My grandfathers knife - WWII related

Awesome keepsake, wish I had something like that that was tied to our history.

Here's a couple of location names for the sheath list.
Canfun = Canton? But that's in China and was held by Japan until 1945...
2nd "unread" = Palmyra Atoll
Kwashlein = Kwajalein Atoll

If you can take a pic without a flash, I can try to decipher the other words.
 
That's a family treasure. You are very lucky to have it.
 
Nice piece, I'd put it in a display case TBH. I guess they don't make them to last like that anymore do they?
 
That would be a fantastic looking, and I am sure cutting knife it were new. Given its history...well it's off the charts!

Two things are obvious: 1) it was used hard, but 2) it was well taken care of. As such, with that history, that thing is just a phenomenon. I'd be equally tempted to use it or put it in show case. Given that the thing is probably indestructable...and the fact that the sheath is fairly destructable, I say make a new sheath for it...traditional leather, not kydex, carry it, but not abuse it, and let the thing live on.

Really fantastic post, pictures and knife.
 
Amazing knife, it almost has a magical look about it. That thing beats any custom out IMO
 
What an absolute treasure that is. The sheath + the note are what make it so fantastic. Never, ever let that go!

A good friend of mine and former college roommate inherited a slew of Nazi officer's swords and ceremonial daggers from his grandfather who 'liberated' them from their former owners during the winter of 1945. He got into a money bind and was thinking of selling them about 20 years ago. I've kinda lost touch but I always wondered if he managed to hang onto them or not. If he sold them I'll bet he regrets it now, since he has four sons to pass them on to.
 
Amazing peace of history you've got right there. I love everything about it.

If it were mine/in my family I'd be caught between putting it in a safe or a display case, or put a nice edge on it and continue to use it!
 
texastonydobbs said:
WWII Western SEABEE knife. Stacked leather washers make up the handle. Black and red spacers at both ends. Full tang. Steel single guard and butt cap. The clip point blade A nice deep readable stamp on one ricasso: Western Boulder, Colo and a patent number. 9 3/8" OAL; 5.0" blade I seen a few go for $100-200 is my guess but Western made several different models as well in that time frame
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TTD, your infinite wisdom & wordly knowledge never ceases to amaze us . . . :)
Be safe.
 
Robtheman1983 said:
Its a knife he carried throughout the Pacific Theater of World War II, & what is really special about this knife is the note that was with in the envelope.
here are some pics

5dgwW.jpg


Rob, that is something very special you have. The Pacific was one hot bed to be in. Most of those places are written in the history of the Marine Corp. & that means your grandfather was right there. Great piece of history to pass & keep in your family thru the coming generations. You should write down what you know or can find out about it & keep it with the knife.
Great shots & thanks for sharing with us.
Be safe.
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it was amazing he survived all those landings. japanese artillery was on them like rain. he saw most of the worst pacific theater combat.
dennis
 
Love the history ! Thanks for sharing. From what I understand, and I could be completely wrong, the style of that knife was originally prototyped by Ka-Bar who was awarded the contract for the military during WWII. When the demand reached a point in which they could not meet, Ka-Bar contracted out the design to many other makers to help out, which is why there are so many makers with the same design.

Again, I could be wrong! Let me know if I am. Beautiful knife with great history !
 
Robtheman1983 said:
I was going through my closet packing for the move and I found something i havent looked at in a long time and wanted to share it with you guys.

Its a knife he carried throughout the Pacific Theater of World War II, it was made by Western in boulder colorado.
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That is neat as hell! He carried that knife aboard an LST through the Pacific Islands during some pretty trying times, and it looks merely well-worn. I say "merely" because that environment --the salt water and the hot humid weather-- is probably the toughest there is for a carbon steel knife (and leather sheath). It was immediately obvious to me that he took very good care of that knife.

Thanks very much for sharing that story and those photos!

My very first knife was a Western. It was a bird & trout from the early 1970s, given to me by an uncle (who also served in the Navy in the South Pacific in WWII). I lost it in the late '90s when the sheath stitching came apart and the knife fell out somewhere in the woods where I was deer hunting. I went back and looked for it several times before the winter snows fell, but never found it. :(

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
27 years old? You ought to take that thing with you over to the Sandbox. It's got several more lifetimes of use.
 
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