i know that the marine corps issues the ka-bar fighting knife to marines but do any other branches of military service issue knives to there personnel or do the individuals have to buy there own knives any and all help with this would be greatly appreciated

When I was a squadron commander, our unit's callsign was "Bayonet." When a person attained Mission Ready status, I presented them with a bayonet. As an aircrew member, I was also issued a survival (sheath) knife and a shroud cutter knife.

Marine Corps not marine corps.

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Semper FI

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WW2 Navy and also air force survival knife.

Dick

When I was in Corps I had to buy my own KaBar it was not an issued item, I also bought a Gerber MKII and a SAK. I was not even issued the M9 bayonet for the P.O.S. M16-A1 I was issued.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I've an MC1 automatic (switchblade) knife, for Para's for cutting lines in dayglow orange.

I also managed to find a Benchmade AFO (Armed Forces Only) automatic for cheap. It's number is NSN 9051SBK. I'm not sure if it's private purchase or issue.

In WW2 there were all kinds of issue knives with mind numbing variations from all of the different manufacturers.

I have my original issue Ontario air crew survival knife from the late 70's. That is I did have it until I placed it into a display case and gave it along with about 10 other knives to a retired SSG knife fan.

The military has been issuing knives to it's members since Christ was a Corporal. The first one I got came with a spoon & fork in my mess kit. Then a they gave me a K-Bar and a Sykes-Fairbairn stilleto and various bayonets depending on which weapon I was carrying. Also a Collins machete came with my Jeep. The only one I bought was a Randall Fighting knife, with my name on it. Bo Randall would only make knives for GIs in the Korean War, and if an enemy was captured with a Randall, his throat was cut with it, as a warning, to others as he must have taken it from a dead or captured GI. REMFs had all kinds of knives, some issued, but mostly theater made. Ed #15

Butter knife in the mess hall.I served as an Infantryman(11B) and the only knife I was issued was a bayonet and that stayed in a footlocker in the arms room. I carried numerous pocket knives that I purchased Case,Buck or Victornox.

I carry the Air Force survival knife in my car with my survival bag. (Pretty much I'm more concerned with having the bag in the winter) It's a decent knife... not the best, not the worst. I use it largely for nostalgic reasons.

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- The Federalist #46 -

My very first day at my unit (after completing Infantry Training School) my squad leader took me down to the PX and strongly advised me to purchase a Kabar (the real deal) for the field. They were sold a lot cheaper than in town and were traditional. I still have that very knife to this day and it still goes to the field with me. I intend on being buried with it when my time comes.
USMC issued blades ran the gamut from Ontario contract machetes (worthless), my bayonet (forbidden to sharpen. had about half inch broken off the tip...made a good screwdriver and as an M203 man...it was worthless) and Kabars (for machine gunners and such, forbidden to sharpen, lousy steel, equally worthless).
All of us had our own knives...usually Kabars, a few Gerbers, one Buck, and even a Vietnam vintage Randall.
For my entire four years as one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children I carried the Kabar strapped to my H=harness and a Camullus (sic) stainless steel boy scout knife in my pocket tied with paracord.
Moral of this diatribe is: If you want quality, buy your own knife and put the military-issued stuff in your fannypack/fullpack.

I kinda doubt that has changed too much since the 20+ I was in.

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The Last Standing Knight

I never saw anybody get issued a knife in Viet Nam , we either bought them from each other or somebody would "souvernir" one to you . In my Army aviation unit , we carried Camillus pilot knives , Ka-Bar and a few Gerbers . My Marine brother goes straight in the air when he hears someone say "issued a Ka-Bar" . He knows how much he paid for every one and curses the guys that made off with them , and everytime he sees one of mine he insists it is his old one .

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Idaho , Elmer and Milt

they get a marlin spike and a folder with a sheep's foot blade.

Like this ?

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Idaho , Elmer and Milt

I had to buy mine states side and take my Kabar with me to Vietnam as the Army didn't issue us any kind of knife. That said, everyone carried some form of knife from a pocket knife to a Kabar while I was there.

