Phrobis XM9

[porterkids]

I just ran across this on ebay. This is truely the Holy Grail for M9 collectors. I wonder how hight the hit counter will go for this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/US-M9-Trials-Phrobis-XM9-Bayonet-w-Scabbard-knife-29_W0QQitemZ370205414684QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Defa ultDomain_0?hash=item5631f6551c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[Old-Smithy]

and the eickhorn trials piece\

http://cgi.ebay.com/German-Carl-Eickhorn-M9-from-XM9-Trials-Bayonet-knife_W0QQitemZ370202663725

[porterkids]

And let's not leave out the wire-cutter scabbard.

http://cgi.ebay.com/US-M9-Trials-Phrobis-XM9-Bolt-on-Scabbard-Bayonet-knife_W0QQitemZ370202191395QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_D efaultDomain_0?hash=item5631c52623&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[pwcosol]

I contacted the seller shortly after his first listings. He mentioned having other XM9 trials bayonets & M9s. He said there were a pair of LanCay 2nd contract M9s w/variant webbing as pictured in Homer Brett's book (pg 386 or 87), and a clear plastic one, so expect to see those listed as well...

[rexmeyer]

Well I know all of those will be out of my price range

[Chris Johnson]

Well I know all of those will be out of my price range

Not me either… I’m tapped :rolleyes:

[Mister Moon]

... me too ..... :grin:

[nolesfan1]

$1800 with 5 days left!!! The recession has not hit the M-9 market!!!:eek:

[Carlo]

There are just too many great M9s for sale at the same time.

[Greg V]

I never imagined that there were so many! This one sure is different.

http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Army-BUCK-M9-Bayonet-3-line-Phrobis-Very-Rare-knife_W0QQitemZ370205745571QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_D efaultDomain_0?hash=item5631fb61a3&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A570%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C2 40%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

[pwcosol]

What about that clear Lancay!

[rexmeyer]

Kind of brings tears to my eyes all these rare M-9's knowing I cannot afford to purchase them...But I will keep looking....

[Mister Moon]

DART ! 3383 $ .....
And the WINNER is ..... always not me :rolleyes:

[Carlo]

Carlo is the winner.
Will post pictures of the bayonet once I'll get it.

[Chris Johnson]

Carlo… Congrats… A “Most Excellent” bayonet, looking forward to seeing the photos.

[Mister Moon]

Carlo is the winner.
Will post pictures of the bayonet once I'll get it.


B R A V O !

[M9A1]

$3383!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was simply is insane

[pwcosol]

The recent Phrobis XM9 on Ebay was a nice example. I was even going to tender a bid myself. However, when I saw the current (and what turned out to be the final) bid on it Friday afternoon, I logged off the 'puter with my tail between my legs! As for the price, what can one say...the XM9 is a significant and historic U.S. military collectable, of which perhaps less than 30 are retained by private collectors.
It took the dissolution of a collection started in the late 1980s to bring such M9s back into circulation (just like two other similar collections which came on the market in the past three years). In addition, I was able to ascertain what some of these scarce M9 variants sold for (primarily those offered by a major bayonet collector/dealer) by accompanying paperwork. Several sold for about 75%+ of their average current value back in the late 1980s & 1990s, making them more expensive 15-20 years ago than their relative values today!

[rexmeyer]

Nice job, Carlo! You must have lots of extra cash around to be able to afford this and the other ones. here is a couple of pictures of my incomplete one I managed to get for 256.00 on ebay a couple of years ago...It came at an auction from the now closed Callimus cultery in New York...It is minus the scabbard, pommel, and pommel nut....Just last year there was one on Ebay that sold for under 1700.00 complete..... Rex

[Carlo]

Hello,
yes I remember the XM9 that was sold last summer and that Chris won for an incredible (low, but it is relative) price.
Was $3383 insane for this bayonet?
I really don't know and I think it is quite difficult to tell for an M9 like this.
What I can tell you is that I was expecting the price to go even higher.
Rex, I really don't have tons of extra cash.
I just keep waiting for something I really like: I don't collect other bayonets (only the M9s) and I usually don't buy duplicates of examples I already have.
I also decided, for this reason, to focus my collection on the Buck-Phrobis (and Marto, as long as it is Phrobis related), instead of trying to obtain every single Lan-Cay variation.
There are only few exceptions, like the Lan-Cay dutch scabbard.

