Product Improved Lan-Cay M9 w gray blasted Blood Grove Blade

[Quarterbore]

Following is an E-mail and photos that I have just received about another interesting Lan-Cay M9 Bayonet variant... What I understand is that this knife is not likely to be a Military Issue M9 as the features are not correct for a USGI Contract LanCay. Regardless, it is a very interesting knife with some very unique features...

Have you ever seen the "Product Improved" M9 bayonet marked "Lan-Cay" with the gray blasted blade. It also has the blood groove and the step near the handle. The blade edge is not hollow ground like the early ones but instead it has "Product improved" wedge style edge. The quality is the best I have seen from Lan-Cay.

If you have any information on this blade please let me know. I believe just a few hundred were made, making it another rare variation of the M9.

Features include:
a) Blade marked M9 Lan-Cay USA (with the dash).
b) Blood Groove on blade is done when it was forged.
c) Cutting edge is like the "Product Improved" wedge style.
d) The top of the blade has a step near the handle like the early versions.
e) Blade is Gray blasted finish.
F) Old style grenade pattern handle
G) Scabbard has the two loops (not four), sharpening stone, and marked Lan-Cay.

Here are some pictures of the "Lan-Cay" marking on the blade, the blood groove, step cut by the handle, gray blade, early style saw back, and the "Product Improved" blade edge. Hope the pictures help.

[Quarterbore]

Many thanks to John Thompson for sharing this M9!

[Quarterbore]

porterkids wrote:


I have in my collection a bright fullered first contract style blade blank that is marked Lan-Cay. I do not believe that these are US military contract blades. As posted elsewhere, LanCay didn't change their name until AFTER they were producing their second contract run of M9s. All US military contract blades from that point forward had a black oxide finish. LanCay had depleted their stock of early style blades (with the notch in front of the muzzle ring) prior to completion of their first contract and finished out the contract with the later style blades. More that likely these blades we're discussing were blanks that did not meet specifications for the first contract and were later stamped and used for commercial sales.