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USMC Ka-Bar Pocketknife

The Ka-Bar pocketknife was produced by the Union Cutlery Visitor of Olean, NY. It became emblematic of the U.Southward. Marine Corps, a knife as tough as the men who wielded information technology.

Marine with Ka-Bar on his pistol belt.
From the Warner Bros. documentary 'Fury in the Pacific', 1945.

Founded in 1898, Union Cutlery Company established the Ka-Bar tradmark later a fur trapper wrote in broken English that he had killed a comport, written "thousand a bar", with one of their knives.

USMC KA-BAR Knife History

The USMC KA-BAR Knife was developed early in World State of war Two. On ix December 1942, 1 year afterwards the Us entered World War 2, Wedlock Cutlery submitted a Ka-Bar branded knife to the U.S. Marine Corps for issue to fighting personnel. Although the original design failed to meet USMC requirements, the visitor was able to work with the Marine Corps on improvements. The Navy already had a fighting pocketknife, by Camillus, the Mark 1. A revised design based on improvements to the Camillus Marking ane was accustomed as the "USN Fighting Knife, Marking 2." The identical pocketknife, except its markings, is called "1219C2 USMC" by the Marines with nomenclature "Pocketknife, Fighting and Utility." The Marine Corps version was manufactured by Union Cutlery, stamped Ka-Bar, and was issued as the standard USMC fighting/utility pocketknife. The beginning batch was shipped to the USMC from Union Cutlery on 27 January 1943.

The knife was so successful in the field that Union Cutlery could not run into the unabridged demand. Every bit a issue, several other manufacturers were licensed to produce the same pocketknife during the state of war. Despite the ownership of the name by Spousal relationship Cutlery, all knives of this general blueprint became known as Ka-Bar knives. Over one million knives were produced by Union Cutlery alone during World War II.

After WW II the Ka-Bar was no longer officially issued to the USMC or other forces. However, information technology continued to be popular as "hand me downs" or by unofficial purchases at the PX. And not just in the Marines -- all services plus Seals and other Special Forces were fans of the Ka-Bar. The knife was definitely used in Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War and continues to be sold and used today (encounter Vietnam photo below). The success of the Ka-Bar and its shut association with the legendary United states Marines made the Ka-Bar proper name a powerful marketing brand for Matrimony Cutlery. In 1952 the company changed its proper noun to KA-BAR Knives Inc.

USMC Ka-Bar Pocketknife Blueprint

Blades fabricated to original specifications are how-do-you-do-carbon steel hardened and tempered to resist breaking under severe pressure and to accept and retain a super sharp border even in the field. The blade is stamped KA-BAR, OLEAN, NY in capital block letters and the pile side tang with a bold UsM.C. Later in the state of war the KA-BAR Fighting Knife was also adopted past other branches of the service and were stamped appropriately.

The leather handle of the Ka-Bar Knife is formed by stacking 22 slotted 18-carat cowhide leather discs over the rectangular tang and then compressing them under swell pressure to turn the discs into a solid unit that resists absorbing moisture or contamination of any kind and is highly shock proof. The leather discs are locked together under force per unit area by topping them off with a three/8" solid steel pommel pinned right through the tang from side to side. With this achieved the knife is assembled into one virtually indestructible piece and ready for the finishing operations of adding five grooves around the handle for a comfy, slip resistant grip, polishing the leather and finally mitt sharpening and honing the blade to a razor edge.

During the state of war production period 1942-1945, the USMC Ka-Bar Knife went through several changes and modifications, the nigh of import of which involved the design and method of fixing the pommel to the tang. The first Globe War II plans specified a pommel about one-half the thickness of the final dimension approved and information technology was to exist screwed on to the end of a threaded tang. This was soon improved, so equally to improve run into the farthermost demands placed on the knife, by steel pinning the double thick pommels right through the tang.

The material in this section is adapted from the Ka-Bar production brochure.

Sergeant David E. Weimer with Ka-Bar on his equipment suspenders, 3rd Marine Division, at Phu Bai, 10 April 1967. That position on the equipment suspenders is designated for a compass case or kickoff assist pouch, only many soldiers and Marines carried a Ka-Bar every bit in this photo.

Ka-Bar 1976 USMC 200th Anniversary Edition

In 1976 production was reintroduced to commemorate the Marine Corps 200th Anniversary of service to the United States. The original Ka-Bar factory in Olean, New York, along with some of its original craftsmen, undertook the job of creating a �full apparel model" of the original � a Limited Edition Commemorative that would prove to exist most meaningful to the Marines. Using the original blueprints stored in the company annal files, the recreated knife was a truthful work of art that retained the expect, feel and performance of the original boxing ready combat knife. The beginning ane of its kind, serialized with the number "1", was presented to the Commandant of the Corps and is now on display at the USMC Museum at Quantico.

Where to Buy a KA-BAR Knife

After the success of the 1976 USMC Anniversay Edition, the Ka-Bar went back into production and continues to exist available from the Ka-Bar company through dealers. Amazon.com lists several Ka-Bar models and related accessories.

If you lot desire to purchase a genuine World War II era Ka-Bar knife, be very careful. Go to the web sites of reputable militaria dealers who very advisedly draw what they are selling and provide photos of all the markings and other details. Like circumspection applies to buying from eBay where the seller's listing should include all the relevant data along with photos. Check the Olive-Drab.com Militaria section to help you find out more.

KA-BAR Knife Books and Internet Resources

On this folio KA-BAR Knives tell their ain story of the history of the Ka-Bar knife.

Collecting U.S. Navy Fighting Knives of World War II by Rob Knott has a long section on the USN Mark 1 and Mark 2 Fighting Knives and the Ka-Bar.

KA-BAR: The Adjacent Generation Of The Ultimate Fighting Knife past Greg Walker gives readers an inside view of the exacting blueprint criteria, cut-edge materials, all-encompassing manufactory tests and exhaustive existent-life field tests that went into the historic redesign of the blade, handguard, handle, pommel, and sheath of the ultimate fighting knife of the future. The new knife excelled at these rigorous tests, earning the right to be called a KA-BAR. An appendix is the "original brochure" for the Ka-Bar.

Find More Information on the Internet

In that location are many fine websites that have additional data on this topic, besides many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come up and get. Utilise this Google web search class to go an upwardly to engagement report of what's out there.

For good results, try entering this: ka-bar. And then click the Search button.

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Source: https://olive-drab.com/od_other_edged_kabar.php

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