Ww1 french fighting knife?

[josh2345678]

Would like some help to know more about this item as iv not seen any on the market. Thank you 

[OLD ROBIN HOOD]

Greetings

See Fred Stephens book "FIGHTING KNIVES"  Arms & Armour Press 1980

Page 29 item 110.

                                                      Old Robin Hood

 

I will quote from the text in the book about this knife .

Fred Stevens describes it as "a French fighting dagger that has a wood grip, fitted with a steel ferrule above

the cross guard and the ricasso is marked 41 CONON. The scabbard is steel with a steel belt loop and the whole is painted black.

Blade length 61/2 inches overall length 11 inches".  

The above is found in chapter 3  "Fighting Knives of the 1st World War."

Sorry that I did not put this earlier.

Edited 16 February , 2019 by OLD ROBIN HOOD
more information

[derekb]

I think it is French.

[Michael Haselgrove]

Josh,

Yes, definitely French.  What you have was known as the "Vengeur de 1870" or, perhaps more properly, the Mle. 1916.  Your knife is the later model which is easily distinguished by the ferrule between the hard wood grip and the cross-guard and which is absent from the earlier model.  It was, I think, manufactured by Antoine Gonon (41 GONON) of 31 rue Pastourelle a Saint-Ouen, Paris.  Most of these knives were made at Thiers:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiers,_Puy-de-Dôme

Contemporary photographs of French troops carrying a knife are relatively rare but your knife is to be seen in a few photos being carried by tank crew later in the war.  More information can be found in Les Couteaux de Nos Soldats by G. Lecoeur and R. Rouquier but the text is in French.   

Regards,

Michael.   

[Grovetown]

27 minutes ago, josh2345678 said:

Was it a popular weapon for the French in 1ww

 

I think Mike pretty much answered that question.

[josh2345678]

Thank your for this information Michael was of much help 

Edited 17 February , 2019 by josh2345678

[Michael Haselgrove]

Grovetown & Josh

Thanks very much for your kind comments. 

Josh, in case it is of interest I attach a copy photo from "The French Army in the First World War - Uniforms-Equipment-Armament"  by Mirouze/Dekerle.  The knives are the earlier model than yours without the ferrule.

Michael. 

[trenchtrotter]

Re above the photo shows one with ferrule to left and the other without. I have one by J Delare. They were made up to the beginning of WW2 and many were captured and issued to Germans I believe?