{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwii-navy-usn-mark-1-fighting-knife-by-ka-bar-with-usn-mk1-scabbard-by-b-m-co","title":"Original U.S. WWII Navy USN Mark 1 Fighting Knife by KA-BAR with USN MK1 Scabbard by B.M. Co","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKA-BAR is often considered one of the most rare makers of this knife. This example is marked on the blade ricasso:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKA-BAR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOLEAN, N.Y.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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 \u003cstrong\u003eU.S.N. \/ MK. 1\u003c\/strong\u003e on one side and \u003cstrong\u003eNORD - 4723 \/ B.M. CO \/4 vp\u003c\/strong\u003e on the other. There is heavy chipping to the body along the edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlade length: 5 5\/8”\u003cbr\u003eBlade Style: Double-Edged Blade\u003cbr\u003eOverall length: 10 1\/4”\u003cbr\u003eCrossguard: 1 3\/8”\u003cbr\u003eScabbard Length: 6\" + Belt Frog\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43571518046277,"sku":"ONJR25AUCC058","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR25AUCC058__02_7ec3c33e-b339-4a94-a3d2-ce3fa8e51e1b.jpg?v=1757344486","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwii-navy-usn-mark-1-fighting-knife-by-ka-bar-with-usn-mk1-scabbard-by-b-m-co","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}