Original Item. Only One Available. During World War II, John Ek started manufacturing knives for American soldiers. He was committed to providing high-quality combat knives to those who needed them the most. He took great care to ensure that all the knives he produced went to active military personnel. Additionally, he employed people with physical disabilities to make the knives. This practice started in 1941 when he hired 40 individuals with disabilities and continued until his death in 1967.

This is a very scarce Style 13 Type I Throwing knife manufactured by John Ek. This example is in good service-used condition. It measures 7½” overall and is a bit dull at the tip. It  still bears the very finely engraved markings on the blade, which read:

John Ek KNIFE
HAMDEN, CONN

There are no other markings on the blade, and from what we found on these knives, the Style 13 Type I did not have serial numbers.

EK, a skilled marketer, employed two successful strategies in promoting his knives. One involved obtaining legal permission from the British government to sell his products as "Commando" knives, while the other entailed naming his Model 8 fighting knife the "Paratrooper." He also renamed his Model 6 knife as the "Patton" knife after discovering that it was General Patton's and his staff's preferred tool. The EK knives were not produced en masse through a government contract but were distributed via authorized civilian dealers and the PX. To be approved for production and sold in the PX, the knives had to receive a government stamp of approval and be serial numbered. Additionally, a form requesting your name, rank, service number, branch of service, etc., had to be filled out to obtain a knife. The EK knives were guaranteed for life.

The original EK knives were made of Nickel-Chrome-Molybdenum Steel, likely 4340, which provided durability and some rust resistance. During the war, 4340 steel was scarce as it was commonly used in aircraft manufacturing. The government's decision to allow EK to continue using this steel in his knives was a testament to their quality. EK opted to use maple wood handles in place of compressed leather washers and affixed them to the full tang with lead-filled rivets, which could be pounded back into the handle if it became loose. EK believed that wood handles would resist rot better than leather. Additionally, each knife came with sandpaper to allow soldiers to customize the grip to fit their hand as desired, rather than relying on a factory-made grip.

The leather sheaths were simple and held together with rivets and leather lacing, but they were often replaced by higher-quality sheaths. Presently, these sheaths would not be considered jump-certified as they lacked tie-downs. Nevertheless, EK prioritized ease of access to the knife during critical moments, which is why he did not include crossbars in most of his knives and sheaths rarely had a tie-down or snap to hold the knife in place. EK believed that crossbars and tie-downs could impede the swift retrieval of a knife, which is why he opted for a design that allowed a knife to be easily pulled out of its sheath.

The sheath is what we believe to be the original sheath for this knife, and is in fair condition measuring roughly 8” overall, but is missing the securing snap. The seven rivets are well-retained, but one of the two for the belt loop is not all the way through.

This is an exceptional condition rare example that is ready for further research and display.

Dimensions:
Blade Length: 3”
Total Length: 7 ½”
Scabbard Length: 8”