Sir, when I was in the Marine Corps, the only people who were issued k-bars were those armed with pistols. If you had a rifle, you got a bayonet. Lots of guys bought their own k-bars, though. Still have mine.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

All these posts explain a lot as I bought a knife for the eldest before he shipped out. He said they did not issue him one as a Navy officer, given combat training by the Army and assigned to the Air force.

I was issued the standard survival knife with my flight gear as a Navy Aircrewman (P-3). It was a piece of **** AFAIC. I always carried my Gerber Mk.II along with a Leatherman multi-tool.

Issued blades in my career from in SF were, mess kit knife, bayonets (either M7 or M9), demo knife in demo kit (was the engineer on the team) and a dive tool (Mk 11 Mod 0 or commerical US Divers), later the Gerber pocket tool started showing up in the demo chest. Sometime after 2005 or so SF graduates recieve a Chris Reeves knife (way after I graduated). Only knife that I offically recieved was a Benchmade Auto Opener (that, an stockman and an old M7 are with me in Astan now) All other 200+ knives that I own, I purchased.



For many years usually carried a Sharade Old Timer 840 stockman in left front pocket, Spydeco Endura in right front pocket and a Cold Steel Master Tanto on my trouser web belt cross draw under my BDU (3rd button always undone) shirt.

CD

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De Oppresso Liber

I was USAF and while stationed at Robins AFB in the early to mid seventies I had a friend who was in supply. Robins was Air Material for the southeast so they had most everything in the AF inventory. I saw a good many different types of knives, all of which were mission specific. They weren't generally handed out like avaitor sunglasses or hearing protectors were.

I have a WWII Navy marked knife made by Pal that is a very good quality knife. It is 10 inches overall, with a 5 3/8's clipped point blade very much like the Marine K-Bar. It is carbon steel and will hold a razor edge. It has a leather stacked handle with an aluminum pommel.

One side of the blade is marked U.S.N., above MARK I the other is marked RH -35 with PAL in an oblong circle between the letters and numbers along with MADE IN USA in very tiny cap letters beneath the circle.

It is a very sturdy knife, not easily flexed as the K-Bar Marine version. This, I think, is due to it's shorter length and somewhat thicker spine. They are frequently seen at the gunshows I attend in the southeast. Rarely is one found with the proper sheath as they were flimsy leather held together with rivets. Sorry for the lack of photos.

Joe, in passing, the RH-35 on your knife stands for Remington Hunter, Model 35. PAL bought Remington's cutlery business in late 1940 and continued the old Remington model numbering system.

Bob

I carried a Gerber MKII in Central America in the early 80s, great knife, a little long, but a good tool and a classic!.

Camillus Viet Nam Era Pilot Survival Knife 5" Unused 1960s

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In the NAVY I was issued / acquired a NAVY K-BAR from a SEAL friend .
I was issued in my survival vest what we called a baby K-BAR / pilot survival knife and this little piece of junk blaze orange switch blade knife . What the heck they thought we were going to do with that switch blade was beyond me . And the NAVY K-BAR was the only thing that you could take too an edge and would hold an edge . I still have all three .

I got a TL 29 (electricians knife) at one time. I still have it in my tool chest.



I also got a TL 30, fully metallic knife with 2 blades and a can opener on it. I liked the TL 29 better.

Then I had a shroud line cutter and that ****** flightcrew survival knife in the vest of my LPA (flotation device).

bob

I cannot speak for all my brother Marines but I was a BAR man for 2 1/2 years, before we were issued M-14's, and I was issued a Ka-bar, and I still have it, altho the sheath has been replaced with my *dad's Navy MK2 fiberglass sheath. He lost the knife somewhere

There are other knives that do somethings better then a KA-BAR, however the KA-BAR does everything good enough.

* Pearl Harbor survivor USS Antares

Semper Fi

USMC RET 1961-1971

https://www.kabar.com/famous.jsp

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Semper FI