Need Help Identifying A Knife....

[Mack_Bolan]

I used to own this knife as a teenager and lost it. Was given to me from a lady whose son was a Marine. The included picture is from the back of an old USMC boot camp grad book. Haven't seen a knife like this since. Anybody have any clues as to what it is and a little history on it?

https://imgur.com/a/8ciofNg

 

[polish avenger]

Going out on a limb, I think there's a chance that it's a vintage Shiva Ki....from waaaay back when he was doing a lot of stock removal, not the forging that he's known for these days.
I would send that picture to him for verification.

 

[Mack_Bolan]

Going out on a limb, I think there's a chance that it's a vintage Shiva Ki....from waaaay back when he was doing a lot of stock removal, not the forging that he's known for these days.
I would send that picture to him for verification.

He would have to have massed produced them then, not sure if that's his thing. I believe they were used in the late 80's-early 90's

 

[Mk-211]

Looks kinda like a Smith & Wesson knife? Model 6010 Bowie.

 

[Mack_Bolan]

Looks kinda like a Smith & Wesson knife? Model 6010 Bowie.
View attachment 2837286

Nice knife. The handle is different. Not one of S&W's. Believe me I've been scouring the internet for YEARS trying to find this thing.

 

[Mack_Bolan]

Nice knife. The handle is different. Not one of S&W's. Believe me I've been scouring the internet for YEARS trying to find this thing.

I swear, this is the D.B. Cooper of knives.

 

[riversidedep]

Looks like a Rigid. Not sure what model.

 

[Centermass]

Looks like a Rigid. Not sure what model.

View attachment 2837352

I was thinking that, or maybe a Pakistan or India made knife, which were common fare in that era.

 

[Mack_Bolan]

Not sure but they might have been "issued?" for a short period by the Corps.

 

[polish avenger]

I emailed Shiva.
He says it's one of his.

 

[Centermass]

That’s definitely better than what I thought. Nice.

 

[Mack_Bolan]

I emailed Shiva.
He says it's one of his.

does he have a name or model number? Can we get another image of it?

 

[polish avenger]

This was the extent of his response...
"Piss poor pic. Yeh, it`s one of mine from way back."
Back in the day, as far as I can tell, he did a lot of one-offs. My catalog is from around 1990, and his style had completely evolved by then. The only thing that has remained constant is that stitching on his sheaths....that's how I knew.....

 

[killgar]

Hey Mack, are you saying that you owned the exact knife in the picture? Or, that you owned a knife just like it?

Because if it's the latter, then that means there's more than one.

 

[donnord]

The curved handle is reminiscent of a Hoffman designed Lakota knife. But I did not see any with the rear bolster like yours in the catalog.

 

[tltt]

This is a long, long, shot, but maybe try emailing Dominique Beaucant. His email is listed here -

https://www.arizonacustomknives.com/products/1092537/ .

He is Shiva's friend, occasional hypeman, and was a long time collector of his work. He might have some knowledge of old models.

For what it's worth, you're probably looking for a knife from 1981-85 or so. I looked through a bunch of old Blade magazines, etc..., and as Polish Avenger mention, his style changed. You really see it from 85 - .

 

[Mack_Bolan]

Hey Mack, are you saying that you owned the exact knife in the picture? Or, that you owned a knife just like it?

Because if it's the latter, then that means there's more than one.

I owned that exact knife. Like stated before I had one as a teenager from a former Marine then lost it. I saw it again in the back of the Marine Corps graduation book from my graduation in 94 and haven't seen a pic or the real thing since and believe me I've been hunting for this thing for years. It's a great knife and has nostalgic significance.

 

[Mack_Bolan]

This was the extent of his response...
"Piss poor pic. Yeh, it`s one of mine from way back."
Back in the day, as far as I can tell, he did a lot of one-offs. My catalog is from around 1990, and his style had completely evolved by then. The only thing that has remained constant is that stitching on his sheaths....that's how I knew.....

Can you explain what the one-offs are? Just weird to be not common if that's what it means and I happen to have one then it shows up in the back of a government book a few years later. I'm just curious.

 

[knarfeng]

does he have a name or model number? Can we get another image of it?

Can you explain what the one-offs are? Just weird to be not common if that's what it means and I happen to have one then it shows up in the back of a government book a few years later. I'm just curious.

A "one-off" means "one of a kind", a unique design that he did not massively duplicate. Therefore, in answer to your earlier question, there is no model number or model name.

 

[polish avenger]

I owned that exact knife. Like stated before I had one as a teenager from a former Marine then lost it. I saw it again in the back of the Marine Corps graduation book from my graduation in 94 and haven't seen a pic or the real thing since and believe me I've been hunting for this thing for years. It's a great knife and has nostalgic significance.

So, I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a minute.
The knife you have a picture of from the Marine's brochure is in a sheath. Size is kind of unclear. Is it stainless? Is it carbon? Is it damascus? Does it have a swedge? Is it single or double-edged? Sawback?
Shiva would work with you, the buyer, to create whatever you wanted, using whatever materials you liked....or, he'd just make what he wanted.
You're looking for a vintage Shiva Ki.
Unless you can have a productive conversation with Shiva (or someone with a REALLY early catalog or specific memory) about a knife made 40-50 years ago, you're just gonna have to cast a wide net. A lot of us have been where you are. Some of us win....some of us lose. It's just the nature of the game.
Best of luck!
-Mark