Phrobis International - A little more of the Phrobis history

[Quarterbore]

Following is not my knowledge... following is a direct quote from... This Knifeforums thread (http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=328162&Main=236742)

Posted by Porterkids:
Quote:
Ebro1938 was way off base with his response regarding the Phrobis Int'l M9. There's nothing fake about it.

Phrobis III had the original US Army contract for 315,600 M9 bayonets. They subcontracted Buck to manufacture the bayonets. Between 1987 and 1989 Buck made all of the contract bayonets for Phrobis III and also manufactured units for commercial sales in the US. At the end of the contract there was a falling out between the two companies and as part of the settlement Buck ended up with the rights to the M9 bayonet. They did not buy out, take over or gain control of Phrobis III. Mickey Finn, the designer of the M9 bayonet and the owner of Phrobis III, still holds the Phrobis trademark.

Around the time of the Buck/Phrobis falling out, Mickey Finn incorporated under the name Phrobis Int'l. He had been working on some inproved designs for the M9 bayonets but no longer had Buck to manufacture the blades and component parts. He then turned to the well known firm of Marto in Spain. Marto manufactured the blades for Phrobis Int'l and due to the import laws the blades had to be marked with the country of origin. The patent information was also added to the right ricasso. Marto was permitted to manufacture the M9 bayonet with their name on the blade strictly for commercial sales in Europe.

Here is a borrowed image from: http://www.gunboards.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6627 (http://www.gunboards.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6627)
NOTE Bill Porter's Comment ABOVE RE this knife!!!

http://quarterbore.com/images/m9_phrobisintl_01a.jpg

More info from the person with the above knife:

Quote:M9
PHROBIS INT'L
Spain

and on the other side:

U.S.A.
Pat. NO.
4,821,356

[Kurtis Dwight Davis]

Kurtis D. Davis claimed infringement of his patent for an impact resistant, modular knife hilt, before Finn's patent was even filed, let alone issued. Moreover, the original M-9 manufacturer declined to license Davis' patent, on the basis that "it is designed for the purpose of fighting, and we don't do that".
It is true and correct that Kurtis Davis first approached the original M-9 manufacturer with an impact resistant, modular knife hilt, as well as being the first to approach the United States Army, before Finn ever conceived of the same idea, or submitted an application for letters patent.

[kajura12]

I had no idea about the Phrobis story and that was a very well written account of the M9 Bayonets contract when it was originally known as Phrobis III!! It was very enlightening to read about the Phrobis III and Buck settlement. I really straightened a lot of misunderstandings of the whole affair of the M9 Bayonets!!