How aout a KA-BAR. Or two.

[pilgrim6a]

You can never tell what you will find if you dig deep enough.
In this case it was 2 of my KA-BARs.
More to the point, USN Mk2 KA-BARs.
There are many more USN Mk2s than USMC KA-BARs. Understandable as every sailor on every ship was issued a knife. And sailors being sailors tended to break the Mk1. The hard fiber scabbard was a Navy requirement to avoid rot and mildew. There was concern that stamping on the blade would cause breakage so the markings were placed on the crossguard. These two are late WWII mfg.
There were so many in storage, they were being issued as late as Viet Nam.
They were a favorite of our friends that fear 'plane crashes. You know the ones. They tend to get off the planes before they get to close to the ground. Parasomething I think they're called.
These are a lot of fun to collect. Several MFGs and many variations.
A hunk of history you can hold in your hand.

 

[Texas Star]

Knife World has done some articles on the USMC versions, but I've seen almost nothing on the Mark II's.

Great photos, and the plastic sheath makes sense, too.

Have you seen the Next Generation from Ka-Bar? I had a couple of those, but have slowed down and gave them to my son recently. They also have a cheaper line with rubber or Kraton handles. I'm sure they endure better than the leather handles, but don't look as good.

The Ka-Bar-style knives (really developed by Camillus, I think) aren't as tough or as stainless as the much more expensive Fallkniven products that I favor, or Randalls. But they've served well in several wars, and are priced right, although the Buck Model 119 seems a better buy. I also think the Buck is the better knife.

I've noticed that the WW II "Ka-Bars" have slimmer handles than recent ones, and fit my hand much better. And I suspect that you can hold them up ro a strong light and not see any gaps around the point where the blade enters the guard. The new ones are usually pretty sloppy about that.

Thanks for the great photos!

 

[JJEH]

KA-BAR makes great knifes. I've got two myself...

 

[OK Hog Shooter]

Now that you have my attention.... what's a decent price to acquire one of these U.S. toothpicks?

Hog

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

The samauri had his katana, the musketeer his rapier, the Marine has his Ka-Bar and may it forever be so.

Mine will probably be buried with me when my time comes.

 

[-db-]

They weren't issuing Ka-Bars anymore by the time I served in the Corps, but I'm always on the lookout for the right vintage piece should I ever find it. Every Marine needs to have one.

 

[Texas Star]

I gave my son a Fallkniven S-1 with the black blade option and Kydex sheath. He thought it was too nice to carry in Iraq, so bought a Ka-Bar.

I don't know what he paid, but new ones sell for maybe forty bucks or so. He was satisfied with his, which was never used in battle. (He always shot the bad guys far enough away that he didn't have to stab any.) But they are good utility knives, for anything his multi-tool couldn't handle.

I still would prefer the Buck Model 119 if I had to buy a knife in that price range. You can get the Buck at Wal-Mart for about what a Ka-Bar costs, I think. I'd prefer the Fallkniven A-1 or Randall Model 1 or 14 to either, but the Buck is good, and has been very popular with soldiers.

Still, I realize that the Ka-Bar has a certain traditional appearance, and they usually do okay, if you can avoid rust. Break-Free CLP is an excellent lube/preservative for knives.

Some Ka-Bars have snapped off at the guard, if used for heavy prying. Be careful about that with most knives.

 

[gregintenn]

My great uncle gave me one of those when I was a child. I believe he retired from the Navy, and lived in Charleston, South Carolina. I'm told he had a certain hatred for kids, but for some reason, he and I always hit it off. He's long since past, and it is one of my prized possessions.
The S&W in the photo has no correlation to it. I just thought they looked good together.

 

[Texas Star]

My great uncle gave me one of those when I was a child. I believe he retired from the Navy, and lived in Charleston, South Carolina. I'm told he had a certain hatred for kids, but for some reason, he and I always hit it off. He's long since past, and it is one of my prized possessions.
The S&W in the photo has no correlation to it. I just thought they looked good together.

Nice knife. Does the M-1917 .45 speak Portuguese? I think I see the Brazilian coat of arms on the sideplate...

 

[gregintenn]

Yes sir. 1937 Brazillian contract. Looks rough/shoots great

 

[guy22]

I still have my USMC marked KBAR my Daddy somehow found.
He was the Doctor on a Liberty ship in the early 1950's. You would be suprised what a Doctor on a ship carrying ~ 1000 Marines can find. He figured that if he had to go ashore and set up an aid station, he should be prepared for combat. I figure the Marines thought so too. USMC .45 auto's. USMC M1 Carbine's. KBAR's. Entrenching tool's. Packs.

Mama said he left with one foot locker in Navy gray. Came home with three more in Marine Green.

Have two 100% wool blankets. US Navy issue. These have to be the best blankets in the world!!!

Is this old tradition still around???

Trade goods vrs. what you want???

Married Marine comes in with the Clap. Say's "Doc. I don't need any record of this treatment".
Doc. "Sure thing what you got?"

LOL
Guy22

 

[jlrhiner]

The phrase we used was "comshaw". The art of leaving with nothing and coming back with what you needed.

 

[Cyrano]

I have one with a rotted leather handle. Anyone know of a good knife restorer who can deal with this problem?

 

[Texas Star]

I have one with a rotted leather handle. Anyone know of a good knife restorer who can deal with this problem?

With Camillus gone, I'd see if Ka-Bar or Case can help. Ontario also makes this knife, but I think their work is usually more crude.

Unless the knife has great sentimental value, it probably isn't worth having a custom maker repair it, if any would.

As for the Navy doc in another post, I thought they were issued pistols on request. Some had Colt .32 or .380 autos, like generals got. I'd certainly think they could scrounge a .38 Victory Model or a .45. Reporter Richard Tregaskis was furnished a .45 before he went ashore at Guadalcanal, and felt he might need it. His book, "Guadalcanal Diary" is a great read, and I respect his attitude to combat a lot more than I respect modern reporters, who are almost invariably liberal jerks who don't know one end of a gun from another, and who sometimes interview the enemy in his home cities! Can you see Robert C. Ruark or Ernie Pyle going to Berlin or Tokyo during that war?

BTW, Ruark later wrote that he got away from the Navy with his .45 auto and a typewriter, but they caught up to him eventually and billed him for the items. He paid for them. He also said that he killed a German (?) in Italy with a P-38 that he'd "acquired." Might have been an Italian before they changed sides. I forget.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In 1997 my oldest early inlisted in the Army. That winter he went to a LGS with the intent of buying an origanel Kabar. He found a nice knife but rotten sheth for $35. As we walked back to my table, a nice guy stopped him and ask to see the knife, the man offered $70, the dealer we bought it from had 2 slightly lessor condition knives for $30 each. My son didn't want to make money; he wanted a porven knife for combat, so we told the gentelman where the vender with 2 knives was. The kept knife was a veteran of WWII, Korea, VietNam and on my son's second inlistment Iraq. When he returned to Germany, he was getting out. So he found his replacement as Crew-Chief and let him buy the knife for $35.

 

[mc5aw]

KA-BAR is owned by Cutco, and I don't believe all KB knives are still made in the USA. The traditional "Marine Bowie" line is US-made, and has gotten very diverse over the years. I really like the D2, but the price is just south of $200. Still a great knife with a great tradition.