Guns International #: 102859725
Seller's Inventory #: BP24-BHD

Category - Knives - Military US - Collectibles - WWII

Category
Knives - Military US
Collectibles - WWII

Original WW2 Everitt Knuckle Knife w/ Factory Scabbard * RARE Fighter in Excellent Condition! *

Description:
The rarely-found Everitt Knuckle Fighting Knife is one of the most unique, serious-looking, and still somewhat "mysterious" and very-cool WW2 fighting knives in existence today.  These fighting knives with integral metal knuckle bows were made between 1942 and 1945, they were all privately-purchased, and they were carried primarily by U.S. serving in the Pacific Theatre during WW2. Originally factory-finished with a black or green enameled handle with knuckles, and a black-painted blade, these knives are very sought-after by WW2 edged weapons collectors, U.S. Military knife collectors, and collectors who specialize in military knuckle knives regardless of the conflict/time period. This particular example is 100% original and comes complete with it's original leather scabbard, which is even rarer than the knife itself.  The rarity of the scabbard is due to the extreme combat conditions and extreme weather in the P.T.O. compounded with the natural deterioration of the leather from aging.  Despite the many decades of time that have passed, and despite the huge wealth of information that has been spread thru the internet in the last 30-plus years, there are still a lot of unknown's with these really-cool and mean-looking knives. 
     These WW2-production Everitt Knuckle-Duster Fighting Knives feature an overall length just shy of 12" inches, with a 5" inch smooth cast metal-alloy handle that was factory-painted with a black or green enamel, a double-guard / crossguard with 5 integral individual finger-loops (just like a set a brass knuckles), and a cross-hatched between the knuckle loops and the handle with the name "Everitt" in raised letters in the center of that area.  Each of the knuckle loops have a tit at the top of the loop to concentrate the force of the strike to these 5 points of impact , thus inflicting more damage and increasing the probability of a skull/bone damage.  The knife has a double-edged blade that is 6 & 7/8ths" inches long, with a spear-pointed tip design, with fullers in both sides of the blade that stretch across 3/4's of the blade's length, and a factory black-painted finish on the blade.  The factory original leather sheath that came with these is very similar to the U.S. M6 type of sheath that was standard issue for the early M3 Trench Knives.  It is constructed of leather with a large belt loop at the top, it has 6 metal staples in the throat to protect it from being cut when inserting or removing the knife, and the seams are stitched and reinforced with 8 black-painted steel rivets around the perimeter of the scabbard's body.  The backside of the scabbard's main body is reinforced with a sheet metal plate, affixed to prevent the the point of the blade from being forced thru the back of the scabbard and injuring the wearer, and the tip of the scabbard is fit with a brass grommet that functions as a drain as well as a point to attach a leg tie.  The top hanger portion of the scabbard is fit with a leather retention strap riveted to the scabbard with a button snap, and was made long to go around the entire handle/knuckles of the knife.        
     These knives are marked with the name "Everitt" only, and the sheaths are totally unmarked.  A lot of collectors and researchers believe this was done on-purpose to make these "sterile" and fit for use in clandestine operations, where should the enemy capture one of these, there would be no way for that enemy to trace the knife back to a specific military force, or even country of origin.  While some historians and collectors discount this theory, it does seem to be quite odd that even after all these years with world-wide access to information, that we still do not know for certain what state they were even made in.  Some collector's think these were made in Everitt, Washington, but in my opinion that seems far-fetched.  Why would any company just put the name of the city where their factory was located, but not include the state or even the name of their company on it?  There IS, however, a general consensus shared by collectors and researchers alike that the vast majority of these were purchased on the West coast, mainly in California.  This makes good sense, as almost all of the documented / photo evidence of these Everitt Knuckle Knives being carried and used in WW2 by troops in the U.S. Army and the U.S.. Marine Corps is from the Pacific Theatre of Operations (PTO).  With that said, these Everitt knives were definitely carried and used in combat in the European Theatre of Operations as well, just to a much-lessor extent.  In summary, we know these Everitt Knuckle-Duster Fighters were private-purchase weapons carried by servicemen in all of the branches of the U.S. Military (the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army Air Corps, and the U.S. Navy), they were used primarily in the Pacific Theatre, but were used in the ETO as well, and they might have been marked with "Everitt" only to be sterile and suitable for use by O.S.S. agents or any soldiers involved in clandestine operations.
     As you can see from the photos, this example is in very good condition overall, and is 100% complete and original.  The enamel/painted finishes are the original factory-applied ones, and it has NOT been touched-up or "improved" by any collector along the way.  It is what most collectors call "a one-looker" in that if you have seen other original examples before, this example's originality is apparent at first look.  The wear to knife and scabbard is consistent and matching, and it looks like it was definitely carried in combat, but well cared-for by it's original owner.  With the majority of these still in existence today either almost totally devoid of their original painted finish, or missing more than half of it, the condition of this example's finish is considered "very good".   The black finish on the blade is very good as well, particularly compared to the other surviving examples.  This Everitt is perfectly straight and 100% solid with no cracks, chips, or repairs.  The blade and the tip have not been broken off or reshaped, and the cutting edges are straight with no chips or damage, and both cutting edges show only minor sharpening.  The original scabbard with the Everitt Knuckle Knife is in very good condition and is 100% original and complete, just like the knife.  The only noteworthy deduction comes from the retention strap, which has become brittle and broken-off at the ends. At least 8 or 9 out of every 10 original scabbards we have seen have broken or replacement retention straps. All of te original stitching is intact on this scabbard, and the original rivets are all intact and tight.  Another deduction comes from the brass grommet at the tip of the scabbard, which is missing the lip on one side, almost certainly eaten-away by verdigris over time.  The steel plate on the rear face is intact and in great shape, the staples at the throat are original, tight, and in great shape, and the belt loop and hanger portion of the scabbard are in great shape.  I have applied a couple of coats of leather conditioner to the scabbard to preserve the leather, and except for the retention strap, the rest of the leather is still soft, flexible, and strong. 
     All in all, if you have been looking for one of the these rare, unique, and really-cool WW2 Everitt Knuckle Knives for your collection, you would be hard-pressed to find a better example than this one in ANY RESPECT.  We guarantee it to be 100% original, and it is certainly the nicest example we have had in our store in at least the last 25 to 30 years.  This Everitt knuckle knife should continue to be a SUPERB long-term investment, and makes an excellent display piece for your living room or man-cave.
     

Price: $1,695.00