This WWII era theater knife comes from the collection of a World War II veteran. What makes this USN marked knife unique is the engraved initials of the soldier ‘A.R.’ with the unknown numbers of ‘26’ below. The blade itself is marked as RH PAL 35. The rubber pommel has a unique wooden base to the handle.

The red pommel handle with clear plexiglass makes the knife handle pop. Many theater knives with this clear plexiglass have been documented as coming from discarded plane windows of both friendly and enemy planes. The blade does show heavy uses and sharpening marks but maintains a very study and overall good condition.

History of Theater Knives in WWII:

Knives have been a key fighting weapon in every war. No matter how advanced the technology, a good knife always has a place in battle. A special breed of knives saw extensive development during WWII. Known as the "theatre knife". While it could be employed for the uses of a regular knife, its primary goal was for hand-to-hand combat and utility use. The design, balance and materials employed varied from the run of the mill knife. A theater made knife is one that was manufactured in a country other than the US. During WWII these knives were produced in the European and South Pacific theaters. These hand made knives are recorded as being used extensively throughout the European and Pacific Theaters of battle. These knives were hand made and constructed by USMC, Army, Air Corps, and Naval soldier melting down scraps of damages vehicles and planes and using whatever materials they could find.