What is a fair value for an M3 knife?

[Bob in Maine]

It is a leather grip dark blade knike in very good condition in a M8 sheath. I do not know which maker made it, so a ball park value is what I am looking for. Bob.

Information

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[SKIPH]

Bob- There are a lot of variables to consider. I'll try and start it, the other folks will be adding more. 1) Maker-check the front of the guard & blade 2)Handle-a) Condition of leather b) Number of grooves c)Red-brown or black spacers[indicates Imperial mfg] 3) Guard-a)Markings[Ordinance wheel on top indicates Robeson mfg] b) Bent or straight[straight indicates Case mfg] 3) Pommel- a) Pinned[1 or 2}, stacked, peened, or sunburst b) Ordinance Bomb -[location & size],4) Blade-a) color-[blued, black, gray or shiny] b)sharpened or condition c) Markings
Scabbard-1) M8 or M8A1 2) Color of canvas belt loop 3) Belt hook or not 4) Metal protective tip or not on bottom.
Not to mention it could be a reproduction. Check ebay to get a ball park figure for your M3. I like "WorldWar2Weapons.net".Good Luck! SKIP

[Jos (Holland)]

Bob, is this about a knife you already bought, a knife you want to buy or are you just thinking about buying an M3?
As you can see from Skips responce there are numerous variants which make up the fair marked price of an M3.
With a little additional information we may be able to help you even more.
Greetz Jos.

[jimb16]

Maker? Blade dated? blade marked? Guard marked? Condition? Variation? Just some of the things that effect value. It could be anywhere from $100 up to $1000+. Without detailed info it is impossible to even make a wild guess.

[Bob in Maine]

Got more info. Imperial, guard marked, blade lightly sharpened in the day, with half park or blue, metal on guard and pomel tunned plum brown. Comes in a M8 sheath with belt hook. The 6 grove leather grip has 3 cracked, but all there, disks. What do you think for price? Bob.

[SKIPH]

Bob-With the new info, it's a later version of the Imperial w/ 6 groove handle and guard marked. Probably w/ red-brown spacers in handle by the guard and pommel.With 3 cracked washers, some blade wear, my guess is you could get between $125-$150, but I would still check out some guard marked Imperials on ebay to get a better idea. Keep in mind there were 2.5+ million M3's produced total by all the manufacturers and Imperial made 854,000, the largest producer. The higher demand is for blade-dated, or blade marked in the leather M6 scabbards. Mint versions command insane money these days. Your Imperial is about the most common available. I have several, still love em. Good Luck! SKIP

[Bob in Maine]

Skip. What value added would be a blade marked, and for a blade marked plus the date blade? Bob.

[SKIPH]

Bob- It totally depends on condition, maker, and what a buyer is willing to pay. Saw a mint blade marked, not dated Robeson(RCC) w/M6 leather scabbard sell for $2761.00 a couple of weeks ago. That is the highest I have ever seen one go for. Generally blade-dated or blade marked are considered rarer versions of M3's and were the first versions issued out in WW2. Most have seen some mileage. There is really no set rule. Depends on the maker, how many they produced, how many variations, condition and scabbard. For some great info on M3's you might want to invest in Coniglio & Laden's book "The US M3 Trench Knife of WW2" good reading. They are now working on an update to include info on the M4 Bayonet. Also as mentioned before follow ebay sales. You can really get a good handle on values, that's what I do. I've made some good buys at shows because I had a pretty good idea of values. It pays off.Good Luck! SKIP

[Jos (Holland)]

Bob, what Skip says is sound advice. It realy pays to know the marked and to know a lot about the item you are looking for. Only then are you ready to find that great deal. So keeping an eye on Ebay and brush up on your m3-knowledge.
I found a lot of valuable information in Coniglio & Ladens book (the one Skip also mentioned).

Good luck & Happy hunting!

(the hunt is halve the fun...)

[Jos (Holland)]

Bob, found this on the net...

sell.com classifieds : US Military Trench WWII Knife Guide Blade Scabbard Etc for sale in Kansas City, KS area (23JPN5)

This seller should have 1 copy of Coniglios book available.