Hi A.G Maisey,
This piece has wood handles not horn although it does look like horn in the picture. I believe this might be an improvised knife or a theater knife.The theory that this knife is a authentic WWII Pacific Theatre bring-back piece is supported by a combination of four specific forensic details found on the object:1. The Mismatched "Wartime Repair" HardwareThe Detail: The handle uses one original, high-grade brass American saw screw at the top, but a crude, hand-hammered, mismatched iron pin at the bottom.The Support: If this were a commercial civilian knife or a professional blacksmith's work, the hardware would match. The mismatch proves a story of resourcefulness—a builder adapting a salvaged handle to a new blade using whatever random scrap metal pins they could find in a field workshop.2. The Heavy-Duty Copper Rivets & BurrsThe Detail: The leather scabbard is held together by large, industrial-grade copper dome rivets secured with flat copper washers (burrs).The Support: This specific hardware was not used on standard commercial civilian knife sheaths. However, it was stocked in massive quantities by US military motor pools, SeaBee construction battalions, and aviation engineers for repairing heavy machine belts, canvas tarps, and truck assemblies. It shows the builder had access to rugged U.S. military workshop supplies.3. The Non-Military "Simple Loop" ScabbardThe Detail: The back of the sheath features a simple, locally stitched leather belt loop instead of a standard-issue US military wire M1910 canvas belt hook.The Support: This rules out a factory-made piece of US military gear. It confirms the scabbard was handmade by a local artisan (such as a Filipino leatherworker) catering directly to American soldiers who wanted a custom sheath that could fit onto a standard civilian leather waist belt.4. Aggressive "On-the-Fly" Hand GougingThe Detail: The inside of the handle grip shows rough chisel marks, raw file scrapes, and blackened wood friction burns where a 1mm saw slot was brutally widened to take a 6.5mm thick metal blade.The Support: This indicates that the knife was not designed from scratch by a master craftsman. It is a highly improvised "marriage" of two completely different objects, executed using basic hand tools under field or trench conditions
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