonio Iron Works fighting knives 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, which are some of the best-known WW2 era examples of this type. The San Antonio type is illustrated on pages 222-223 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).
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. Just in case you are looking for one, I have an intact M1913 example available for sale in my store, please take a look.
This huge fighting knife is about 14-3/8” / 36.5 cm overall; blued blade is about 7-3/8” / 18.8 cm; dual-edge is razor-sharp still still; the tip is intact. The original M1913 Saber that this dagger was converted from was manufactured by the famous Springfield Arsenal (SA) in 1918. The ricasso is stamped SA / 1918 / US “flaming bomb” ordinance mark on one side, arsenal serial number 31914 / US on the other. The original M1913 handle scales have been replaced with leather cords that have been wrapped around the tang and over the 5th Rangers patch. There is also a wide hand-strap that forms a sort of a “knuckle-duster” over the hand as its covered with multiple brass studs – see photos. Although the leather is somewhat dry, the handle is in very good overall condition, considering the age; all parts are tight. Attached to the lanyard ring is a hand-made dog tag that reads 5196704 / D.E. Gang / P (for Protestant) punched over the nickel-silver plate fashioned in the style of WW1-WW2 German military dog tags (perforated center with identical information on both sides). This is a very interesting and unique dog tag, to say the least; further research is needed to identify this serviceman. Original scabbard did not survive.
This interesting and certainly one-of-a-kind WW2 Patton Sword fighting knife made from WW1 era M1913 Cavalry Saber with a lot of character is in great overall condition. Don’t miss your chance to add it to your collection! This original WW2 Patton Sword 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 my store’s Militaria section.
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DOMESTIC USPS PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING WITH SIGN-FOR DELIVERY CONFIRMATION WILL BE $15.75 FOR THIS ITEM
International shipping for this item will be $55 and up to most countries on our “ship-to” list.
