Vintage Kabar - What is it?

zzyzzogeton · Sep 30, 2013

Just acquired this one. I initially thought that it was a ground down Mk1. As I looked at it closer, I realized that it was one I had not encountered before.

The knife and sheath together - Looks kinda like a Mk1 at first glance.

Then, it appears to be heavily ground down

Looking closer, the blade is only 4 inches long and appears complete

This is the only stamp is Kabar over Olean, NY on the left side. Right side has no stamps. Guard is steel "implying" WW2 era.

Pommel appears peened as there are no pins apparent on either side of the pommel. Also implying WW2 era.

zzyzzogeton · Sep 30, 2013

Now for the sheath...

The sheath pocket has a wood liner.

The sheath side view shows that the sharpening stone pocket is double stitched. The sheath itself appears to have been sewn inside out and inverted.

Here, the tip of the sheath and the bottom of the stone pocket. Tip also implies inversion after sewing.

The inside of the keeper strap shows both staples and sewing. The roughness of the sewing looks too be hand sewn, but the closeness of the inner stitching to the strap would appear to my inexperienced leather skills to be to close to have been done after the stapling.

The back side of the keeper strap also shows the staples and stitching.

zzyzzogeton · Sep 30, 2013

This shows the stitching on the backside of the sheath for the stone pouch closure strap.

Edge view of 2 grit stone - well used.

Width view - about 7/8 inches wide.

Okay - so with all this information can anyone enlighten me as to the model of this Kabar??

monstrum · Oct 1, 2013

I think it's a mk1 jmo. Nice knife though

zzyzzogeton · Oct 1, 2013

I thought it was a MK1 as well when I first saw it. In fact, that it what it was identified as by the person I got it from.

However, when I first laid direct eyeballs on it I was pretty sure it wasn't a Mk1. Then I picked it up and "knew" from the feel it wasn't a cut down/mod. It felt like it was made for my smaller hand. Mk1/Mk2 handles always feel just "a little over-sized" to me.

Mk1 blades were 5 inches long and about 1 1/8" wide, with most, but not all having USN MK1 stamped on the other side.

This one is only 4 inches long and 3/4" wide and those have got to be close to the original measurements.

Based on guard size, handle diameter and general appearance, no major sharpening or grinding to change the profile, length, etc. Standard usage sharpening only.

Definitely a mystery to me and I've been acquiring WW2 Kabars since 1975. Now, I am assuming it is WW2 vintage based on pommel style, steel guard, apparent age and construction of the sheath. The sheath also has schizophenic qualities - quality leather, excellent double stitching on the stone pouch, inversion-sewn edges say quality production. Crooked keeper strap and stone pouch closure backside sewing say hand sewn with less skill. ????

orca8589 · Oct 2, 2013

I believe you have a #598. See post #10 here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/895917-What-model-is-this

You've got a nice sheath for yours - now I know what to look for when I search for one for mine.

~Chris

zzyzzogeton · Oct 2, 2013

Thanks Orca. I believe you are on the right track.

Maybe this is like a "model #498" rather than #598, since the 598 blade is 5" and this one is just a 4" blade?

orca8589 · Oct 2, 2013

zzyzzogeton said:
Thanks Orca. I believe you are on the right track.

Maybe this is like a "model #498" rather than #598, since the 598 blade is 5" and this one is just a 4" blade?

Not sure on that, but Toooj would know; I'll post in the Tech Talk thread and link here.

~Chris

zzyzzogeton · Oct 2, 2013

Thanks, Orca.

I'd thought of maybe doing that but didn't since my question wasn't really "tech" related.

Toooj · Oct 2, 2013

zzyzzzogeton,
Orca is correct. #598 came in various blade lengths. The first number indicates the handle material not blade length. Leather is #5.
I may be wrong but the sheath looks to be an aftermarket purchase, from another knife or home made job.
Great old knives that really worked.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
S Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives

zzyzzogeton · Oct 2, 2013

Thank you, Toooj. Kinda like the Western L and G 46-5, 46-6 and 46-8 knives. Orca has a "598-5" and I have a "598-4", they just weren't officially designated with those specific model numbers.

Maybe a candidate for reincarnation, perhaps? I really, really like the way it feels/balances. Big hand people might not like it as much, but that size would be a great EDC utility knife for small/medium handed folks.

orca8589 · Oct 2, 2013

Thanks, Toooj!

zzyzzogeton - I've looked in several of my old turn-of-the-century (1800's-to-1900's) catalogs and I don't see any kind of sheath like the one you have.

The sheath with mine is a left-sided sheath, handmade with what appears to be suede leather or deer hide. I wonder if the factory sheaths didn't last too long.

Mine has stood up to some pretty hard use, and looks like it did the day I got it. Put her to work, I say.

~Chris

gunsil · Nov 7, 2013

Toooj said:
zzyzzzogeton,
Orca is correct. #598 came in various blade lengths. The first number indicates the handle material not blade length. Leather is #5.
I may be wrong but the sheath looks to be an aftermarket purchase, from another knife or home made job.
Great old knives that really worked.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
S Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives

I believe Paul is a little off on this one. The 598 is listed in blade lengths from 5-12 inches although nobody I know has ever seen a 12" version. I have 598s from the WW2 era with wood pommels with steel butt caps due to war material limitations and the steel pommel ones are related (there was a rare Boy Scout model with the steel pommel). Perhaps the wood and steel pommels were early in the war and the plain steel ones later in the war. They are all marked KA-BAR over OLEAN, N.Y. which is a definite WW2 era mark. I have several of the 4" bladed ones and have never found anyone who is sure about their intended use (some call them Seabee knives) Perhaps they were made as hunting knives but until a factory reference shows up we can't be positive. The models 72 and 71 were available with 4" blades (very rare to find one) early on, but they are no longer listed in catalog #38 from the late 1930s. There are a bunch of these steel pommel 4" blade knives around so they must have made a lot of them.

zzyzzogeton · May 19, 2014

Orca -

I just acquired a 5" version of the 598 WITH the original sheath. Posting it here so you can see what it looks like. Not in real good shape, but I can use it as a pattern to make one for it, and the other one I have.