I just picked up a KA-BAR type knife that was advertized as unmarked. I figured what the hell its only $15 bucks. Thought it was some type of knock off. When I got it I found a US over MSI marking on the blade. It looks unissued. Blade isn't sharpened, blackened handel, parkerized finish. Has a black leather sheath, but the snap is broken, easily fixed. I was planing to use it as a beater knife. How good or valuable can a $15 dollar knife be? Before I start or think of refinishing this knife I might as well find out about it first. Any help please.
MSI stands for Material Specialists Inc, IIRC. They were a manufacturing company from the Dallas area. Now out of business or bought and the name changed.
The history of this particular 1219C2 variant is murky. A search of the web gives many tantalizing, but limited pieces of information.
A synopsis of the web info available (as I remember that info) is that 5,998 of them were made some time around 1983 or 1984. That's right - 5,998. Not 6000 even, but 5,998. At least 6000 would have been 500 dozen.
No one knows why they were ordered, who ordered them, or who authorized the contract, or even what the contract number was. Or why whoever had them made didn't just get some of the Camillus, Utica and Conetta 1219C2 that were made under contract during and after VN and available in huge numbers from within the DoD supply systems.
One item of info found said that they were sent to Okinawa for some reason. Another tidbit mentions that one of the knives was found to be in a National Stock Number (NSN) government package with a date stamp of 1988 or 1989. Inside the package, the knife was in another NSN wrapper dated 1986. I might be off on the exact dates here, as I am doing this from memory and not looking it up again.
I've seen these knives pop up on eprey 3 times in the last year. 1 might have been the same knife twice.
Due to the rare frequency with which these show up, I would recommend NOT doing anything to it, other than standard maintenance, i.e., light oiling of the blade to prevent rust and leather preservative occasionally to preserve the sheath.
$15 bucks was a GREAT deal.
