SDC Posted December 2, 2016 Share #1 Posted December 2, 2016 I recently picked this knife up via eBay and am trying to approximate the manufacture period. From what I've read here, everything seems to point to late war period. One discriminator seems to be the size of the USMC font, but I don't have anything to compare to. Could I ask one the experts to confirm that this one is indeed late war, or correct me if otherwise? Picture is from the eBay listing .... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfishcraig Posted December 2, 2016 Share #2 Posted December 2, 2016 Indeed a WWII Kabar with small USMC font. Nice knife and I agree mid to late war since the pommel is thin and pinned. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw517 Posted December 2, 2016 Share #3 Posted December 2, 2016 Late 1943 I'd say. 1944 they switched to guard marking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted December 2, 2016 Share #4 Posted December 2, 2016 IMHO, a lot of blade marked 1219C2 knives were made in 1944. Only Camillus made guard marked U.S.M.C. knives. I wonder if the other three companies could have completed their contracts with the Marine Corps. before 1944. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw517 Posted December 2, 2016 Share #5 Posted December 2, 2016 I thought it was a Defense Department mandate for all edged weapons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted December 2, 2016 Share #6 Posted December 2, 2016 It couldn't have been an all encompassing mandate for all edged weapons. Too many other knives and bayonet contracts made and delivered in 1944 and 1945 just never show up with guard marked examples. M3's change from blade to guard marked before the conversion to M4 bayonets in July of 1944. Off the top of my head the M3 and the 1219C2 are the examples that come to mind for the guard markings. I could be forgetting others. Camillus and Union Cutlery (KA-BAR), certainly made the most 1219C2 knives as a whole. For this discussion it makes sense to separate the Navy contracts from the U.S.M.C. contracts. I think we all agree that the "guard marked" 1219C2's are the youngest of the examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayonetman Posted December 2, 2016 Share #7 Posted December 2, 2016 According to Frank Trzaska's excellent article on the USMC KaBar knives in Knife World January 2006, quote "Union Cutlery never made a guard marked knife for the USMC, all knives were blade marked." The USN knives were guard marked, USMC were not. Therefore the knife shown here, thin pommel with pin and small USMC mark is the last type made by KaBar and would generally date from 1945. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDC Posted December 3, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted December 3, 2016 Thanks for the help and all the information on this knife. Now I know what characteristics to look for in my next one ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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