WWI French Couvreux folding knives

[Mark McM]

Hello all,

I have several WWI period French 'Couvreux' clasp knives but can't find any information on them on the interweb.  Does anyone have any background on these knives??  

Mark~

[Mark McM]

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think those are "Corsican duelling knives " or some funny name like that?

[Mark McM]

6 minutes ago, Chris Boonzaier said:

I think those are "Corsican duelling knives " or some funny name like that?

actually, Chris...  these are war-time French knives.  This one is etched "Le Compagnon des Tranche'es" on one side of the blade, and the other side is etched "Campagne 1914 - 1915 - 1916 - 1917 -1918" 

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

These were indeed popular in WW1, but the origin is the "Vendetta Corse"... which ACTUALLY is (according to the article) not really corisan but from southern Italy or Malta.

(Sorry, for some reason I had duelling in my head, it should be Vendetta)

http://www.couteau-corse.com/couteaux.htm

[Mark McM]

two more from my collection...  

Larger example has seen a lot of service.  

smaller example's handle is carved with the owner's name and Armistice time/date.  

[Mark McM]

Hi again Chris,

I'm really interested in the WWI aspect of these knives.  There seems to be nothing written about them in the books covering WWI knives and edged weapons.  

[Othais]

I know this is fairly dated but I found this thread trying to research a photo.  Thought you guys might want to see it.

 

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9044173w/f1.item.r=guerre 1915.zoom

[peter monahan]

I suspect, based on only a little general knowledge, that these were perfectly ordinary French pocket knives, though presumably manufactured for issue to troops, and that a) searching for 'French knives, 1910' would turn up numerous examples and b) the 'Corsican' thing is a marketing scam, liek every other odd item which immediately gets attributed to 'elite' troops or, in a later war, the 'SOE'.  But that's just my general cynicism regarding the state of the market in our hobby these days.