NR-40 Combat Knife

The NR-40 is a Soviet combat knife introduced in 1940 and used throughout the Second World War, adopted by the Soviet Army after deficiencies in existing equipment were revealed during the Winter War. It has a clip point dagger blade 152 millimeters long, a wooden or checkered plastic handle, an S shaped inverted guard, and a scabbard made of metal, hard leather or polymer, manufactured primarily at the ZiK factory in Zlatoust in the Urals. In 1943 the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps received a special all black issue of the NR-40, which led German troops to nickname the unit the Black Knife Tank Division. Modern replicas of the NR-40 are still produced in Zlatoust today, though current versions use thinner blades or remove the guard to comply with weapons regulations.