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Help with Ka-Bar Commando Knife I.D.


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Still-A-Marine

It is a WWII Ka-Bar but not "the Ka-Bar" knife you normally think of. It is a 6" hunting knife often called a "commando" knife.

 

Below is a scan of Cole III page 67.

 

Bill

post-4347-0-66355200-1355843702_thumb.jpg

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This knife certainly appears to be WWII Ka-Bar, but not the typical USN Mark 2 or the USMC 1219C2C (the famous Marine Ka-Bar). This knife is one of two variations of the so-called "Commando" knives. One variation had a chromed finish with a fullered blade, and this variation has an unfullered blade with a parkerized finish. These knives had 6" blades as opposed to the 7" blades on the USN Mk 2 and USMC 1219C2C. These met the "Knife, Hunting, 6"" general specifications set forth by the U.S. Army. These were also used - supposedly - by U.S. Navy personnel, including aviators. (I think I've seen a photo of a Navy pilot with one, but I cannot remember where.) They were not manufactured to meet a specific contract, as far as I know. They were purchased and made available to soldiers and sailors in Post and Ship's Exchanges.

 

I own a chromed version of the Commando with original sheath. I think they are great knives. I actually like them better than Mk 2s.... I know that is blasphemy to some, but that's just my personal preference.

 

I hope that helps.

-John

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I'd search eBay to find the value. I've seen them for sale for as much as $130-$140 in excellent condition with a sheath to $30-$50 without a sheath in fair condition. I purchased mine for $35, but I may have been lucky.

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Part of the equation for pricing any knife would be "Does it come with an original,(correct) sheath and what is it’s condition?”.

IMHO $35 is about right for just the knife. I often see the bright version of the KA-BAR Commando with correct sheath in the $75+ range. Don’t see the parkerized example nearly as often up in my neck of the woods. Usually sells for a little less in my market. But I believe that’s because it isn’t often ID’d as a WW2 knife.

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  • 7 years later...
Doctorofwar

Mikedon- Another impressive collection of what I think is a very well proportioned, nice looking WW2 knife.  
 

It does seem the parkerized version is more scarce and brings more money in my searches. 
 

I had heard that these were issued as an aircrew survival knife- does anyone have any good evidence or pictures that confirm or deny this?

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Doctorofwar

Here is my polished example.  In a beauty contest of WW2 knife patterns my vote would be between this and the 6” unfullered Kinfolks... 

CC622010-EA2A-4EBC-8286-4D75F73A0ABC.jpeg

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1741701412_KA-BAR622Commandos.jpg.9bea15f48fc0d670554adc54b8de2399.jpg

 

Over the years I also find that I've run across the bright knife more frequently than the blued version.  I also find it a little curious that both knives have been given the same label of commando, which I've come to expect came from the company manufacturing the knives and not the government.  About all these two knives have in common is their 6 inch length blades and the name Ka-Bar stamped on the guards.  The general public and the manufactures seemed to like the name commando while you really don't run across it in official descriptions.  Not just Union Cutlery but you see the label attached to knives from a wide verity of manufactures.

Maybe Commando just sounds better than "knife, hunting" to the general public.

I think there are just more of these knives in existence than there appears to be documentation to explain them more specifically.  It seems that a lot of different knives went into the Government inventories under the hunting knife category, and for long after the conclusion of just WW2.

 

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On 7/27/2020 at 4:59 PM, mikedon said:

My WWII 6" Parkerized and Polished KA-BAR Commando's.

9-Comando-1=.jpg

KA-BAR Commando ad-=.jpg

 

Interesting to see the 7" Parkerized Commando in the ad, looks just like the Mk2, was that a civilian version sold at the same time?

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Just checking out the ad above, which is in M.H. Cole's books, it dawned on me that I have never seen a "Ka-Bar" machete. Has anyone?  Also, KABAR made an updated version of the 6" Commando knife in the early 70s. It had a parkerized blade, and a plastic handle, it  was a really nice knife. Don't see many around. SKIP

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SKIPH, could this be the one your thinking about?

They also made a model 1207, which usually had a bright blade and a stacked leather handle, but I've seen many examples of each number which seem to be hybrids of the two originals.

Click on the 8 replies at the bottom left of the box to see the whole thread.

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I got one of the 1209's at the BX in the seventies.  Good knife. Mine had a wood handle stained to an ebony look.  I think KaBar still has a similar knife to the original 1207 called the Marine Hunter item # 1235.  Stainless steel and made in Taiwan.  I've had some pretty good knives from Taiwan.

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Interesting to see the 7" Parkerized Commando in the ad, looks just like the Mk2, was that a civilian version sold at the same time?

 

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1 hour ago, collector said:

Interesting to see the 7" Parkerized Commando in the ad, looks just like the Mk2, was that a civilian version sold at the same time?

 

There are no knives, (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc), available to the general public during the war.  You couldn't even buy a pair of scissors back then from a retailer.

 

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On 8/2/2020 at 3:56 PM, sactroop said:

There are no knives, (hunting, pocket, kitchen, etc), available to the general public during the war.  You couldn't even buy a pair of scissors back then from a retailer.

 

So Commando was Kabar's generic name for the 7" Parkerized knife, then given a military spec name when adopted?