[rexmeyer]

Actually Carlo, I don't think it is an insane price, because you may never be able to find another one again forsale anywhere...So congrats to you...Rex

[Broad_Arrow]

Carlo is the winner.
Will post pictures of the bayonet once I'll get it.

Hello Carlo,

Just stumbled across this forum as I have been "licking my wounds" after losing the XM9 Phrobis trials bayonet on ebay.

Just wanted to say a huge "congratulations" on your win of the Phrobis XM9 bayonet.

I happened to be the poor sap who "came in second". I guess I should say "sorry" for driving up the final price past the $3300 mark. ;-) If I was not also interested in the Ontario rejected trials XM9 bayonet, I would have bid more on the Phrobis version and would have had you pay more.... :-)

At least my only consolation is: I won the Eickhorn and Ontario trials bayonets for XM9. I sure wish I would have won the Phrobis trials bayonet, though. (You absolute magnificent bastard, Carlo!).

In the meantime, sir, you are a worthy ebay opponent! hahah :-)

Cheers & Respectfully,

David

[Carlo]

Hello Carlo,

Just stumbled across this forum as I have been "licking my wounds" after losing the XM9 Phrobis trials bayonet on ebay.

Just wanted to say a huge "congratulations" on your win of the Phrobis XM9 bayonet.

I happened to be the poor sap who "came in second". I guess I should say "sorry" for driving up the final price past the $3300 mark. ;-) If I was not also interested in the Ontario rejected trials XM9 bayonet, I would have bid more on the Phrobis version and would have had you pay more.... :-)

At least my only consolation is: I won the Eickhorn and Ontario trials bayonets for XM9. I sure wish I would have won the Phrobis trials bayonet, though. (You absolute magnificent bastard, Carlo!).

In the meantime, sir, you are a worthy ebay opponent! hahah :-)

Cheers & Respectfully,

David

Hello David,
and :welcome: to the forum!
No need to say sorry.... if more people were interested on the same bayonet, it is normal that there are multiple bids.
Sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose.
I was hoping, indeed, that with so many rare M9s all for sale at the same time, the competition for the Phrobis XM9 were not going to be too "ferocious".
Anyway, congratulations for the other trials XM9 you won :wink:, and please post pictures of them on the forum.
Looking at your nickname, may I suggest you are from Australia?
Greetings from Italy!
Carlo

[Broad_Arrow]

Thanks for the welcome to the forum, Carlo !

I was actually thinking the same thing -- with so many rare bayonets, I did not think that anyone was going to pay as close attention to the Phrobis as they did. :grin:

I am actually from Canada, but I can fully understand why you would suspect Australia (with the Aust. Buck M9 bayo). Normally, I collect British & Commonwealth bayonets from the 20th Century (post WWI). It was only within the last couple years that I decided to finally branch into the world of the M9 bayonet. :nanabang:

Cannot believe the variations within the M9 bayonet. Disturbing, yet fun to start collecting.

While I am enormously happy with the bayonets I did win from the seller, there was one I wish he had for auction -- the British XM9 Trials bayonet based on the SA30 (L3A1) design. I would have given up both the Ontario rejected bayo and the Eickhorn trials bayo if I could get my hands on the British submission. Was really hoping the seller had one when he was selling so many other XM9 bayonets but, alas, he did not have the "holy grail" for my meagre (yet growing) collection.

I was also curious about getting the Australian Buck M9 the seller had on ebay until I realized that the scabbard pattern seemed "odd". On closer inspection, it was just a regular Buck scabbard and not an Australian issue (did not have the Broad Arrow stamp below the "Buck" name on the scabbard). Luckily, another seller from Australia was selling the bayonet with correct matching scabbard set.

Will post photos when the XM9 examples eventually arrive. With my luck, the bayonets will get lost in the mail... :wink::eek:

Cheers !

