USN ROBESON SHUREDGE knife

[Bob Hudson]

I went to an estate sale today and they had a ROBESON SHUREDGE knife marked USN on the blade and the leather sheath. It did not have a MK II mark on it, just the USN and ROBESON SHUREDGE. The sheath is marked Boyt 43. It has a couple of issues, the most glaring one being that someone scrawled two names into the leather just below the USN: if it was just a guy's name I'd chalk it up to being the sailor's but it says BOB and CATHY (who knows maybe the sailors kids????). The leather on the handle is tight. The retaining strap on the sheath in broken. They were asking $65 for it and had it not been for the BOB and CATHY I might have paid that, but I wonder if someone who knows a lot more about knives than I do might have some opinion as to whether that's a fair price? The photos were taken with my cell phone, which does not do well with low-light close-up photos:

 

 

 

[Greg Robinson]

I went to an estate sale today and they had a ROBESON SHUREDGE knife marked USN on the blade and the leather sheath. It did not have a MK II mark on it, just the USN and ROBESON SHUREDGE. The sheath is marked Boyt 43. It has a couple of issues, the most glaring one being that someone scrawled two names into the leather just below the USN: if it was just a guy's name I'd chalk it up to being the sailor's but it says BOB and CATHY (who knows maybe the sailors kids????). The leather on the handle is tight. The retaining strap on the sheath in broken. They were asking $65 for it and had it not been for the BOB and CATHY I might have paid that, but I wonder if someone who knows a lot more about knives than I do might have some opinion as to whether that's a fair price? The photos were taken with my cell phone, which does not do well with low-light close-up photos:

 

 

Bob

 

No doubt about it... the condition is marginal although I hope it looks better than as it shows in your pics. But that happens to be one of the early "red spacer" Robeson Navy Mk 2's. And the scabbard is a very desirable early "BOYT 43" which is most likely the original scabbard. Robeson military edged weapons are very popular with collectors. So it's an OK deal at that price. But as a re-sale item I'd say you won't do well. As a "keeper" it's OK.

 

Greg

[Bob Hudson]

Bob

 

No doubt about it... the condition is marginal although I hope it looks better than as it shows in your pics. But that happens to be one of the early "red spacer" Robeson Navy Mk 2's. And the scabbard is a very desirable early "BOYT 43" which is most likely the original scabbard. Robeson military edged weapons are very popular with collectors. So it's an OK deal at that price. But as a re-sale item I'd say you won't do well. As a "keeper" it's OK.

 

Greg

 

Thanks - if it's still there on Saturday I might be able to get it for about $35. I was thinking using it for when we go hiking in the Southern California mountains, which is mountain lion country, and one of these provides some small comfort

[bayonetman]

I recently picked up one of these in about the same condition locally and paid $50 for it. It had been carried and used by a sailor who served on a PT boat repair ship in WW2. I agree with Greg that it would not resell well due to the condition, but is a fairly scarce variation. The only reason that I paid the $50 for mine really was the fact that I was able to get some personal information about the user.

[Greg Robinson]

Yeah, the "gotta be mint" crowd, which is who drives up the selling prices of so called "mint" edged weapons on ebay, wouldn't touch such a piece. But I actually like a few such knives in my collection, especially so if they have provenance to a solder, sailor, or Marine who carried it.

 

Greg

[Bob Hudson]

Yeah, the "gotta be mint" crowd, which is who drives up the selling prices of so called "mint" edged weapons on ebay, wouldn't touch such a piece. But I actually like a few such knives in my collection, especially so if they have provenance to a solder, sailor, or Marine who carried it.

 

Greg

 

In about five minutes I'm going back to see if it's still there and if so if I can get it for less than $65. I'll also find out if the owner's name was "Bob," and if so that may mean he carried it around the war with his and his wife's name scratched into the leather. I had been thinking that some kids did that, but on second thought I know that as a young boy I might scratched my name onto something, but NEVER my sister's!

[Greg Robinson]

I had been thinking that some kids did that, but on second thought I know that as a young boy I might scratched my name onto something, but NEVER my sister's!

 

NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bob Hudson]

Well I got it for $32.50. I'll post some good photos when I get back to California (I'm in Kansas until tonight). It appears that the names are the sailor's kids and my guess is he carved them in the sheath. The blade edge is pretty decent. As I said, we will actually use this for a camping and hiking knife, most likely using a spare Mk2 plastic sheath I have, and keep the leather one stowed away.

 

 

Now I must say that someone out there mau choke on the thought of using a 1943 knife, but I think one like this - not really in desirable collector's condition - and priced so low, is sure a better deal than a brand new KA-BAR and I always get a kick out of using things that can still serve their intended purpose sixty-some years after being made. I doubt it will get much actual use. I told my eight year old that it will be his when he gets to be a teenager so hopefully he'll continue to be the great kid he is and not end up like so many teenagers: as someone that gives you the chills when you think of them owning a big knife

 

 

When I was in about 5th or 6th grade I lived in Navy housing in Washington DC and belong to a scout troop made up of Navy brats. Myself and maybe a couple of others carried our dad's old Mk2's on our belts during camping trips. I remember we had some sort of event at the parking lot of a shopping center just across the state line in Oxen Hill, Maryland (I belive we had set up a demonstration camp site at the edge of the parking lot and were otherwise demonstrating the skills of scouting). Anyway, at some point a few of us took a break and wandered over to the 5&10 store in the shopping center. Mind you we were 10-year-olds with Mk2's strapped to our hips. As we walked around the store I overhead a clerk, obviously having noticed our big knives, express concern about us to someone who must have been the manager. He told the clerk, "It's okay, they're Boy Scouts."

 

 

Scout uniforms or not, can you imagine what any clerk or manager would do today if three adolescents walked into their business sporting big sheath knives? I have a feeling it would involve the SWAT team.....

 

Interestingly, I recently read the rules for the Boy Scout camp that I used to attend in the 60's - even they no longer permit sheath knives, Scout or not.

[bayonetman]

I appreciate a like new specimen as well as the next collector, but as Greg mentioned, I also have a soft spot for those items that were "there" and may show the wear and tear of service.

 

This is my "red spacer" Robeson USN Mark 2, and it holds a place of honor in my display along with the other identified knives that I am privileged to be the current guardian of.