Camillus MK2

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oldreliable45120

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Jan 26, 2014
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I know this is a kabar forum, but i know there are people in the know here. Father just sent me a Camillus Navy mk2 knife w/o scabbard/sheath. Just trying to find out apx year and what type of sheath it was originaly issued with. Heres the knife info. It looks unissued, blade has never been sharpened, and is blued along with the pommel. Has WW2 markings Camillus ny on one side and U.S.N over MARK 2 on the other side. Forgot to add blade marked. Pommel is pinned. I'm guessing hard scabbard. My other WW2 Camillus knife is also blued, but blade marked Camillus NY on one side and USN only on the other side. Should also mention it has the pommel retained by a threaded nut, and has a leather sheath. Thanks for any info Lawrence
 
Pictures are a must to allow for accurate determinations, but guessing from the descriptions, the 2nd one (with threaded nut) would be from one of the earliest production runs (Feb - Apr/May 1943) as the threaded pommel nut was eliminated early on as being a bottleneck in production and also easier to break off during heavy usage. It would have originally issued with a leather sheath, probably a 9 rivet model.

The first one is from a middle production period after a few change orders had been implemented in pommel attachment (round peened, square/rectangular peened, then pinned) but before a change over to guard marked. Maybe a transition period where already stamped blades were being used up after the pinned pommel became spec. Pics would really help with this one for a time period determination. It could have been issued with either a leather sheath on one of the fiberglass versions. The leather sheath would have been whatever the supply department had available - 9 rivet, 9 staples, 7 staples.

Just my opinion. I have been incorrect before. :D
 
Camillus lists the change order date as 12/17/1943 for the plastic sheath. I agree that knife would probably be correct in either type.
 
Anyone have info on mk2 marked U.S> over CAMILLUS on ricasso?...Also,false upper blade is short sweep.
 
wolfenrojo, is the short sweep your referring to shown in the picture I’ve provided below?

4bfa6f7f-3c72-4d29-834b-d6cf5c115368_zps5be8482d.jpg


The differences in these knives is less to do with the false edge it’s self than it is with the relief bevel cut under the false edge.

I edited this photo to point out what to look at.
Red dot: The front edge of the knife’s fuller.
Yellow dot: The point where the edge of the bevel intersects with the back of the blade.
Blue dot: The point where the bevel of the false edge intersects with the bevel of the main cutting edge.

This picture comes from Frank Trzaska’s usmilitaryknives.com under his The Reproduction Recognition Page. It’s purpose is to differentiate between a WW2 blade marked (Camillus, N.Y.//U.S.M.C.), and a reproduction version made from the at least the early nineties to 2006.
 
Does it look like this one? This is a post 1974 Mark 2 with the US over Camillus tang mark.

 
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