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The Camillus USMC Marked Lost 1219C2


Frank Trzaska
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Frank Trzaska

I had the pleasure of examining and photographing a Camillus USMC marked 1219C2 with a screw pommel. First one I have ever seen in person after collecting these things for over 40 years. It is in like new condition, some how it escaped the recall and revision by Camillus. Camillus did not have one in the factory collection that's how rare this thing is. The typical Camillus charcoal black Parkerizing that looks like bluing after it is oiled is still factory fresh. Amazing piece.

 

Enjoy

 

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WOW! This is a first! New variant to all of us. I have a mint Camillus USN screw on pommel w/ mint sheath and I consider that a prize. This is really rare! Thanks for showing us Frank! SKIP

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I'm not a knife collector, but am always interested in learning more. Is there some known history of this type of knife? I've love to hear about it.

 

Mikie

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Here's the link. It was listed as

Vintage USMC Camillus Fighting Survival Knife & USN Sheath -- UDT 21 Navy Seals

Item Description:

This auction is for an old knife. It is marked Camillus NY, USMC. It measures 12" long from end to end. The blade has numerous scratches/scuffs in the finish. The blade edge looks to have been sharpened. Even the very tip is sharpened some. The guard piece and pommel end have some minor surface rust. The handle looks to be in very good shape with a few light dings.

The sheath is marked USN on the front. The sheath shows wear and is pretty dingy. The top is missing part of the button.

This knife and sheath came from the estate of a gentleman who was in the US Navy Seals UDT 21 Team. I do have a few more of his items up for sale in my other auctions.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-USMC-Camillus-Fighting-Survival-Knife-amp-USN-Sheath-UDT-21-Navy-Seals-/392180007460?hash=item5b4fc00224%3Ag%3AD2wAAOSwolpb-srw&nma=true&si=dlXpTThdRrw%252Buojg0IMkIX6L9h8%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

ebay #392180007460

Correction to my previous post - it went for $2,550 - the $2,500 bid didn't get it

 

Art

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Considering the length of time between the first Navy contract for the knife awarded to Camillus and the first U.S.M.C. contract awarded to Camillus, long after Camillus had switched over to using the cross pin construction for their Navy contract knives, this certainly is a curiosity.

Perhaps we are looking at an early knife made and shown to the Marine Corps for consideration?

This maybe one of a Kind. Lucky bidder on Ebay.

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Thanks usmce4. I tried to find it in sold listings and did not see it. I thought Frank said that the knife was actually marked 1219C2 and I don't see this. Did I misunderstand or just miss it?

"I had the pleasure of examining and photographing a Camillus USMC marked 1219C2 with a screw pommel."

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1219C2 is the Military designation for the knife. I think Frank is saying a "1219C2" that was "USMC marked" "with a screw pommel".

From Frank's excellent December 2005 Knife World article titled "The USMC 1219C2 of WWII":

 

"It has been in continu­ous service since its incep­tion in 1942. Used by men in all branches of the serv­ice over those years, it has gone by many names, both official and unofficial. Known variously as the U.S.M.C. Fighting / Utility knife, the 1219C2, the Knife, Combat w/sheath, the Knife, Fighting w/sheath and the ever present K-bar moniker, no other U.S. fixed blade fight­ing knife has served as long and through so many con­flicts yet remains almost exactly as it did when it was first adopted. Copied around the globe and used by various other militaries, the 1219C2 is a standard to which other knives aspire."

 

The unusual thing about the subject knife is that with the screw top pommel the blade should be marked "U.S.N.". All of the rest of the knives produced by Camillus during the war, including the blade marked U.S.M.C., had the thin pinned pommel. A WWII Camillus 1219C2 knife with those blade markings usually have a thin pinned pommel.

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Frank Trzaska

Yes MikeDon is correct. I used the nomenclature 1219C2 to describe the knife design and the USMC to describe the blade marking.

 

Camillus / USMC marked / 1219C2

 

Better!

 

Thanks!

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Ahh, thanks Frank. I thought before that this knife had some ultra rare marking I had not heard of before with the official designation. Also, thanks for the details mikedon. Always something to learn on here. I don't remember if I had read somewhere before but I thought ka-bar was the first manufacturer and the first order went to the marines. Was this actually Camillus then for the navy? I was also under the impression that the very first ka-bars had no grooves in the handles and they had the one piece, folded over sheath, or did this variation come later as well?

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  • 1 month later...
Frank Trzaska

Lightening has struck twice... The fellow who turned up the amazing knife above landed a second one. He contacted the fellow who he purchased the first one from from to get some additional information on the previous owner and was told in conversation "you know I have another one just like it if you're interested..." He now owns two.

 

I still find it amazing when something never heard of shows up after all these years. These were made in 1943 and probably smuggled out of the factory as the factory collection didn't even have one of these in it. Collectors have known of them for years yet none were known to exist... and now not one but two.

 

I put a pommel shot of the typical USN marked one in the grouping just to show it next to the others.

 

Enjoy the photos of the two side by side.

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Wow now I have to admit to being a little jealous. I can only imagine how Art is feeling right now. :o

But seriously congratulations to the buyer.

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