So here is a neat piece of "trench art"... A rifle cartridge made into a knife... The building on the shell casing is the Cathedral at Reims. The markings on the cartridge head stamp are : 3 , S67 , 18 , P Andy
That one of them "dueling cartridges" I been hearing about? Seriously, though, that is a nice piece of art and a cool way to do it.
Come on, Andy, give us a bit more! What is the story behind this unique piece of art and how did you get a hold of it? What do these mysterious markings on the cartridge head (3 , S67 , 18 , P) mean? The engraving of the cathedral looks very detailed...You can't leave us hanging like this! Give!
When I was kid ...my neighbor a retired Army NCO , who fought in WW I and WW II ...gave this to me ...he brought it home from France after the First World War. I am not sure of the markings other that a wild guess that "18" is the year the cartridge was originally made.... As for how my neighbor got it....He said that he just traded a pack of cigarettes for it ...in a market.somewhere in France... My neighbor BTW fought with the 32nd Infantry Division during WW I and WW II ...He was a tough old bird.. It probably isn't worth a whole lot dollar wise...but to me and the memories it holds..it is priceless. Andy
Wow! The 'Red Arrow' division...sent shivers down me when you told the story...I have this image of some Frenchie sitting in a trench, engraving this from memory, hour after hour... Great story! "The United States 32nd Infantry Division was formed from Army National Guard units from Wisconsin and Michigan and fought primarily during World War I and World War II. With roots as the Iron Brigade in the American Civil War, the division's ancestral units came to be referred to as the Iron Jaw Division. During tough combat in France in World War I, it soon acquired from the French the nickname Les Terribles, referring to its fortitude in advancing over terrain others could not. It was the first allied division to pierce the German Hindenburg Line of defense, and the 32nd then adopted its shoulder patch; a line shot through with a red arrow, to signify its tenacity in piercing the enemy line. It then became known as the Red Arrow Division... The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division."
That is beautiful and I am sure it is worth something. It is so unique and with the history/story behind it it becomes more valuable. What is the total length?
Is that a 7X57 or 8X57 or...........looks bigger, but hard to tell, possibly 9X63? That is a very nice piece of history you have there Andy, love the little trinkets one could find pre 1960, some quite rare and valuable! My baby brother has a very special family heirloom passed down from our Great Grand Father, a Nazi allegiance ring that was sent to him to basically remind him of his German ancestry and his duty to the fatherland and the Kreigsmarine! He had repeatedly refused to return to Germany, even under threat, and sent the Chanselery a very strongly worded letter explaining things, and he sent his officers ring and his Iron Cross to show them he would never return and he was ashamed of what Germany was becoming! That ring was the last and only reply! I will see if he will text me a photo of it and share!
Thank you... The overall length with the "bullet" in the shell casing is 3 inches... The "bullet / blade " length is 2 3/4 inches... Andy
I would guess 8x57mm....lots of those "hanging about" , in France 1918 / 1919.... Seeing a picture of the Iron Cross and ring , would be neat... Andy
Have you ever sharpened it? Or are you leaving it as is? I don't think I would sharpen it. Sometimes I think that takes away from the value & appearance.
No I haven't.... Its fairly sharp as it is...it would make a dandy letter opener...but mostly I just keep as is....and remember my neighbor. Andy
Very cool. Try and get it appraised sometime , just for the heck of it. I'm like you , no amount of money could outweigh the sentimental value just from the respect you have for the original owner. Thanks for sharing that piece with us.
You are very welcome. A little bit of my neighbor , lives on , every time I talk of it or share it with others... Andy