pacific kabar?

K

KaBar

Joined
Dec 30, 2004
Messages
609
i picked this up at a pawn shop today for 12 bucks, i dont know much about the really old kabars so im hoping somebody on here will be able to tell me what i have. the blade is identical to a kabars but there is no stamping on the blade its self, i remember the older kabars stamped there marking on the guard. the butt of the knife is also screwed on, not penned, could this be a real early kabar?

the handle is cut peices of bakalight (sp) with a taped out aluminum butt. if im not mistaken this could be a pacific theater kabar.

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It might be handmade. I think they called them "theater knives", I guess making a homemade Kabar was a pretty popular thing to do back then. Dont' know how many of them made it over seas, or if it would have been made for personal use by someone going over. Some other folks here can give you a lot better info on it than me :)
 
These are usually labled theater knives, and many were converted in the war zone by bored troops. The handle material was often obtained from a downed aircraft. This was a common modification since the leather washer handle often failed to the elements. Unfortunately, it is hard to distinguish the real war made knives from other backyard hobby projects. This one does not look like a WWII era Ka-bar. It may even be a 1970/80s vintage Kabar with the crude fullers added.

n2s
 
well its not 70s or 80s kabar for two reasions, the butt cap it threated and its not covered with a epoxi coating. its defiently ww2 era but im wondering if its actually a kabar, it might be one of 3 other companys what produced the same basic knife with small desin changes.

if they used parts of downed aircrafts im wondering if the handle isent from the windows of a fighter or bomber. if im not mistaken its bakalight because when i run the plastic under hot water it develops a chemical smell. regular plastics will not do that.

my main consern is to identify the blade,
 
well its not 70s or 80s kabar for two reasions, the butt cap it threated and its not covered with a epoxi coating. its defiently ww2 era

The tang on the military Mark II was a square cross section nearly 1/2 inch wide, which extended through the cross guard and all the way back to the pommel cap. The treaded section was only a very short length of rod attached to the end of it.

n2s
 
i think this one was square at one time, the tang looks like its got grind marks. :mad:

so, whats the verdict. keep it or sell it?

i collect fighting knives and have always wanted a theater kabar but i dont care for the grip or the mods thats been done to it. i could rehandle it and keep the ww2 grip for safe keeping. ill have to buy me a good theater knife later.
 
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