Frank Trzaska is KNIFE Magazine’s Military Editor and the author of scores of articles over the years. According to Frank, “I originally started writing about knives in 1996, to keep my thoughts and notes on my collection in order. It just grew from there, including the collection”. Many of his Knife World articles were complied (along with others) into Military Knives: A Reference Book, currently out of stock in our web store but available on the secondary market.
This Article is from the January 2025 issue of KNIFE Magazine. In honor of Veterans Day, we are bringing it out of the archives and onto the free side of the website.
If you are a Veteran, Thank You. What knife/knives did you carry while you were in uniform? Please let us know in the comments and we will send you a free hat from a random knife company so long as our supply lasts (if you are a first time commenter, it will be held in moderation so you won’t see it right away.
Winter Knives – WWII U.S. Military Knives Designed for Cold Weather Use
by Frank Trzaska
A little known fact is that seasonal snow coverage covers up to 40% of the land mass in the northern hemisphere during winter. This fact was not unknown to a handful of scientists studying ways to defeat the Nazi regime in the early days of World War II.
One such gentleman was Geoffrey Pyke, employed by the British government, who pitched a plan to Lord Louis Mountbatten for a strange operating force to be established on and operate from a glacier! Special equipment would be required for this force due to the harsh weather conditions and environment they would fight in. The thought was that “whomever controlled the snow controlled 40% of the land.” Scientists and inventors around the allied nations went to work on gear that would be required. Aside from warm clothing, many other items would be required that were foreign to many soldiers. Modes of transportation could range from horses, sleighs, skis or snowshoes, to jumping out of airplanes and motorized transport. Work was begun immediately in early 1942 to capitalize on this plan. Sights were not set on any specific objectives, just to control any area covered in snow.
You can read the whole thing at the flipbook below…
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Military Knives: A Reference Book by Trzaska, Silvey, Windrum, et al.
Read the full article here