Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent service-used example of an original U.S. Marine Corps WWII 1219C2 Fighting/Utility Knife manufactured by Union Cutlery Company under its famous KA-BAR trademark. The knife retains the desirable early wartime blade markings USMC and KA-BAR / OLEAN, N.Y., together with its stacked leather grip, pinned steel pommel, swept crossguard, and an original-style leather belt sheath.

Although commonly called a “Mark 2” or simply a “KA-BAR” by collectors, the Marine Corps designation for this pattern was the 1219C2 Fighting/Utility Knife. The closely related U.S. Navy version was formally designated the Knife, Utility, Mark 2. The KA-BAR name became so closely associated with the design that it eventually became the generic nickname for the entire family of fighting/utility knives regardless of manufacturer.

This is a nice service-used example of the legendary WWII Production U.S.M.C marked Mark 2 "Ka-Bar" fighting knife with leather belt sheath. Marine Corps issue knives are much harder to find on the market than the U.S.N. marked variety. Overall length of this Mark 2 knife is 12 inches, with a 7 inch clip-point blade. The markings on the ricasso are as follows:

USMC

On the right, and on the left is:

KA-BAR
OLEAN, N.Y.

There is the Olean address under the "KA-BAR", and the "USMC" is large, which is correct for the mid war made USMC marked knives by Union Cutlery. It has the correct larger rectangular tang with a 1/4" thick pommel that is circular-pinned to the tang. It also has the correct "fat" stacked polished leather handle which is now very dark. The blade has wear with some very minor oxidation spotting and verdigris.

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 crossguard, 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 WWII. 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, however the last pattern of the "KA-BAR" marked knives kept the blade markings, as on this example. It has the later war slightly "swept back" cross guard.

The knife features original polished leather washer grip, which is in fair condition, with heavy wear to the finish, and it has a 1/4" steel pommel with cross pinned tang. The grip is quite worn from field use. The blade retains some of the original blackened finish, with the original factory ground edge still visible.

The leather sheath is the standard type used with the Mark 2, and is in very good condition. It is unmarked and shows moderate wear. The edges are very raw as shown. The securing strap is intact and the snap is in good order. There is some verdigris across the fittings.

This example is especially desirable for the combination of its blade-marked KA-BAR / OLEAN, N.Y. and USMC ricasso markings, pinned rectangular-tang pommel, swept wartime guard, heavily service-worn stacked leather grip, substantial surviving blade finish, and original-style leather sheath. The honest field wear throughout gives it the appearance expected of a knife that saw genuine military use while preserving the principal construction and marking features sought on original WWII Marine Corps KA-BARs.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 7"
Blade Style: Clip-point "Bowie" Style
Overall length: 12“
Crossguard: 2 7/16”
Scabbard Length: 7 3/4" with 5" Belt Loop