Original U.S. WWII Navy USN Mark 1 Fighting Knife by KA-BAR with USN MK1 Scabbard by B.M. Co
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a good heavily service-worn example of the USN Mark 1 fighting knife, manufactured by KA-BAR . It comes complete in the correct USN Mk1 Scabbard. The originator of the KA-BAR trademark, Union Cutlery Co, began using the name in 1923, having received a letter from a fur trapper who had used the knife to kill a wounded bear which attacked him when his rifle jammed. According to company records, the letter was only partially legible; "ka bar" could be read, as fragments of the phrase "kill a bear". In 1923, the company adopted the name Ka-Bar from the "bear story" as its trademark. From 1923, the KA-BAR trademark was used as a ricasso stamp by Union Cutlery Co. on its line of automatic switchblade pocket knives, including the KA-BAR Grizzly, KA-BAR Baby Grizzly, and KA-BAR Model 6110 Lever Release knives. The company produced about 1 million knives with the trademark on the ricasso.
The USN Mark 1 combat knife was produced by a variety of manufacturers during World War II and was issued to Navy personnel by the thousands. It had a 5 ¼" long blade and was patterned after typical hunting and side knives of the era. The subsequent Mark 2 knife had a longer 7" blade.
KA-BAR is often considered one of the most rare makers of this knife. This example is marked on the blade ricasso:
KA-BAR
OLEAN, N.Y.
The knife is in very rough overall condition and appears to have been altered by the soldier. It was worn down to be a double-edged blade and has heavy surface oxidation with sharpening along the edges. The grip was worn down to have three small recesses for fingers, and this example has a large wooden pommel with a steel cap, different than other Navy Mk. I’s.
The scabbard is the early MK 1 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 scabbard is marked U.S.N. / MK. 1 on one side and NORD - 4723 / B.M. CO /4 vp on the other. There is heavy chipping to the body along the edge.
Overall a heavily worn and altered example of an iconic knife used in WWII. No collection of World War II US military knives is complete without a Mark 1.
Dimensions:
Blade length: 5 5/8”
Blade Style: Double-Edged Blade
Overall length: 10 1/4”
Crossguard: 1 3/8”
Scabbard Length: 6" + Belt Frog
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