Eickhorn KM 4000 German Military Knife

Bundeswehr Combat Knife

The Eickhorn KM 4000 is the fixed-blade combat knife made for the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr. It is a working field tool for cutting, sawing and getting through wire, with a strong tanto point and a sheath that does more than hold the blade. Soldiers carry it on duty, and collectors buy it as the genuine German-issue knife rather than a commercial lookalike.

Features

• Tanto-Style Point — The angled, chisel-like tip puts more steel behind the point, so it holds up to prying and piercing better than a thin clip point.
• Sawback Spine — A row of saw teeth along the top edge handles rope, webbing and light wood that a plain edge would struggle with.
• Black Coated Blade — A dark, non-reflective finish covers the blade so it does not catch light in the field.
• Wire-Cutting Slot — The rectangular opening near the tip engages a stud on the sheath, turning knife and sheath together into a wire cutter.
• Ribbed Synthetic Grip — Circumferential grooves along the black handle give a sure hold with wet or gloved hands.
• Integral Crossguard — A molded guard between handle and blade stops the hand sliding forward onto the edge, with jimping on top for the thumb.
• Lanyard Hole — A hole through the pommel takes a cord or lanyard so the knife can be tethered to kit.
• Combat Sheath With Cutter — The black sheath carries the hinged wire-cutter jaw, a small secondary pocket and snap-fastened straps on a fabric backing panel.
• Made In Germany — The blade is etched with the Eickhorn mark, the KM 4000 model name and Made in Germany.

Issued Specification

This is the KM 4000 as built for German military service, not a civilian variant with the same name. The all-black layout, from coated blade to synthetic handle to sheath, follows the military pattern, and the knife and sheath are designed to work as one system. For anyone building an accurate modern German loadout, or who wants a combat knife made to an army's requirements, this is the original article.