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18 minutes ago, collector said:

So Commando was Kabar's generic name for the 7" Parkerized knife, then given a military spec name when adopted?

 

I believe it is something like that.  Around the same time as the Ka-Bar sheet you posted above, Western published a similar one of the products they made for the War effort.  They used the name "commando" to describe their L76 7"double edge knife.  Cattaraugus called the Q225 knife they made, their Commando knife, in virtually all of their advertising. There are lots of other examples from different manufactures.

If you can look at some of Cole's knife books he included a good deal of manufactures advertising during the WW2 time period,  most of those advertisements mention how they are looking forward to being able to provide the public with products again when the war is over.

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  • 1 year later...
On 12/18/2012 at 9:15 AM, Still-A-Marine said:

It is a WWII Ka-Bar but not "the Ka-Bar" knife you normally think of. It is a 6" hunting knife often called a "commando" knife.

 

Below is a scan of Cole III page 67.

 

Bill

post-4347-0-66355200-1355843702_thumb.jpg

Hello,

 

I recently came across a Case 337-6"Q,  none XX and was wondering if some of the knives, other than the KA-BAR Commando, in the Cole III page 67 were possibly also issued along with the sheath at the bottom early in 1943 with Case's 1st contract?

 

I believe there were 3 variations of the Case 337Q knives and mine cpuld be the 1st variation but not 100% positive. My Case Q knife came with that sheath and it is the only  "1st" variation with a sheath that I've seen.

 

The only other same variation Case Q knife that I have seen was the blade with an exposed tang only and no hole at the tip for the pommel pin. It was missing the pommel, stacked leather handle and guard, and appararently had a false edge as well.

 

Any solid info, speculations or rumors appreciated.

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I already pretty much concluded that the sheath is not a match. It was used for a WW2 KA-BAR "Commando" knife base on the indentations on the sheath near the mouth. My next best option is to find someone on here who would be willing to trade this right-handed WW2 KA-BAR sheath for a left or right-handed WW2 Case/Cattaraugus Quartermaster sheath.

 

Here's a photo of my new addition - a Case 337-6"Q none XX knife with the WW2 KA-BAR sheath. (Any info on the number and type of variations appreciated) I'm still not sure if this sheath were issued with other WW2 6" blades but it fits like a glove on my Case Q knife.

 

20220713_194955.jpg

20220713_195033.jpg

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The Case Q337 is rather uncommon compared to the Case XX, sort of the reverse of what would be usually expected.

Years ago I had a conversation with a Navy veteran about his knife from his WW2 service in which he explained that the sheath he had mismatched to his knife was according to him a replacement sheath issued to him from supply when his original sheath was determined to be unrepairable.  

Without at least a story to a similar effect from the veteran or his family, I can understand the desire to match the knife with the normal sheath.

Good hunting to you.

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Sactroop,

 

Thanks for your reply. I've read where you've commented that the Case none XX is the rarer of the two, the other being the Case XX. I've come across three Case Q knife variations. Two Case none XX and the Case XX. One guy on eBay said in his description that there were three variations - the Case none XX and two other Case XX variations with the none XX being the 1st and most rare of the three.

 

Here are some photos of the differences that I've found. The 1st two photos are of my Case 337Q. Notice the model number (337-6"Q) on mine is upside down and the other variation Case none XX is right side up, same as the Case XX models. I have only seen one variation of the Case XX so, I'm not posting a photo of that one as I'm sure you've seen the Case XX and I've only seen one version thus far.

 

 

My guess is that base on the upside down "337-6"Q", this was likely the first Case Q knife to be manufactured and then they corrected the model number to fit the rest of the Case Q knives which came later. Just my humble opinion. 

MyCQ....jpg

MyCQ..jpg

C.Q.-.jpg

CQ-Nxx.jpg

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4 hours ago, SolWarrior said:

Sactroop,

 

Thanks for your reply. I've read where you've commented that the Case none XX is the rarer of the two, the other being the Case XX. I've come across three Case Q knife variations. Two Case none XX and the Case XX. One guy on eBay said in his description that there were three variations - the Case none XX and two other Case XX variations with the none XX being the 1st and most rare of the three.

 

Here are some photos of the differences that I've found. The 1st two photos are of my Case 337Q. Notice the model number (337-6"Q) on mine is upside down and the other variation Case none XX is right side up, same as the Case XX models. I have only seen one variation of the Case XX so, I'm not posting a photo of that one as I'm sure you've seen the Case XX and I've only seen one version thus far.

 

 

My guess is that base on the upside down "337-6"Q", this was likely the first Case Q knife to be manufactured and then they corrected the model number to fit the rest of the Case Q knives which came later. Just my humble opinion. 

MyCQ....jpg

MyCQ..jpg

C.Q.-.jpg

CQ-Nxx.jpg

Nice knives. The "CASE" upside down "337-6"Q" variation is not shown in Bill Walters Book II but is shown in Frank Trzaska's February 2004 Knife World Magazine article, "The Q Knives of WWII". I think it might be the most uncommon variation.
Bill Walters has a "Case XX" variation pictured in his book with a 3/8" shorter handle. 

3-23-CASE-group-crop=e.jpg

4-23-CASE-CASEe.jpg

5-23-337-6Qe-crop.jpg

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