Help identifying this Ka-Bar...

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dragon9874

Joined
Jul 5, 2020
Messages
4
need some help w/ this one! i've scoured the internet for quite some time for information about this specific Ka-Bar. i've come up empty, other than i recently found a pic from an auction post that was selling a 3-piece set, one of which is just like mine (from the looks of it), i'll put the link further below, following my pics on Bublup.com (sorry for all the links, but you have to create an acct to view the folder, i'll be looking for a better app/site to host pics to share ;->).

here's some specs:
3 5/8" handle (pommel to bolster)
4 1/8" blade
7 3/4" overall length
1/8" pommel
1/16" bolster
peened pommel
looks like straight back, but slight drop point
slight swedge
no bevel


here's links to my pics:
https://mystuff.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-6e7cd696-5f94-426f-8e88-90e3b85ede5a
https://mystuff.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-ff1bd576-18ae-4a1e-af5e-25af86b5f693
https://mystuff.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-e9df7fd2-cf40-4495-84fe-6ce2a9186a1c
https://mystuff.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-3eee793a-9134-4f51-9705-c4e16a985f48
https://mystuff.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-41d356b9-e453-4bf6-b040-60585db9c563
https://mystuff.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-7106f7e5-8499-4770-8d00-9bb4ea9621d1

and here's a link to the auction pic i found:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/lot-of-3-usmc-kabar-knives-vintage-to-modern
 
Last edited:
thx Bastler Bastler ! today has been rather fruitful! i found another link today to a diff forum (AAPK) that gives the best breakdown i've seen yet on vintage Ka-Bar knives. sounds like the pommel might be the tell-tell sign of age. they mention the same thickness of bolser & pommel, which i've only seen one, of which i posted the link to in my original post). they also mention a round penned vs square, mine is more of rectangle, so i'm thinking "square" would be the closest, putting this in late 1943. my only issue with that, is KA-BAR did not become a "brand" until Union Cutlery Co. renamed their company to KA-BAR in 1952. KA-BAR only lasted in Olean, NY until 1954, so that tells me it's 1952-54. ugh!!! ;-)
 
Most of the discussion in that thread is concerning the Mk 1 fighting knife. The knife pictured here seems to be a general utility style knife of some sort, not the same. From the dimensions given it seems smaller than the USN MK1 Utility knife. It may be an old scout knife....
 
good point, A Arathol ! i originally read zz's post/reply about general Ka-Bars, but you could be correct about what kind of Ka-Bar knife he is explaining. i think you're also spot-on w/ it being a scout knife. i don't know much about these really old Ka-Bars, but it does seem like a small scout knife.
 
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