Following is not my knowledge... following is a direct quote from...
This Knifeforums thread
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
NOTE Bill Porter's Comment ABOVE RE this knife!!!
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