American paratrooper knife M2

Replica of the automatic knife that equipped American paratroopers. The soldiers used it to cut the cords of their parachute during a drop. The knife was stored in the collar pocket of the M42 military jacket. Its retractable blade and automatic opening system make it a practical tool for daily use and its compact size allows discreet carrying. The weapon has a metal ring for easy hanging.

Knife length: 18 cm

Blade length: 8 cm

Blade: single-edged steel

Opening system: automatic side opening (Side Opening Switchblade)

Weight: 100 g

When the Americans developed the principle of airborne troops, new equipment was designed to respond to the situations that the paratroopers could face. Faced with the problem of parachute lines, which were regularly tangled with weapons, bags and sometimes the paratroopers themselves, they asked to be equipped with a small knife allowing them to cut these links, if necessary.

Several knives were presented to the paratroopers in 1940, and one of them was unanimously popular: a small knife created by the Schrade Cutlery Company of Walden, New York, which the Americans quickly called "Knife, Pocket, M2". It fit in a pocket of the M2 combat jacket, allowing it to be easily accessible to its user. Unlike a conventional knife, it worked with the locking system, which saved time in an emergency. It also had a metal ring to accommodate a lanyard.