| Pictures (click to enlarge) |
Type | Description | Blade Length |
Overall Length |
Muzzle |
Markings | |||
| in. | mm. | in. | mm. | in. | mm. | ||||
   |
Traditional Hmoob Riam (Hmong Knife) |
Traditional Hmoob Riam (Hmong Knife) of the Hmong (pronounced “Muhng”) people, who inhabit the mountains of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
The grip is wood, with a brass ferrule. The utilitarian blade is thick and sturdy. The blade profile enables the knife to perform a wide variety of domestic tasks. The lower part of the blade is used for heavy tasks (e.g., chopping firewood, butchering), the middle for tasks requiring more precision (e.g., skinning, slicing), and the point for delicate tasks (e.g., carving, drilling, etc.). The banded wooden sheath is typical of sheathes used with these knives. Bands are often made from discarded tin cans or plastic bottles. Only one plastic band remains on this example. During the Vietnam War, Hmong fought against the communists in Vietnam and Laos, often with U.S. Special Forces or CIA advisors. Many Hmong became refugees following the 1975 fall of Saigon, in order to escape communist retribution. This knife was likely a souvenir brought back by a returning U.S. service person or brought over by a Hmong who resettled in the USA. The U.S. Hmong population is most concentrated in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Central California (where this example was found). |
9.625 | 244 | 14.625 |
371 | n/a |
None. |
|
              |
Viet Cong Scabbard and Captured U.S. M4 Bayonet | This crude M8A1 scabbard copy is believed to have been produced by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. This example came with a U.S. M4 bayonet that was heavily sharpened, consistent with Viet Cong use as a field knife.
The Viet Cong had an extensive network of ordnance workshops throughout South Vietnam. These scabbards have turned up occasionally, usually carrying a captured U.S. bayonet or improvised knife, suggesting that they were brought back by returning service members. However, a sufficient number of specimens have been observed to indicate that they were a production item. The strap assembly is fabricated similar to the U.S. M8A1, just more crudely and without the wire belt hanger. The scabbard body is of welded construction made from sheet steel. The scabbard body consists of a sheet-steel frame, welded to the fitting, then furnished with a leather insert. The leather is typically found marked with a handwritten Vietnamese name. The point includes an aluminum eyelet for a leather thong (missing from this example, but observed on other examples). Evidence suggests that these scabbards date from the period of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, when an influx of U.S. bayonets flooded into the country. Although the French used the U.S. M1/M2 Carbine in Vietnam 1946–54, M1/M2 Carbines provided to France during and shortly after the Second World War lacked the bayonet lug. However, the majority of M1/M2 Carbines used by U.S. forces and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1955-onwards incorporated the bayonet lug. In addition to bayonets fielded by U.S. forces, Military Assistance Program records show provision of 183,114 M4 bayonets, 122,757 M5A1 bayonets and 659,295 M7 bayonets to South Vietnam. |
Scabbard: None
Bayonet: "U.S. M4" "Utica" Ordnance Shell-and-Flame. |
||||||
| Back | Next | ||||||||
| Return to Bayonet Identification Guide Index | |||||||||
| © Ralph E. Cobb 2010 All Rights Reserved | Top | ||||||||
