Original Item: Only One Available. Worn in the breast pocket of the Paratrooper M2 Jump Jacket, these knives were intended for paratroopers to cut their parachute cords and anything else if they got entangled during a jump. All of the versions are quite rare and hard to find, partly because they continued to be used after the war, and simply wore out.

This wonderful example offered in very good functional condition is marked on the base of the blade (ricasso). The first line is very faint, and reads as follows:

and

The earliest model of these had a "jigged bone" handle, but as the war progressed, a simpler textured metal grip design was introduced, which was painted black. Unlike other versions, this one came in two sizes, the smaller No.2, which was the same size s the No.1, and the larger No.3, which is what we have here. It has an original overall length of 8 3/4", compared to the 7 1/8" inch of the No.2 and later No.4 and No.5.

Our example shows some exterior wear to the black painted handle panels. The blade is still sharp but shows signs of additional sharpening. There is some overall expected light wear from handling, storage, and honest use. It still opens correctly, with a strong spring with locks securely fully open. The blade lock works, preventing it from opening or closing when not intended.

For further research checkout this forum post about these knives and how to tell WW2 knives from post war (this example is 100% WWII) visit the forum at this link.

Now's your chance to own an iconic piece of American Paratrooper history! This is a must have example to complete your Airborne jump uniform!

Dimensions:
Blade length: 3 3/4”
Blade Style: Clip Point Knife
Overall length closed: 4 7/8”
Overall length open: 8 5/8"

NOTE: This knife is definitely considered a "Switchblade", so check local laws before ordering.

Switchblades date from the mid-18th century. The earliest known examples of spring-loaded blades were constructed by craftsmen in Europe, who developed an automatic folding spike bayonet for use on flintlock pistols and coach guns. Examples of steel automatic folding knives from Sheffield England have crown markings that date to 1840. Cutlery makers such as Tillotson, A. Davey, Beever, Hobson, Ibbotson and others produced automatic-opening knives. Some have simple iron bolsters and wooden handles, while others feature ornate, embossed silver alloy bolsters and stag handles. English-made knives often incorporate a "pen release" instead of a central handle button, whereby the main spring activated larger blade is released by pressing down on the closed smaller pen blade.

In the late 1930s the German Luftwaffe began training a Fallschirmjäger or paratroop force, and as part of this effort developed specialized equipment for the airborne soldier, including the Fallschirmjäger-Messer (paratrooper's knife), which used a gravity-operated mechanism to deploy its sliding spearpoint blade from the handle. The German paratrooper knife, which featured a marlinspike in addition to the cutting blade, was used to cut rigging and unknot lines, though it could be employed as a weapon in an emergency.

The U.S. Army in 1940 tasked the Geo. Schrade Knife Co. to produce a small single-edge switchblade for U.S. airborne troops, to be used similarly to the Fallschirmjäger-Messer. The knife was not intended primarily as a fighting knife, but rather as a utility tool, to enable a paratrooper to rapidly cut himself out of his lines and harness in the event he could not escape them after landing.

The company's submission was approved by the U.S. Army Materiel Command in December 1940 as the Knife, Pocket, M2. The M2 had a 3.125-inch clip-point blade and featured a carrying bail. Except for the bail, the M2 was for all intents and purposes a copy of George Schrade's popular Presto safety-button civilian model. The M-2 was issued primarily to U.S. Army paratroopers during the war, though some knives appear to have been distributed to crews and members of the Office of Strategic Services. When issued to paratroopers, the M2 was normally carried in the dual-zippered knife pocket on the upper chest of the M42 jump uniform jacket. After the war, the M2 was manufactured by Schrade (now Schrade-Walden, Inc.) as the Parachutist's Snap Blade Knife (MIL-K-10043) under a postwar military contract. In addition, other companies such as the Colonial Knife Co. made civilian versions of the M2 after the war.