Bill Walters Book II update

[mikedon]

Bill talks about a thin handled seventh generation KA-BAR USMC on page 404 and 406 of his Book II. He recently acquired one and sent me an email about it. He asked me to make a post with this additional information and pictures.

 

 

"I have solved the question of the thin vs. fat handle 7^th generation Ka-bar USMC. If you look at the attached USMC Ka-bar 6 & Profiles photo, you will see a comparison of the 6^th generation plus the thin and fat handle 7^th generation Ka-bar’s. It is obvious that the 6^th and thin 7^th handles were hafted on the same machine. The hafting is identical. As you know the thin 7^th is rarely seen. Apparently, the thin 7^th was made for a very short time before the hafting was changed to the fat handle 7^th. The fat handle 7^th while difficult to find in mint condition is by far more common than the thin 7^th. The same it evident in the 9^th generation USN. Number 9 on p. 366 has the same fat handle as the 7^th USMC. I have seen the thin handle 9^th generation USN, but rarely. I am now on the hunt for one."

 

[mikedon]

I attached a picture of one of my thin handle 9th generation KA-BAR guard marked USN Mark 2's.

[mikedon]

guard