WWI / WWII 1918 Knuckle Knives

Issued in 1918, these knuckle knives went on to serve in the Second World War — 101st Airborne veterans took them into D-Day and carried them all the way to the Berghof. The 1918 knuckle knife is one of the most iconic American combat knives of the 20th century, combining a fighting blade with a cast brass knuckle guard that doubled as a close-quarters weapon.

The Au Lion knuckle knife — named for its French manufacturer — was produced for American Expeditionary Forces in WWI and remained in service through WWII. Paratroopers and elite infantry prized them for their versatility: the blade for utility and the knuckle guard for hand-to-hand combat in the tight spaces of hedgerows, bunkers, and buildings.

The journey from the trenches of 1918 to the Eagle's Nest in 1945 makes these knives among the most historically resonant American edged weapons of the era. A piece carried by a 101st Airborne veteran connects two world wars in a single object.