M6 PROJECT UPDATES FEB 2015 I managed to find a factory rivet setting machine, then drag it 200 miles home, . Once installed, it will allow me to fit metal plates to the M6 Barwood, using the correct "capped" rivets. MARCH 2014 A slight change to some of the fittings used on my M6 scabbards came about as the result of changes with my usual suppliers. Rather than make do with such seasonal changes in the future I changed the strap fittings from a European make to a Scovil-Dot brand. A little more expensive, but a much nicer USA mfg. fastener, and one that has not changed for decades nor is likely to, so ensuring more consistency with the scabbard production. I also sourced a much better eyelet for the base of the M6...a deeper design that looks a lot neater when fitted. PHOTOS BELOW SHOW THE NEWER FITTINGS IN BETTER DETAIL. There is ONE final minor tweak needed to the Barwood rivets and then the scabbards will be near perfect! (Given that my objective for the past 20 years or so was to make the best REPRO M6 scabbards available, NOT make fakes/copies of genuine M6's) OCT. 2012 I added extra pages and information specific to each of the 6 specific makers: click on one of the page-links below to view the additional information. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some reproductions take longer to get "just right" than others... My M6 scabbard journey was over 20 years before everything fell into place!! Several issues were major stumbling blocks - the maker stamps, the fittings/staples, lack of any Mil-Spec data sheets, etc. - all compounded by being on the wrong side of the Atlantic to the factories that first made the M6 scabbards back in 1943. Six makers produced the original US M6 scabbard for the M3 Trench Knife, back in WW2, between them making a grand total of 310,951 scabbards. BARWOOD, L&C, MILSCO, MOOSE, SBL & VINER Production was soon dropped as use in the field highlighted the need for a more "soldier-proof" design, so the plastic M8 scabbard was introduced & the M6 gradually withdrawn from service. Genuine M6's are now high value & very scarce collector items: as such the use of original M6's for re-enacting is best avoided. Other reproduction M6's exist, but they all seem to be poorly made & not up to standard for either M3 knife collectors or serious WW2 re-enactors... cheap leather, badly sewn or sewn with nylon thread, poor attempts are makers markings, low quality metalwork & fittings with the wrong finish, etc. - - from makers offering a "quick to market gap filling" piece of junk who were not prepared to put the time in to produce an acceptable replica. I'm offering here the chance to buy a reproduction M6 leather scabbard, made as close as possible to match the 1943 products offered by BARWOOD, L&C, MILSCO, MOOSE, SBL & VINER
These reproduction M6's are:Your choice of which of the six above makes you want...and if you KNOW your M6 scabbards (why else would you be looking at this page otherwise?) you will be well aware of the differences between the six makes; click on one of the maker's links above to go to the new dedicated page for that scabbard. Please inform me at the time of purchase which of the six makes of scabbard you require & if you wish to make additional purchases of more than one make of M6 scabbard... 100% hand-sewn (an improvement on factory sewn originals) with correct waxed cotton fitted with correct shape/sized metal rivets/edge staples/M1910 hooks/throat staples/thong eyelet 100% vegetable tanned leather fully maker stamped with contemporary maker marks/1943 dates fitted with correct carbon steel blued plates, front and rear assembled by hand & gently press fit to ensure that the staples and rivets are secure. MY M6 SCABBARDS ARE AS CLOSE AS YOU WILL FIND TO AN UNISSUED ITEM STRAIGHT OUT OF A Q.M. STORE, BUT WITHOUT THE PRICE TAG OF AN ORIGINAL, OR CONCERNS ABOUT USING AN ORIGINAL THAT MAY BE SHOWING ITS AGE & NO LONGER BE UP TO THE JOB I can also supply the M6 of your choice modified for the M1918 Trench Knife. The scabbards cost £55 each (US $90/ Swedish 610Kr / Euro €75) including world wide postage 2014 Production... (will update this photo in due course)  Various views of the M6 reverse sides, fittings, etc.   DOT FASTENER ON CLOSING STRAP  LOWER EYELET  Work in progress... Over 20 years apart & quite a lot of effort getting the fittings right! 2 Viner & 2 Barwood The two dark brown Viner M6's on the left were made by me circa 1990...  |
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