8 MM Rifle Cartridge with Curved Blade Letter Opener

This letter opener, or knife was fashioned with an 8 mm rifle cartridge as its handle with the projectile still attached.  The curved blade appears to have been soldered into the bullet projectile.  “Somme” is inscribed on one side.  The Somme Offensive, part of the Hundred Day Offensive was one of the largest battles in World War I.  It was fought between July 1 and November 1, 1916, near the Somme River, in France.   More than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in history.