Ka-bar Identification Request - WWII 'Red Spacer' Kabar

[torc]

Hi,

I need help identifying this Kabar. It was owned by my late father (Roger E. Hershey, USMC Retired - 30 years) who entered the Marine Corps in 1941 and served for the next 30 years - going from Pvt to LtCol (a 'Mustang' I believe is the term).

Note: The pommel/butt end is smooth/flat.The leather grip has been altered/carved - making gripping the knife very secure (Q: Was this common?). This knife saw service in Panama and also Pacific/ specifically Easter Sunday Invasion of Okinawa. Twenty Eight+ years later, my father was Camp Commander (OIC) of Camp MacTurias (Sp?), Okinawa. The sheath has brass/copper (greenish color) staples not round metal pins.

Any information on this knife would be most appreciated.

Any suggestions on preserving the knife, the sheath would also be appreciated. Should knife be 'restored' or left 'as is'?

Side Note: For any Marine History buffs. My mother was also a Marine. Sgt Dorotha M. Dailey (Great Bend, KS) being one of the first Woman Marines - Reserves (2nd Group of Reservists created). She was trained as Mess Hall Sgt/Instructor. My parents met at Camp LeJeune, NC - in 1942, married 10 weeks later and are considered (this has been verified) the very first 'Marine Corp Married Couple'. Both my parents have bricks at the USMC Museum in Quantico. My mother's uniforms were donated to the museum as they were the early non-standardized uniforms from 1942. My mother is currently a resident at 'The Old Soldier's Home' in Washington, DC. (She is 94 years old). My father passed away back in 1996.


http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Paul_Joseph_Hershey/library/

 

[flylock]

I cant see your pics .I'm on my phone but the red spacers do indicate an early version kabar mk2.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

It's a red spacer Kabar 1219C2, early WW2.

Leave the knife as is. Just a little mineral oil occassionally.

By "restore" if you mean polish it up trying to make it look new -

DON'T.

That will ruin any collector value to the knife (IMO). Not that I expect you want to sell such a family heirloom. The knives did not come with a mirror finish. A "well used and well taken care of" (as any good Marine would) 70 y.o. knife is going to have scratches, patina, maybe a killed rust spot or two.

I am assuming the "carved handle" you are referring to are the grooves in the handle - these were "factory installed" for better gripping.

Anything you do to the sheath, i.e., clean the leather, will darken the leather. Not that that is a bad thing, per se, just a warning. The tannins in the leather are reacting to the staples, assisting in the corrosion around them. I'd use a toothpick to gently scrape as much of the corrosion off the staples and the leather around them as you can and then treat the leather with the leather conditioner (mink oil/neatsfoot/Obenauf's/Sno-Seal/etc/etc/etc) of your choice and proudly display that puppy in a shadow box.

 

[torc]

Hi, TY muchos for the info you responded with. As to the carved handle, the leather was actually CUT into in a few places, about where one's forefinger would be gripping the handle behind the guard. Definitely not factory done...I will add some top/bottom pics to my photobucket page to show you what I mean.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

That'd be great. I've seen a few done like that, but not many. How about an end-on pic of the pommel as well. It also looks trimmed down.

 

[leghog]

I am assuming the "carved handle" you are referring to are the grooves in the handle - these were "factory installed" for better gripping.

From the pics you'll see the leather washers have been mangled. Certainly not factory. Pretty much kills the collector value which in this case means little or nothing anyway since it's an heirloom, and the grip was modded by his father.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Leghorn, My view of the pics drew heavy vacuum last night when I was looking at them and then the OP clarified the description after I posted that.

I agree about the collector value of a "user-modifed" grip on the generic 1219C2 w/o provenance. However. if there is provenance about the knife belonging to specific, Marine especially if there are any pics with him of the knife, documentation of his service, etc, that would up the value, at least above "old, used 1219C2" status, in my opinion. Wouldn't make it a over-price "mint"/"Like new"/etc version, but then I don't collect the over-priced/new/mint/no owner versions.

I know, read the knife, not the story, but when the story is from the son about the father WITH PROVENANCE of some sort, I'll take the knife and the story and keep them together.