Buy⚔️ as a gift? And for collection: Austrian Trench Knife Kampfmesser Model 1917 with Italian Emblem MVSN in Kyiv, Ukraine

Dear Collectors and guests of the Antique Gallery website, seeking a gift, particularly Antique Weapons, we present to you: the Austrian Trench Knife Kampfmesser Model 1917 with Italian Emblem MVSN.

This is an Austro-Hungarian “Kampfmesser Modell 1917”, also known as “Sturmmesser” (Trench Knife).
But why is there an Italian emblem here? MVSN and the medallion.

We can learn about this by reading the medallion “XIII CORPO D’ARMATA CARsO 1915-16-17 TAGLIAMENTo-pAVE 1917-18”

Austrian Trench Knife Kampfmesser Model 1917 — Historical photo of a similar trench knife in use.

Handle: made of wood, consisting of two grips fastened together with three rivets, with the Italian MVSN medallion carefully inlaid in the handle.

Blade: steel, straight with a pronounced ricasso and a stamp in the form of an archer. “Kneeling Archer” – manufacturer Joachim Winternitz Neffe.

Scabbard: metal painted green, has a leather strap for attachment to the harness, as well as a medallion; more details about the medallion can be found in the article below.

Historical Note:

The medallion with the inscription “XIII CORPO D’ARMATA CARsO 1915-16-17 TAGLIAMENTo-pAVE 1917-18” indicates affiliation with the XIII Corps of the Italian army. CARsO may be an abbreviation for Corpo d’Armata or refer to a military district (Comando di Armata) or a reserve infantry division (Corpo d’Armata di Riserva).

The lines with the numbers 1915-16-17 and 1917-18 likely represent the years during which the corps participated in military operations or battles.

“TAGLIAMENTO-PAVE” may refer to the battles of Tagliamento and Piave, which occurred in 1917-1918 during World War I.

In the battle of Tagliamento-Piave, fought in 1917-1918, Italy and Austria-Hungary were involved.

This was a significant front in the Italian theater of operations, where both sides engaged in fierce fighting. The Italian army, supported by its allies, faced Austro-Hungarian troops in the area of the Tagliamento and Piave rivers, located in northern Italy. The battle lasted several months and had great military significance for both sides.

Interesting information from a forum where the trench knife was presented for discussion:
It represented a very valuable military trophy, particularly for the “Arditi,” meaning the storm troops of the Italian army, whose soldiers often went for reinforcements after the war, later merging into the Ministry of Internal Affairs; this moment may be key to the history of this trench knife.
Regarding the medal, forum members add that it relates to the XIII Armata, a large unit of the Regio Esercito, consisting of the 25th, 30th, and 31st infantry divisions, reinforced by Bersaglieri units.

The mentioned names are regions where significant battles occurred between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies, namely: PIAVE and TAGLIAMENTO, which are two rivers in northern Italy.
Carso: a plateau on the border between Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.
Although the name “Sani” is engraved on the reverse, I believe this name refers to Lieutenant General “Ugo Sani,” who commanded the XIII Armata between the end of 1917 and the spring of 1918; after the war, he commanded the occupation forces in Northern Tyrol and later became a politician and senator of the Kingdom of Italy.