Help with ID of unusual fixed blade Bowie hunting fighting knife

[TJC]

I have had this fixed blade knife for 10 + years I have done research through multiple books to try to ID who or where knife was made. It has no marks stamps or ID that I can see although I have never cleaned the knife and it could possibly have an acid etch on the blade overall length of knife is 14 1/2" blade length 9 1/2" the handle is Ebony or rosewood the guard appears to have been nickel plated at one time the Pommel is hand hammered copper I initially thought for many years that this was a foreign knife which it very well could be until I took measurements of the knife and everything appears to been made and measured in inches any help or opinions from the group would be greatly appreciated thank you guys and gals in advance
TJ

[Bladeaholic]

My guess is a cut down bayonet that's been re-handled with the different pommel? Not sure about why no markings?? Just a guess.

[Madmarco]

I have no ideas about the origins of your knife TJ, but it's pretty cool! The previous reply regarding a modified bayonet struck a chord with me, but that's it I'm afraid. Might just be a piece someone cobbled together for their own use? Hard to say. I also want to you to AAPK!

[zzyzzogeton]

I believe it is a German Mauser M1898/05 bayonet that that been cut down, and rehandled. The blade tip, fuller size, and rearward hooked guard appear to be very similar to the M1898/05.

[Bladeaholic]

Yes, I totally agree with you. Its looks German to me also.

[TJC]

Bladeaholic zzyzzogeten Madmarco bladeaholic first off thank you mad Marco for the welcome to the site I've been to lingerer lurker for quite a few years and you are all correct definitely a Mauser bayonet reason why there's no markings as I think they're a little bit further down where the Pommel and handle are covering the blade. Another way I was able to tell part of the leather scabbard is original and part of it is not the part that is original looped on your belt and then a metal scabbard would have held the bayonet when not on the rifle. So with that thing known and said I do have experience with edged weapons and wars dating back to the revolutionary period. And me personally I would think the way that the materials way it is made the feel when you hold it what it was made for that it was probably trench art and made possibly during wartime for better purposes anybody with military knife experience want to help me out with an opinion would you consider it a WW1 trench art knife
And thank you again guys greatly appreciated it only took me 10 years and five six years of being a lurker on site

[zzyzzogeton]

I would NOT consider it "trench art" as there would have been no facilities available in a trench system to do the work required to turn a bayonet into this knife.

As a "theater knife" ???? A qualified "maybe???". Such work could have been done behind the lines in a support area.

My opinion (and it is worth what you paid me for it) - I think it was a post-WW1 modification where a bayonet was converted into a more useful tool.

It could have been done as part of the swords to knives drive during WW2. Early in WW2, hundreds of old swords, dating back to the late 1700s, the USCW, even US M1913 Patton sabers, were chopped up and converted to knives for the troops. An M1913 could be converted into 3 knives.

Old bayonets left over as bring backs from WW1 were converted as well.

It could have been some good ole boy who got to messing around in the 1950s or 1960s with his grandpa's old WW1 souvenire. Don't ask me why I have this particular possibility running around in my head.

Without provenance, the origin of the conversion is all speculation.