World War II USN MK2 KA-BAR & Sheath WWII WW2 KABAR Fighting Knife

Description: The MK2 Knife was developed as an improvement over the Mk1 design, which had issues with blade snapping due to the thinner design. Working with Union Cutlery, USMC Colonel John M. Davis and Major Howard E. America contributed several important changes, including a longer, stronger blade, the introduction of a small fuller to lighten the blade, a peened pommel (later replaced by a pinned pommel), a straight (later, slightly curved) steel cross-guard, and a stacked leather handle for better grip. The knife was officially known as the 1219C2, but it was commonly called the "Ka-Bar" after the trademark of Union Cutlery that was on the blades of early examples. The first production order went out to Camillus Cutlery Company, who produced the largest number of knives during WW2. The design was subsequently adopted by the Navy as the US Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2, and ...the USMC adopted it as the USMC; Mark 2 Combat Knife, or simply the Knife, Fighting Utility. In 1944, the US Navy put through a change order to have the markings moved from the blade to the cross guard, so this knife was produced after that change. The cross guard is slightly swept back, indicating later war production. It features original stacked leather washer grip, which is in very good condition with no cracks or splitting. There is some light wear, and the original "polished" look has faded, with some dents into the leather. It has a heavy steel pommel. The blade retains a nice amount of the original finish, showing natural wear patterns with about 50% remaining. The blade has lost most of its edge and is now fairly dull. The spine shows quite a few dings and marks from use. There is a slight gap between the stacked leather grip and the blade, caused by some shrinkage in the grip. This in turn has caused the cross-guard to wobble a bit. This could probably be fixed by rejuvenating the leather if you so wish. Overall, a very nice knife that is better than what we normally see these days. The scabbard is the Mk2 version, very similar in construction to the M8 scabbard for the M3 fighting knife, with a thermoplastic impregnated cotton fabric body, metal throat, and canvas frog and securing strap. The front of the throat is marked U.S.N. / MK 2, and the rear is marked NORD - 8114 / B.M. Co. with a stylized V P logo. The NORD number is for the US Navy contract it was produced under, which was delivered between March 1945 and May 1945. It was manufactured by Beckwith Mfg Co., a division of Victory Plastics. The scabbard is in good used condition, with oxidation to the metal components, and wear to the canvas frog. There is some scuffing on the scabbard body, but overall very nice. The snap functions as intended. A very nice example of the hard to find USN-marked "KA-BAR" knife, in good service used condition. No knife collection is complete without an example of a "Ka-bar". Overall, the knife and scabbard are in good condition, showing signs of age, use, and wear. General wear and 50% original finish remains. The spine of the knife shows quite a bit of bumps and bruising. There is a gap between the base of the blade and the cross guard due to leather shrinkage. Please see the pictures for more detail, and read the entire description for finer detail. Guaranteed 100% authentic in every respect for life. Be sure to see our other listings for more historical antiques and militaria. Be sure to follow our store as new inventory is added daily.

Price: 265 USD

Location: Greenville, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-08-27T20:13:57.000Z

Shipping Cost: 15 USD