Unusual WWII Era Theater Made Fighting or Utility Knife! Unique Colorful Handle!

Description

Offered for your consideration is a unique and interesting WWII era theater-made fighting and/or general purpose utility knife. Theater knives were made by the tens of thousands during times of war. They can span the spectrum from crude, rudimentary knives, to elaborate, high-quality knives. They were crafted by soldiers, generally in the theater of battle, and were made out necessity, to battle boredom, or simply as a hobby. They were generally crafted from materials available to soldiers in the field, although many of the more elaborate knives were made aboard ships in their well-equipped machine shops. This knife came from a huge (well over 750+) life-long collection of theater-made knives. While the exact provenance of most theater knives is usually impossible to determine (unless of course, they were signed or passed down as family heirlooms), these knives usually have a very distinctive design and appearance. This piece was very solidly built and it has a unique handle with some unusual material colors. I can usually identify handle materials fairly easily, as most theater knife handles were made from a similar group of source materials available to most military personnel. The handle segments appear to be of Lexan, although they are deep red and yellow in color. The material may be a casein or Bakelite type of plastic. This piece was certainly made by a skilled craftsman who had likely made other knives.
The knife appears to have seen light to moderate use after it was made. It has not been buffed, polished, or altered and remains exactly as it was made.
This knife was very solidly built and it has a clean, nicely balanced appearance. It has a sturdy, capable feel in the hand with no looseness or play. The blade has a unique profile and it was ground from thick carbon steel. A partial marking remains visible and it appears to have read "Superior Steel" with the "Sup" no longer visible. The surfaces are free of any corrosion or pitting with just a couple scattered tiny spots of the usual pin prick peppering as shown. The surfaces display an even, natural carbon patina on both sides. The blade is free of errant grinder marks or harsh sharpening abrasions with just some grind marks from the shaping/initial sharpening as shown. It looks as though it was probably lightly honed a couple of times. The edge is free of any cracks, chips, dings, or damage and remains very nice with just some normal light wear. It remains somewhat sharp and the knife is ready for immediate use, although a few strokes on a good stone or hone would quickly have it shaving sharp. The deep clip-point tip is intact and original with no breaks or bending. The spine has not been pounded or batonned and it's free of any dings, dents, marring, or damage. The double guard was shaped from cast aluminum and it's free of marring or damage with just some scattered light tooling marks from being shaped. The beautiful, colorful handle is of stacked segments of what appears to be colored Lexan or similar acrylic, although it could also be Bakelite, casein, or some other type of dense plastic-like material. The segments are separated by aluminum spacers with two sets of white/black spacers just behind the guard and just in front of the pommel. The handle was beautifully executed nicely executed all the way around and the segments were highly finished. The handle remains rock-solid with no cracks, cuts, marring, degradation, or damage with just a bit of wear. It's free of any stains or discoloration with no bleaching or sun fade and no environmental damage. The surfaces still display some rich, glossy luster. The pommel was shaped from solid aluminum and it remains rock-solid as well with no looseness or play. It was tightly pinned and it's free of any serious dings, dents, marring, or damage with just some scattered light scuffs/abrasions and some tooling marks as shown. The handle components all remain correctly aligned and the entire knife is tight with not a wiggle or rattle anywhere.
The blade is 4-1/4" and the knife measures 8-3/4" in overall length.
The leather sheath is the original and it was custom made for the knife. The sheath has a very unique design and it was crafted from a single piece of thick leather. The seam was hand stitched in an "X" pattern and the sheath has an unusual retainer strap that simply wraps around the handle and is inserted into the slot. The sheath was designed for pack carry and there is no belt loop or other means of attachment. It shows little carry wear and it remains in very nice condition with no cuts, tears, punctures, or damage. The surfaces are free of any stains or discoloration and the leather is free of any environmental damage or degradation.
If you're a collector and/or enthusiast of theater knives or U.S. military knives, this is a unique, well-made piece that's certainly one-of-a-kind.
An unusual and interesting theater-made fighting and/or utility knife!
Sorry but no international shipping.