Help with a Ka-bar

attached are some photos of the KA- BAR you have been discussing . I,ve been getting errorView attachment 432061 upload messages after 1or 2 photos. May do have to do it in several posts. The knife has been in family since approx 1944. My father - in -law was and Army Doctor in Leyte and Japan 44/45.error messages did me in look for post2
 
osprey902 said:
attached are some photos of the KA- BAR you have been discussing . I,ve been getting errorView attachment 432061 upload messages after 1or 2 photos. May do have to do it in several posts. The knife has been in family since approx 1944. My father - in -law was and Army Doctor in Leyte and Japan 44/45.error messages did me in look for post2
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As a free member, you cannot post pictures without using a third-party web hosting site, such as Photobucket.


Posting Pictures - Photobucket

Open a free account at www.photobucket.com (or some other free web-hosting site)

"Upload" pictures from your computer/device to your Photobucket account using Photobucket "browse" button.

In your Photobucket "library" locate a picture you want to post here, and left click on it.

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In a post to this thread, use "paste" to put the IMG link in the post. The picture will then appear to everyone.

Better pictures help get and give better info.
 
osprey902 said:
http://s1156.photobucket.com/user/jwlakes/slideshow/1292c2%20KA-BARattached is a link to photos of a KA-BAR only ricasso.
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Yep, that's a genuine WW2 era Kabar manufactured 1219C2. "2nd" generation pommel - 3/8" thick, square peened tang. Most of the "No Service" versions I have seen have been "1st" generation pommel - 3/8" thick with a ROUND peened tang.

I suspect that the "No Service" versions that are not round-peened were factory overlooks that slipped by during rushes to get orders out. I read somewhere that the earliest contracts didn't specifically required USN or USMC to be on the knives, but that the requirement was included later with contract mods.

Sactroop, one of "gurus" of 1219C2s, may be able to shed more light on the subject.
 
Yup, genuine WW2 knife with the early zinc sulphate coating which has a slightly bluish cast to it rather than the dark gray of the later ones.
 
I agree, nice WW2 knife. I really don't have much to add. A knife without branch of service markings and a rectangular tang doesn't seem to be common. I think this is why some people collect so many of the 1219C2 knives. Lots of variations out there.
 
stvpourciau said:
Ditto, just because there's not a contract doesn't mean that the Ka-bar isn't purchased off the shelf for military use....QUOTE]

This is correct. I venture to Fort Lewis (now called JBLM) every month. Inside the PX they sell, Spyderco, Buck, Gerber, Case, Coastal, CRKT and some assorted others. The PX is just like Wal-Mart or Target these days. The Post Exchange (PX) sells very little that is actually inside the military supply chain or from military procurement channels. The knives sold at the PX are for commercial purposes/sales.

However, The Cothing and Sales store at JBLM (which I beleive is an extention of AAFES) sells the KA-BARs (The D2 Fighter and the Warthog), Cold Steel Lawman, Gerber LMF2 and assorted multitools, and a few others. These are commercial sales but they also may be issued items (its hard to tell with Clothing and sales because they sell military issue equipment and uniforms, yet they sell stuff thats not issue and not military)

From my experience, the only knives issued to Army Soldiers is the M-4 Bayonet (made by a myriad of contractors, not just Ontario) and the Gerber multitool. Funny thing though. The Bayonet is not classified as a sensitive item, however, soldiers are not allowed to retain possession of them outside of training or deployment. The bayonets are stored in the Arms Room with the other weapons. The gerber multitool is issued to the soldier indivdually and is required to be turned in at the end of their enlistment.

My unit does have a few SPAX axes from Ontario in its inventory, however, they were never issued to soldeirs for any reason, and it is unknown to me if they are actual unit inventory.

On the other side of that coin, Army units do have discretionary spending monies and it is those monies units will use to purchase things "outside" the norm. So, basically any knife that has an NSN number can be purchased by the unit for issuance to soldiers. Most of the time, when you see pictures of troops from Iraq or Afghanistian with knives hanging off them, its a good bet it's a commerical purchase or a unit discretionary purchase. Usually these type of issuance are one time issuance and are NOT standard army equipment. Think about this. A lot of units bought and gave their troops Tomahawks for use as a breeching tool or as special awards. These hawks are mission specific equipment and is NOT standard equipment. If that were the case I would have a RMJ hawk in my rucksack at home...I do not.

Don't ever get made a fool of by someone claiming "genuine military issue." There is no such thing these days.
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Tdhurl1103 said:
The gerber multitool is issued to the soldier indivdually and is required to be turned in at the end of their enlistment.
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Its weird how the Army does this. My Gerber was issued at RFI on the way to Iraq and I got to keep it. They also told me to keep my MSS, but I had to return my woobie. As for the unit level orders I got a Gerber auto knife, Oakleys and the Surefire helmet light. None of that had to be returned.
 
Psyop said:
Its weird how the Army does this. My Gerber was issued at RFI on the way to Iraq and I got to keep it. They also told me to keep my MSS, but I had to return my woobie. As for the unit level orders I got a Gerber auto knife, Oakleys and the Surefire helmet light. None of that had to be returned.
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I got my Gerber with RFI back in 09. I just did a clothing and equipment inventory/inspection two months ago and I printed my issued items list from CIF. It lists my multitool as a returnable item to be turned in at the end if enlistment. Strange animal indeed. I was given a tuff box and a few other oddities as well that did not have to be returned however they did take back my sure fire and a Blackhawks drop leg holster. Two things I really wanted to keep. Lol
 
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richard thurman said:
it sounds like a fake to me. I was selling k-bars at daytone florida flemarket. a curtomer came by and said he didnt know that they are now being made in china. another dealer had them on display. K-bar on one side and china on the other side. they made him pull them out and get them out of the market. they have to make them in the USA to keep there military contrack.
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Can you help me with my KA-bar knife I cannot find it I've looked it up so many times. My K Bar knife does not have the four rivets on the handle do you know anything about this
 
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