Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of a seldom seen WWII era Mexican Fighting Knife. The knife’s scabbard is laundry number marked with R-8502 / Rick. We did find one “Richard H. Roberts” who’s serial number matches the laundry number. Roberts was a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps, but we have no way of confirming this, making for a wonderful research project.
The knife itself is very similar in design to the American Ka-Bar fighting knife. Information on these knives are pretty scant, but we did learn that they were first manufactured in 1942. Muster reports did show that the suspected owner was in San Diego during his time in service, and it was not uncommon for soldiers and Marines to take a trip to the border for liberty purposes, returning with edged weapons.
The ricasso is marked with Fundicion De Artilleria / MEXICO, which translates to “Artillery Foundry”. The knife is in great condition with minor blade oxidation and staining. The blade shape is very similar in design to a US made Ka-Bar with a 7” clip point blade with false edge. The crossguard is actually a very ingenious design. It features “ears” on both sides which pin into the grip scales, further securing it. The guard itself has no play or wobble in it thanks to the pinned crossguard. The grip scales are secured by two ground flat rivets as well as the pinned crossguard.
The included leather scabbard is original and correct for the knife. The leather is a little worn but still in solid condition with all thread and rivets retained. The only real issue is the broken retaining strap which is unfortunately broken. The lower portion of the scabbard is laundry numbered and named with R-8502 / Rick. The writing is still clear and easy to read.
A wonderful fighting knife ready for further research and display.
Dimensions:-
Blade length: 7"
Blade style: Single Edged Clip Point
Overall length: 11 1/4"
Scabbard length: 7 1/4” with belt loop
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