David

[rexmeyer]

Welcome to the forum David... I was wondering what turd was driving up the price of all the rare XM9 bayonets and it happened to be you!! heh All the variations of the M-9 bayonet are enougn to drive one mad.. It is way to hard to collect all of them...Rex

[porterkids]

http://www.quarterbore.net/forums/photopost/data/500/medium/XM9_Bayonets.JPG

(l-r) Phrobis, Phrobis, S-Tron, Marto, Eickhorn, Royal Ordnance, Royal Ordnance, Imperial, Imperial, Ontario, Phrobis Wire Cutter Scabbard

[Carlo]

I was also curious about getting the Australian Buck M9 the seller had on ebay until I realized that the scabbard pattern seemed "odd". On closer inspection, it was just a regular Buck scabbard and not an Australian issue (did not have the Broad Arrow stamp below the "Buck" name on the scabbard). Luckily, another seller from Australia was selling the bayonet with correct matching scabbard set.


If I remember correctly, the australian M9 recently on sale had the parkerized blade.
Apart from the one pictured on the Brett's book, I have yet to find a collector who found this variant (black blade) with the correct matching scabbard.
I too bought some years ago this version and I had to replace the scabbard, which was a standard commercial buck, without the broad arrow mark.
@ porterkids
Is there any difference between the two Imperial XM9s pictured?
--------
By the way, I have the Phrobis XM9 already in my hands...will post pictures soon. Nice surprise inside the pouch: a piece of paper like the one that Chris showed.

[porterkids]

Carlo,

The two Imperial XM9s are the same.

All of the Phrobis XM9 bayonets originally had a slip of paper in the pouch stating that the pouch was a "M9 pistol magazine / accessory pouch". Mickey Finn sized the pouch specifically for the M9 magazine. Contrary to the position taken by the author of the latest book on the M9 bayonet, it is entirely correct to call this a magazine pouch. That was its original design intent, regardless of how it was actually used.

[Carlo]

As promised, here are few pictures.
Hope you don't mind. I added few comments to the pictures and you're welcome to add more of them!
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1105/76020626.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5069/40880099.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6651/54409176.jpg

Note that there is no Phrobis logo on the back of the scabbard

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2639/51560242.jpg

Note the two middle seams on the strap. All the straps on the following pictures are different from the standard magazine pouch. They seems smaller in size.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/8018/33992002.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/807/70444538.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2408/39877100.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/4195/76111986.jpg

Note the two riveted ... (I don't know the english word for them)

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9766/51521552.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7926/16029614.jpg

The paper we were talking about

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/5462/53515101.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3311/16516375.jpg

The pommell from an M7 bayonet (hope I'm correct)

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7413/91873966.jpg

No phrobis logo on the guard. The bottle openers are the usual small in size.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/1884/90445819.jpg

Note that the two wire cutter screws are of the same lenght

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/8246/66054788.jpg

THE BEST PART:
While taking pictures the stone gently went away (after so many years the glue probably went off): BIG SURPRISE!!!!!!!
There is actually an hole on the scabbard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The metal you see under it is the bayonet blade.
I never heard about this before.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/4716/72520988.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7358/98345985.jpg

[Chris Johnson]

Carlo, Great Pics, Thank You.
What a sweet bayonet, I bet you’re pleased, now I will to check mine for "the hole" :smile:

[Mister Moon]

Magnifique photos Carlo ! .... On the other side of the scabbard .. there's the " hole " too ?

[Carlo]

Hello, thank you both for your comments!
Yes, I'm extremely pleased and happy!
Fabrizio, the "hole" is only under the stone.
I did not post a picture of the front of the scabbard without the puch, but there is one in the original ebay listing.
I'm not able to figure out what was the reason for this "hole".
It can't be for weight reduction, as the portion of the plastic removed is too small.
Also, why making this quite elaborate design?
I can only think that the stone was probably not supposed (in the beginning) to be glued to the scabbard, but attached in a different way....
:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: :confused::confused::confused:

[porterkids]

I think that most likely the mold did not completely fill when they were making this scabbard body. It is probably a flaw in the scabbard but they figured the stone would cover it so why not use it.

[Carlo]

I think that most likely the mold did not completely fill when they were making this scabbard body. It is probably a flaw in the scabbard but they figured the stone would cover it so why not use it.
It seems very logical.
Still, in my opinion, a little bit "dangerous"... I think that should the stone had broken during the trial tests, Phrobis could have had, if not really a "failure", still problems because of this flaw.

