MK2 NAVY/MARINE QUESTION

[Costa]

here is something I have been trying to find out and no answer as of yet. during ww2 there was a shortage of fighting knives. the government asked the public to donate knives to help the war effort. but yet, there are so many mint unissued and n/m examples out there with Camillus and ka-bar taking the lead. any one have an answer??

[jw517]

Maybe there was a shortage early on but not later? I've never heard of this knife donation plea. Do you know more about it?

[Costa]

LIKE THE SCRAP METAL DRIVES-- PEOPLE WERE ASKED TO TURN IN KNIVES. ALSO GOES FOR GUNS AS WELL.

[sactroop]

IMHO, I believe the actual impact of the "Save a Life with a Knife" program is over inflated by most of us who are even aware of it. Even with all the drives done I expect that most knives that were donated would not have been deemed "serviceable" and gone straight to a scrap metal drive. It's just my opinion here but I'd be surprised if the total number of knives excepted came anywhere close to 100,000.

I have read where after production of the American knife industry switch into the War production mod and specific patterns were being delivered the continuation of the knife drives were discouraged by the Government.

[groserm]

I imagine the first year of the war there was a severe shortage of knives. There were even technical schools in Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin making and donating knives for the war effort. Probably other schools as well. There were many people who created knives and donated and sold the knives to the service men being deployed. A good book is "The Best of U.S. Military Knives" by M.H. Cole and edited by Michael Silvey. Page 252 Shows a Life Magazine article dated Feb 8th 1943 "Save A Life With A Knife" There is a picture of two service men going through a pile of knives.