Knife identification: WW2 Shop made Fighting knife, unknown maker

[Delbad]

I am trying to identify / date a fighting knife I recently acquired.
I was told it was a Confederate knife and the blade was dated to that period (but no provenance was offered)
I'm pretty sure its not that old.

The knife is 11 3/4" OAL
7 1/4" blade
The blade is 1 3/16" wide and approximately 5/32" to 3/8" thick.

The tip is somewhere between a drop point and a spear point.
The steel has a bit of corrosion on it, nice patina.

Looks like a lower nickel content in the steel as there is very little shine to it.
The blade looks to be properly machined/finished as the top edge is slightly rounded and the knife edge is slightly concave ground, There are tracks left in the metal from the grinding of the blade profile but the top of the bevel is uneven which is more like a small shop made, handground than a fully machined blade.

No markings that I can see, Leather rings are nidely formed and only a bit loose. Threaded Brass pommel nut.

At some point someone brazed or welded the blade to the cross guard but not sure if it is from production or a later fix to stop the rattling.

I have seen similar blades and pommels on late 1800 knives but havent seen many with leather washers. It is possible that it has a wood or horn handle at first and it was later replaced.
It is shaped the same as an Ames Dahlgren Bowie Bayonet Knife and the Rifleman's Knife but with a shorter blade.

I'm not saying that it is a M1861 Dahlgren Bowie Bayonet knife, just that it looks like one.
I'm also not calling it a Bowie. I'm taking a lot of grief on another forum because people forget that the term Bowie was synonymous with all big ugly honing fighting knives of that period, regardless of the blade shape.

It is more likely a early 1900s made knife, with a higher carbon content. I did find a picture on another forum of a card from the Roger Ballard collection which is a close match to this knife, just with dagger blade instead of the Dahlgren type.

If you have any thoughts on it, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Doug Lester]

No way is that a Confederate knife. I think that you are correct that it's a WWII product. I looks more like a Fairbairn Sykes dagger.

Doug

 

[John Wilson]

that last picture appears to be a different knife. The handle has a center palm swell and a double bevel. The first nine pictures are a knife with a single bevel and a swedge with a bump towards the pommel.

The first nine pictures appear to be an M1 bayonet (the later issued, shortened model) that has had a stacked leather handle and guard added.

The last picture with the knife and sheath look like a different knife to me.

 

[Delbad]

Thanks or your input. It has been pretty well determined it is a shop-made WW2 fighting knife. It is similar to a FS knife in design but the blade is much flatter & heavier. It does also resemble an M1 but again, the blade is a lot wider and heavier with a unique tip profile. It is more of a tapered spear point with a long fake upper edge. I think the maker must have designed it off of the M1861 as I haven't seen many knives with this profile.
The last picture is of a different knife. I found it in another forum and it references a Shop knife from the R. Ballard collection. Again, similar in construction with the washer and pommel style albeit a different blade profile.

The handle design makes it quite comfortable to hold as the washers behind the cross guard tapers nicely into the web. Fairly good balance as well.

Now I just need to find out if anyone has a similar model or has an idea of who made it.