[Carlo]

I just came across this on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Extremely-Rare-XM9-29-Phrobis-Prototype-Bayonet-1986_W0QQitemZ270523745319QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item3efc78c427
Note the cutter plate with an unusual blade stop.
I also noted that the rivets on the bianchi plate (on the right) seems the standard ones (look at the pictures on the previous pages for comparison).
Can't tell from the pictures if the straps on magazine pouch are smaller than usual.
What about the "machined pocket to recieve cutter plate" on the scabbard, mentioned in the auction?

[pwcosol]

Carlo: This is one of the XM9 overruns made by Phrobis for the Army trials. Although they were required to provide 55 examples for testing, some few additional XM9s (quantity unknown) were made. These could have been designated as replacement bayonets for the trials process, metallurgical testing & evaluation, etc. I think the seller's comments regarding the cutter plate are in regards to it being the the pre-production machined pattern as opposed to the cast production variant. This would also be true of the scabbard, where the step to accommodate the cutter plate was machined out of the scabbard body. In production scabbards the step was provided for in the mold. In addition, there are other nuances on the XM9s, like the suspension retaining screws used, grip checkering pattern, and pommel cap.

[Broad_Arrow]

Thanks Carlo & pwcosol for the info on the bayonet.

I was curious about it, and did not realize that it was considered an XM9 production overrun example. Will wait and see how the auction ends.

David

[pwcosol]

Well, perhaps "overrun" is a bit too vague. Although the total number of Phrobis XM9s produced may be unknown, there were more than the actual number of 55 required by the U.S. Army for competition. Of that lot, 55 bayonets were randomly boxed up & shipped, leaving a small number behind. The only difference between these would be the "A" prefixed serial number, ranging from "001" to "055", found either scribed or painted on both bayonet & scabbard by the Army. This indicates the bayonet was one actually submitted for trials competition.

One other note worth considering would be the Phrobis "pancake" scabbard with external wire cutter. These, like the bayonet, bear the manufacturer's assigned submission number of "29" & "XM9" as well. Some were submitted to the Army for consideration, and one would expect the bayonets were XM9s as well. However, some time after the trials, the remaining XM9s were either given away or sold commercially by Mr Finn. The "pancake" scabbard I have came with an early Phrobis "3-line" which never had the bayonet's edge sharpened. The bayonet also has a XM9 pommel cap, so seems nothing went to waste...

[rexmeyer]

Boy, I could sure use the pommel...I have an xm9 that was incomlete. It was found at the old Callimus knife company and sold at auction by them and I bought it on ebay...It came without the pommel and no scabbard...

[porterkids]

Hi Rex,

If I remember correctly, you bought a blade. That's a good starting point, but keep in mind that every part on the XM9 was machined from scratch. Production crossguards and tang rods are not the same.

[rexmeyer]

Hey Bill, It came with the blade, handle, crossguard and the shaft, no pommel, or allen head screw, or scabbard..

[pwcosol]

RM: I believe the XM9 pommel cap was a standard US M7 which had a stepped hole drilled thru the end to accommodate the Allen screw, securing the pommel to the tang rod. I am sure this is an easy part to obtain, and anyone with a good drill press (or preferably a mill) could replicate what Phrobis did.

[rexmeyer]

I am sure that they could, but if I could find an original one it would be better...

[Carlo]

Rex,
I remember I saw somewhere pictures of your XM9 from the Camillus Cutlery, and I was finally able to find the topic
http://www.quarterbore.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1564 (http://www.quarterbore.net/forums/showthread.php?p=6717#post6717)
To give you my personal opinion I would follow Fred's suggestion about the pommell.
Chances to find an original machined M7 pommell are extremely scarce, and I believe that $1000+ (as the current auction price) for just a pommell and a scabbard is way too much.
P.S. Looking back at the pictures of your blade, I'm wondering why they installed the crossguard in the wrong way....

[rexmeyer]

Well I fixed that... I put a regular buck pommel on it and an unmarked buck scabbard with it. The Scabbard is like the one that came with the 1991 USMC M9.