In the early 1920s, Rudy Ruana served as a blacksmith in the US Army’s 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, and during that time, he purportedly made his first two knives out of an old Ford leaf spring. He moved to Montana with his wife in 1937 and continued to make knives out of a garage in Bonner, where he worked as a welder and mechanic for the next several years. During WWII, Ruana crafted fighting knives for sale to US servicemen, and these are distinguished from later models by the square-cut ends of the stag handle scales. Ruana knives made from 1938–1943 were left unmarked, but in 1944, he added a “R.H. RUANA / BONNER / MONTANA” maker’s stamp to the right side of the guard. Any Ruana WWII “Square Cut Fighter” remains scarce and desirable today.

This WWII R.H. Rudy Ruana Custom Handmade small “Square Cut Fighter” Fighting Knife is in Fair Condition, with heavy sharpening to the blade edge, heavy grinding, cleaning, and scratching on both sides of the blade, there is some light age cracking to grips and moderate overall age wear, the handle scales are firmly set. Otherwise, the knife remains in fair shape with no other damage. The markings read “R.H. RUANA / BONNER / MONTANA.” on the right side of the guard.

Most interestingly, it features a 3 1/4" blade, left “in the white,” with classic native Montana elk horn stag handle scales secured by three aluminum rivets. The squared-off ends of the handle scales and presence of the stamp mark this piece as a true WWII-era Ruana small “Square Cut Fighter,” made circa 1944. With a 6" overall length and matching cast aluminum pommel, this is an honest and rare example of an original WWII R.H. Rudy Ruana handmade fighting knife. No scabbard included.