KA-BAR Mark 2?

[Donny Don't]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking and hanging around a bit, but not a whole lot in the KA-BAR boards. I was speaking with my dad tonight and when I brought up knives, he asked me, "Do you know what a KA-BAR is?" I said I did, and he proceeded to show me a knife that my grandfather apparently carried in WWII while in the Navy. I thought the knife was super cool, and a great piece of our family history, so I figured you guys might like to see it, too. Maybe?

I did a little bit (very little bit) of research on the knife, and it looks like a Mark 2 to me. Below are some photos of the knife and its sheath (complete with rust, corrosion and two of my dogs making cameos in the background.) Apologies for all the photos; I can delete some or make them attachments if I need to.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Yes, you are right. That is a WW2 Union Cutlery - Kabar brand USN MK2 with a Beckwith fiberglass/canvas/metal sheath.

Might get us another pic of the pommel to show whether it is a round peen or square peen, since it has the thick (3/8") pommel.

The round peen versions came first followed by the square peen.

You could take some 0000 steel wool and either mineral oil or 3-in-1 oil, along with a little elbow grease to kill the red active rust to prevent additional deterioration on both the knife and the sheath,

 

[Donny Don't]

Thank you for the info! I will get that pommel photo tomorrow. I think it's round, but I might be remembering it wrong.

 

[Aikiguy]

Cool knife Donnie! Nice bit of family history you have there. Be sure to get rid of the surface rust before causes any major damage. Thanks for sharing!