World War One

Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath

Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath

Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath
RARE WWI US 1909 BOLO KNIFE DATED 1913 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY WITH LEATHER SHEATH WITH A STORY TO TELL. THE SOLDIER CARRYING THIS BOLO EITHER HAD A NEAR MISS OR WAS WOUNDED. Manufactured with a pointed blade (unlike the 1904) the 1909 was made only at Springfield Armory and the polished blade is "S A" marked and dated and includes the US Ordinance flaming bomb stamping on the blade as well as "US" and a serial number.

Like the 1904 on the 1909 the blade edge is beveled on just the right side. The 1909 guard has a hole at the bottom which aligns with a peg on the scabbard throat.

The grip is two panels secured by three brass rivets to the tang. The heel is protected by a brass button which is keyed so it doesn't rotate and so it can be retained by the single small steel screw. The scabbard has a belt loop which is riveted and sewn on both ends.

Two rivets on the top and one rivet on the bottom. The brass throat wraps around and is secure by six rivets to the leather.

The scabbard body has two leather outer faces which are separated by a thick leather separating strip between them to accommodate the thickness of the blade. There is a sheet metal stiffener inside the scabbard which is not seen except in this scabbard where the seam has separated because of bullet damage. The bullet deflected out the left side of the scabbard and probably also wounded the leg of the soldier carrying this bolo. Read the details of the open seam and bullet damage in the section "condition" below. Under the date is the armorer ordinance inspectors initials P. All in all a rare collectible with an interesting war casualty scabbard. Was designed to aid US soldiers with jungle foliage that they found themselves in with incursions into Cuba and the Philippines, where natives used similar sized machetes. It was designed to be carried as a belt.

From its first production at the Springfield Armory in. To its final production in 1915. These were succeeded by the much more common 1917 bolos but both were used in WWI.

OLD STUFF USED IN BATTLE IS GOING TO HAVE CONDITION ISSUES. BLADE RETAINS ORIGINAL UNMESSED WITH FACTORY POLISHED REFLECTIVE SHINE WHICH HAS TURNED A FANTASTIC LIGHT GRAY FROM BEING STORED IN THE SCABBARD FOR 105 YEARS. EDGE IS PERFECT HAS NO NICKS OR DINGS AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE EVER BEEN SHARPENED WHAT MAY LOOK LIKE SHARPENING IS ACTUALLY THE ORIGINAL BEVEL.

THESE WERE BEVELED ON THE RIGHT SIDE ONLY. THE SPINE HAS NOT BEEN USED AS A HAMMER. BLADE MARKINGS ARE DEEPLY STRUCK. LEFT GRIP PANEL HAS A DING IN THE WOOD BETWEEN THE BRASS RIVETS AND A BUMP FLAT AT THE REAR BETWEEN THE SECOND RIVET AND THE TANG.

THERE ARE A FEW MUCH SMALLER DINGS ON BOTH GRIP PANELS. RIGHT GRIP PANEL HAS A CRACK IN THE WOOD AT THE THIRD RIVET (SEE PHOTO 8A). THE BRASS HEEL HAS A FLAT BUMP ON THE LEFT SIDE (SEE PHOTO 12A). THE HEEL SCREW HAS A CLEAN SLOT AND HAS NEVER BEEN BUGGERED UP AND APPARENTLY NEVER SAW A SCREWDRIVER SINCE INSTALLED. THE GUARD HAS SOME LIGHT RUST MAKING A DARK PATINA.

I HAVE NEVER TRIED TO CLEAN ANY OF THIS PATINA PREFERRING TO LEAVE THE HISTORY ON THIS KNIFE. SOMETIMES ONE WILL BE FOUND THAT IS "PURDY" BECAUSE SOMEOME PUT IT TO THE WIRE BRUSH. THIS IS NOT MY PRACTICE AND IN MY OPINION IT REDJUCES THE VALUE. I LEAVE ALL THE HISTORY AS IT GIVES THE KNIFE CHARACTER. THE LEATHER SCABBARD HAS BROKEN STITCHING ALONG ALMOST ALL OF THE BACK EDGE AND THE LEATHER SEAM HAS OPENED DUE TO THE BROKEN STITCHES. THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ALL STARTED BY A BULLET WHICH HIT THE SCABBARD AND THE SHEETMETAL INSERT. THE INSERT IS DAMAGED FROM THE BULLET AS CAN BE SEEN BETWEEN THE LEATHER OPEN SEAM. THE BULLET APPEARS TO HAVE STRUCK RIGHT AT THE SEAM AND WAS DEFLECTED OUT THROUGH THE LEFT SIDE SCABBARD LEATHER BECAUSE THE METAL INSERT SHOWS FLASHING INDICATING THE BULLET WENT IN THAT DIRECTION. THE SANDWICHED LEATHER PART AND THE OUTSIDE LEATHER FACE ESCAPED DAMAGE BY THE BULLET. THE BLADE WAS NOT DAMAGED EITHER. (THE SCBBARD SEPARATION AND BULLET DAMAGE IS IN PHOTO 11A AND 11B). THE FRONT SEAM IS ALSO SEPARATED BUT FOR ONLY 2 1/4 INCHES. THE SCABBARD BELT LOOP IS STRONG AND STRONGLY ATTACHED RETAINING TWO TIGHT RIVETS ON THE TOP AND ONE TIGHT RIVET ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BELT LOOP STRAP AS MADE WITH GOOD TIGHT STITCHING ON BOTH ENDS AS WELL. THE BRASS THROAT AND SIX THROAT RIVETS ARE INTACT AND SECURE. THE FRONT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRASS THROAT HAS SMALL DINGS (SEE PHOTO 12C AND 12D). THE GROMMET AT THE SCABBARD TIP IS INTACT. THE MARKINGS ON THE SCABBARD ARE SOMEWHAT WEAK AND THE DATE HAS A SCUFF MAKING IT UNREADABLE (SEE PHOTO 10). THE LEATHER SCABBARD SHOWS CRACKS AND WEAR IN AREAS ESPECIALLY THE RIGHT SIDE WHICH IS AS EXPECTED AS IT FACES OUT FROM THE WEARER.

AND VERY MINOR WHITE PAINT SPLATTER ON THE RIGHT SIDE WHICH MAY NOT SHOW IN THE PHOTOS AND IS NOT NOTICABLE EXCEPT ON CLOSE EXAMINATION. SEE PHOTOS FOR ALL CONDITION AS WELL. The item "RARE WWI WW1 US 1909 BOLO KNIFE DATED 1913 SPRINGFIELD ARMORY & LEATHER SHEATH" is in sale since Tuesday, December 24, 2019.

This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW I (1914-18)\Original Period Items\United States\Edged Weapons". The seller is "spudcakes" and is located in Semmes, Alabama. This item can be shipped to United States.

  • Modified Item: No
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Featured Refinements: US 1909 Bolo Knife


Rare Wwi Ww1 Us 1909 Bolo Knife Dated 1913 Springfield Armory & Leather Sheath