How to Tighten an M3 Fighting Knife Cross Guard

The M3 trench knife is a WWII military issue knife given to troops and infantry. Used for hand to hand combat, attaching as a bayonet and as a hand tool, the M3 is considered a useful knife and collector's item. The M3 cross guard is the metal piece separating the blade from the grip. If you have an M3 with a lose cross guard, use a quick method to restore the secure feature of the cross guard and to prevent it from becoming loose in the future.

Things You'll Need

  • Glue solvent and cotton swabs
  • Small pick
  • Leather lace strap
  • Clear super epoxy
  • Rag
  • Knife
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pick out any debris or grit between the cross guard and the shaft-grip. Use the tiny pick to get into the small slit around the cross guard to free the grit and grime.

    • 2

      Dab a cotton swab into glue solvent and wipe in the slits around the cross guard and the grip. Let the area dry. Look into the slit and see how large the gap is, causing the looseness on the cross guard. If it is more than 2 mm, take the leather lace strap and criss-cross wrap the guard. Make an "X" going above and below the cross guard, in an X pattern.

    • 3

      Cut the excess strand of the lace off and tuck the end into the X. Apply a generous coating of the clear super epoxy to the X and onto the cross guard. Let the epoxy dry.

    • 4

      Squirt epoxy into the gap on the cross guard if the gap is smaller than 2 mm and let dry. The epoxy seals the gap, stops the looseness and prevents further looseness off the guard and knife shaft.