There is some question if this was deliberate - having owned a early carbon steel, and two later stainless models, it was no easy task to see which way to put it in the sheath to make it fit. It's less than 5 degrees.
I still believe it was a direct result of placing the blade in the mold for the poured aluminum handle. It probably wasn't a tight fit. Gerber has not come on the record to my knowledge; maybe they have no need to exploit this.
The original reason floating around in the '70's was for a more lethal ventrical thrust, which given the impromptu nature of a fight makes as much sense as "blood grooves." Lately I've been seeing the "fits the sheath better" stuff. Other knives make the effort to index the blade with "thumbprints, " or assymetrical handles to ensure the "correct" grip is used, but I find nothing in my experience or literature that suggested this was ever required on the Mk II. I remember nothing in the owners manual about it when I bought one at Ft. Benning Clothing Sales in '83.
What wonderful ways to explain production problems. Doesn't make the knife any less effective. Almost all multi blade pocket knives are canted blade to properly nest.
FWIW.
