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Unusual and highly collectible WWII-era trench art / field-made knife incorporating a genuine 1942-dated 20mm military ammunition casing into the handle.
The most notable feature is the hand-engraved inscription on the brass casing:
“GUADALCANAL 1942”
The casing also retains its original military headstamp markings, including:
“20 M.M. – MK II” 1942 along with additional factory/manufacturer markings and a small emblem.
The ammunition casing has been repurposed into the knife's handle, creating a distinctive one-of-a-kind piece of wartime trench art. The knife has a simple handmade steel blade and an unusual original leather sheath with hand-laced construction and leather attachment strap.
DETAILS
WWII-era trench art / field-made knife
Genuine 1942-dated 20mm ammunition casing
Casing marked 20 M.M. – MK II
Brass casing hand-engraved “GUADALCANAL 1942”
Additional original ammunition/manufacturer markings visible on the casing
Handmade/field-made steel blade
Original leather sheath
Hand-laced leather construction
Aged original patina throughout
Extremely unusual and unique piece
CONDITION
This is an as-found antique/WWII-era piece with substantial age and wear.
The brass casing has natural oxidation, patina, scratches, dents and surface discoloration. The blade exhibits significant surface rust/oxidation and wear. The leather sheath is heavily aged, dry and worn, with deterioration to portions of the leather and lacing. The leather attachment strap also shows considerable age and wear.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the description and show the item's overall condition.
The knife is being sold as a historical collectible/display piece and should not be considered a modern functional knife.
HISTORICAL NOTE
The “GUADALCANAL 1942” inscription is particularly interesting and strongly suggests that the ammunition casing was turned into a wartime souvenir or piece of trench art commemorating the Guadalcanal campaign.
The casing itself is clearly dated 1942, and the inscription appears to have been hand-engraved into the brass after manufacture.
While the inscription provides a compelling Guadalcanal connection, there is no accompanying provenance establishing that this particular knife was made or used on Guadalcanal itself, so no specific battlefield or unit provenance is being claimed.
This is an exceptional piece for collectors of WWII militaria, Pacific Theater memorabilia, Guadalcanal collectibles, trench art, ammunition artifacts and handmade wartime souvenirs.
Approximately 13-13.5” long.
Ships fast and packaged with extreme care.
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