popcorn Posted May 15, 2015 Share #1 Posted May 15, 2015 Hi. I'd like to hear feedback on what edged weapons were actually US issued during the Vietnam War. I know lots of various blades were used but a lot were not actual issued knives. From my understanding the M7 Bayonet(possibly others early on), machete and Jet Pilots survival knife were issued. I've read conflicting info on the Ka-Bar, Gerber and SOG knives. Some indicated they were issued and some indicate they were extensively used but never were officially issued. Another question I have is if the Colt marked M7 Bayonets were actual issue or an early commercial version. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeder3 Posted May 15, 2015 Share #2 Posted May 15, 2015 I would think that the following knives were issued: M7, Jet pilots knife, Mk2, and SOG. I'm still waking up so I'm probably missing some. Private purchase knives would have been: Gerber mk2, randall, Western, etc etc. I spoke with a guy that dealt in knives during Vietnam and he said he'd get a lot of trades from guys sending SOG and other issued knives to trade towards Randall's, Western W49s, and Gerber mk2s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted May 15, 2015 Share #3 Posted May 15, 2015 If we are considering "issued" as knives provided to service personal from military stores, than there would be representation of WW2 stock items among the issued items as well. Also we need to include the M6 bayonet for the M14 rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Brannan Posted May 15, 2015 Share #4 Posted May 15, 2015 I was on Swift Boats 69-70. We were issued WWII Navy Mk 2's with the fiberglass sheaths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted May 15, 2015 Share #5 Posted May 15, 2015 Speaking of WW2 issue knives there seems to be a lot of the MK2 Navy knives that came out for issue.It seems it still was considered the standard issue dive knive. An old brother in law of mine recalls throwing over board a lot of WW2 dated machetes when he was on the Teddy Roosevelt in the mid seventies.He was assigned to a work detail one day and they were cleaning house.Anything that wasnt being kept went overboard.He said they all looked new.I worked with another guy who saw some crates of WW2 knives taken out of storage during Desert Storm when he was in the navy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted May 15, 2015 Share #6 Posted May 15, 2015 I was on Swift Boats 69-70. We were issued WWII Navy Mk 2's with the fiberglass sheaths. There ya go...Thanks for the post Steve. I had talked to a couple other guys who had them issued as well and were boat vets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted May 15, 2015 Share #7 Posted May 15, 2015 Below are examples of the "fighting knife" or MIL-K-20277 made from late 1960 to early 1974 and provided by U.S. Government contracts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted May 15, 2015 Share #8 Posted May 15, 2015 I've read conflicting info on the Ka-Bar... I think the government never bought Ka Bars for issue after WWII. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popcorn Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted May 16, 2015 Thank you for the great answers. Yes I forgot the M6 bayonet. I was more looking for the blades manufactured during Nam rather than issued WW2 stock. Were the 60-70 produced Ka-Bars issued to troops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypilot6670 Posted May 16, 2015 Share #10 Posted May 16, 2015 Was an 11B infantryman ,didn't get issued any knives ( senior NCOs didn't want us cutting our selves ).I got a JPK , traded or bought it and also early in my tour had an M7 with a 50 cal. Casing for a handle.In my Company you could draw a bayonet or not when you checked out a 16 or a 60.Worked mostly as a tower rat doing guard duty in the Da Nang area.Knives were handy for busting open cases of C rations.I can remember needing my JPK a couple times.So in my case no knives were issued,bayonets were optional and as no one planned to charge anyone not to many people carried one. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still-A-Marine Posted May 16, 2015 Share #11 Posted May 16, 2015 .... Were the 60-70 produced Ka-Bars issued to troops? Ka-Bar did not have any contracts post WWII. So no. The fighting knife or MIL-K-20277 often referred to as "Ka-Bar" was issued as needed. Ka-Bar did make a reproduction knife starting in the mid-70s. They are strictly commercial items. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popcorn Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted May 17, 2015 Hi. Thanks again. Is it correct the colt blade marked M7s were commercial bayonets and never were ordered by the gov't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m151mp Posted May 17, 2015 Share #13 Posted May 17, 2015 with all the real bayonets and working knives shown above, one has been overlooked. the USGI issue pocket knife. mine was camillus. i bet there were plenty of those floating around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit 45 Posted May 17, 2015 Share #14 Posted May 17, 2015 Hi. Thanks again. Is it correct the colt blade marked M7s were commercial bayonets and never were ordered by the gov't? Your question is still argued today. As far as I understand, the latest best information is that Colt marked M7s were packed together with the Colt M16s that were delivered on US contracts around 1964. That includes the green handled M7s as well as the 62316. Yes, the Colt marked 62316 is the same one that you can find on ebay regularly. There were Colt marked M7s made in W. Germany that were not Viet Nam era bayonets. Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit 45 Posted May 17, 2015 Share #15 Posted May 17, 2015 with all the real bayonets and working knives shown above, one has been overlooked. the USGI issue pocket knife. mine was camillus. i bet there were plenty of those floating around. Agreed, the Camillus and Imperial stainless steel utility pocket knives with Viet Nam era dates certainly should be included. Not to mention the orange handled MC-1 aircrew knife (switch blade) made by Camillus and Shrade/Walden. Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted May 17, 2015 Share #16 Posted May 17, 2015 Your question is still argued today. As far as I understand, the latest best information is that Colt marked M7s were packed together with the Colt M16s that were delivered on US contracts around 1964. That includes the green handled M7s as well as the 62316. Yes, the Colt marked 62316 is the same one that you can find on ebay regularly. There were Colt marked M7s made in W. Germany that were not Viet Nam era bayonets. Marv The green handled M7s were primarily Air Force purchase in the early 1960's, before the USAF AR-15 became the USA M16. See William Hume's M7 page here: http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/humes_m7.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKIPH Posted May 17, 2015 Share #17 Posted May 17, 2015 According to Cole's BK3, the USAF got 17,000-18,000 of the bayonets, and Indonesia, got the remainder of the 20,000 that Colt had manufactured. SKIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted May 17, 2015 Share #18 Posted May 17, 2015 USN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linedoggie Posted May 17, 2015 Share #19 Posted May 17, 2015 Speaking of WW2 issue knives there seems to be a lot of the MK2 Navy knives that came out for issue.It seems it still was considered the standard issue dive knive. An old brother in law of mine recalls throwing over board a lot of WW2 dated machetes when he was on the Teddy Roosevelt in the mid seventies.He was assigned to a work detail one day and they were cleaning house.Anything that wasnt being kept went overboard.He said they all looked new.I worked with another guy who saw some crates of WW2 knives taken out of storage during Desert Storm when he was in the navy. USS Teddy Roosevelt was a sub during the 70's. SSBN-600 in commission 1964-1982 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted May 17, 2015 Share #20 Posted May 17, 2015 Sorry for the typo he served on the Franklin Roosevelt. The Theodore was launched in 84 CVN-71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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