KA-BAR’s latest historical knife project is the E.W. Stone Knife, a faithful modern replica of what might be the most famous theater knife of all time. The replica is made by the son of the original maker, using his father’s original cast, with its famous skull and cobra motif.
Theater knives are a deeply fascinating part of knife history. These were knives made by servicemen in theaters, crafted to cater to the needs of their fellow soldiers with the materials at hand. Sometimes, those materials were standard issue knives that were modified to suite the conditions soldiers found themselves in. Eugene W. “Bill” Stone, a machinist with the Navy, made his mark on knife history throughout World War II, when he produced around 300 theater knives during his time in the service.
We did an article on these back in 2017 I think. I am going to go dig it up.
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