U.S. Navy Ka-bar

[Farmer17]

Another thread on Ka-bar knives reminded me of one my dad had when I was growing up. It looked exactly like the 7" blade U.S. Marine Ka-bar except the handle was dark and it had a steel sheeth with USN marked on it. The sheath had a large olive webbing loop to attach to a belt. I don't think their were any other markings. My dad was in the Navy in WWII in the Pacific but he said he bought it many years later from an Army Surplus store for $1.00. Dad didn't have a handgun but he always carried that knife next to his car seat in all the years I knew him. He was always using it for something, and I remember as a kid, how amazing it was to see it chop off a large tree limb. After he passed away the knife disappered, and I have been thinking lately, I would like to find one like it. I have never heard of Navy Ka-bars, does any one have any information?

 

[GatorFarmer]

Scroll down to "USN Mk2". Collecting U.S. Navy Fighting Knives Of World War II

 

[walnutred]

Neither the Navy or Marines actually marked the knives themselves and there were actually a couple makers of that pattern which were issued. The sheath you describe was probably actually a form of fiberglass type material with a metal throat. The throat could have been marked USN. My understanding is that the handles were all tan when issued and they became dark from use and oiling with neatsfoot oil.

So the Marine and Navy K-bar was pretty much identical. Actually I'd heard some Pacific sailors comment that they could not get the MkII K-Bar type knife were they were, all they could get was the smaller Mk1. So they would try and trade the Marines out of MkII's because they had developed such a mystique. Actually one admitted they would usually end up trading Corpsmen for the knives.

 

[Queen]

I have a MK2 that was my dads. It's a great knife!

I was looking for another one recently and found this one, and this one for sale.

 

[RonJ]

Anyone have recommendations between the standard and serrated blade?

 

[cass]

My working Ka-Bar 7" has the serrated blade, by choice. It's more useful to me because it makes short work of rope, even some wire. You would not believe some of the torture I've put that knife through. BTW, as I remember, it started out with tan leather, now it's almost black with use.

 

[bk43]

So the Marine and Navy K-bar was pretty much identical.

Yup. As I say in the other thread, in 1942 two USMC officers and Camillus developed the 1219C2 for the Marines. The Navy adopted the design shortly thereafter as the Mark 2. Camillus was the big supplier during WWII with Pal, Robeson and Union Cutlery(Ka-Bar brand) also filling orders. Ka-Bar, never shy about going after a little publicity, had a huge logo prominent on their knife and the popular name for the knife soon became the Ka-Bar. Ka-Bar to this day pimps themselves as "the original" even though they didn't develop the knive and have gone through several different owners in the last 60 years.

There were millions of these knives made during WWII so they are not rare and I see them often at local shows. Reasonably priced too.

Bob

 

[bamacisa]

My uncle has a Ka-Bar knife that the Navy gave to him.....he smiles and says that the Navy gave it to him, but that they don't know it.

 

[lcdrdanr]

The early ones had a pommel that was screwed on a threaded tang but the Marines had to play with them and kept unscrewing the pommel and losing it (then the blade got re hilted as a "Theater Knife") according to my Uncle (who was a jarhead on Iwo Jima). Seldom see a threaded one, they soon went to a peened on pommel.

The serrated blade is modern, not a WWII issue.

Wonderful knife, I actually have taken the head off a 265 lb deer using one, actually used the knife as a hatchet, and still had enough of an edge to dress him out completely.

Dan R

 

[J. Galt]

The early ones had a pommel that was screwed on a threaded tang but the Marines had to play with them and kept unscrewing the pommel and losing it ...

Sure, blame the Marines! Actually, the threaded tangs kept breaking, hence the redesign.

The knife is called a Mark II, "Ka-Bar" (that company did make some of the knives) was what Marines called them, not an official name.

 

[rimfired]

Pal rh 37

Farmer,
Thought you might like to see this one my Dad brought back from the CG in WWII. It is a PAL RH 37 marked U.S. NAVY. Sheath is stamped U.S.N. also and has matching numbers, 31, stamped into the stacked leather handle and sheath. I lost Dad in '83 so can't ask the provenance. Parkerizing is in excellent condition. I always assumed the "31" was a ships armory number added after production.
Dad was on a DE, the USS Chambers in N. Africa and the Med.

 

[Texas Star]

Farmer,
Thought you might like to see this one my Dad brought back from the CG in WWII. It is a PAL RH 37 marked U.S. NAVY. Sheath is stamped U.S.N. also and has matching numbers, 31, stamped into the stacked leather handle and sheath. I lost Dad in '83 so can't ask the provenance. Parkerizing is in excellent condition. I always assumed the "31" was a ships armory number added after production.
Dad was on a DE, the USS Chambers in N. Africa and the Med.

Thanks. I enjoyed seeing this.

What is the difference between the RH-37 and the RH-36? I know that Pal bought out the Remington knife line.

T-Star

 

[rimfired]

T-Star, The 36 had a six inch blade, the 37 a seven inch.

 

[walnutred]

If your interested in US knives and bayonets you could loose some time wandering around these pages.

Index

 

[bk43]

Thought you might like to see this one my Dad brought back from the CG in WWII. It is a PAL RH 37 marked U.S. NAVY.

What a great piece of your family's history! Thanks for posting it.

I know that Pal bought out the Remington knife line.

Correct. That is where the RH on this knife comes from. It stands for Remington Hunter and it was used for many years by Remington, and continued by Pal, on the fixed blade knives.

Bob

 

[davidenorth]

My Kabar was stolen out of my car. It served me well for three years in Germany.

 

[USAF385]

"The name "KA-BAR" came to be after the company received a poorly written English letter in which the author wrote how the company's knife saved his life after he was attacked by a bear and his gun failed to kill it. All that was legible was "k a bar", and the company adopted that as their trademark."

Huh... interesting story!
​