Jump to content

USMC Marked Machete?


viking73
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi

 

I just picked up this 1966 Ontario Knife Co. machete today. It was at an antique shop about 40 miles from me. I'd seen it there for over a year - I feel it was priced too high. Well today the seller was having a sale and so I snagged it for 75% off :)

 

Anyway, it is well used as you will see in the photos. The thing that I really like about it is the marking on the scabbard - does this mean it was issued/used by the Marine Corps? I mean I know there isn't any way to tell if the wear was caused by use in the jungles of Vietnam or on someone's property here in Texas but I think that marking really adds interest to it. What do you think?

 

Here's some photos, thanks for looking.

 

-Derek

 

 

 

post-5482-0-42436000-1563060229_thumb.jpgpost-5482-0-76291000-1563060251_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last shot, a close up of the stencil on the scabbard.

 

She's rough, but I am happy to have added this one to my collection.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

-Derek

post-5482-0-63807900-1563060586_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good possibility of Marine Corps issuance; here is a '44-dated Pack rig, the lower section of which has a similar stenciling which was applied upside-down.

post-3226-0-11912800-1563067908_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great find! The US being at an angle to ONTARIO KNIFE CO. let's us know the machete too was made during the war.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks gents. I was happy to have found this one and at a good price and finally take it home. I don't imagine these are too common with a stenciled scabbard.

 

-Derek

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone know the expansion of the name "MARMAC"? Is it perhaps "Marine Military Advisory Command"? That would seem to fit with the naming conventions we used at the time, e.g. MACV, MACTHAI, MACSOG, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marmac is a brand name. They also made the food containers we called "Mermites", which was probably a messed up "Marmac". I have army machete scabbards from the same time that are stamped "Marmac". SKIP

index.jpg

index.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marmac is a brand name. They also made the food containers we called "Mermites", which was probably a messed up "Marmac". I have army machete scabbards from the same time that are stamped "Marmac". SKIP

Mermites is a term to designate an insulated container for transporting food to the field that goes back to at least WWII. It appears to be a generic term for an item produced by a lot of different manufacturers. There are a number of firms that do business under the MARMAC name, but none seem to have a product line which would likely include either mermites or machetes/machete scabbards. Perhaps it is a defunct company - do you have any details on a company named MARMAC which produced mermites? What were their years of operation? I'm mainly

looking to see if they were in business providing military equipment in 1966. If so, it could well be our explanation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Charlie Flick

I have not spent more than 60 seconds on this but your MARMAC scabbard maker might possibly be:

 

MarMac Precision Corporation located at 116-54 Newburg Street, Jamaica, NY 11412.

 

Charlie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Charlie Flick

Another 30 second search reveals:

 

Marmac Corporation at 1231 Bellbrook Ave., Xenia, OH. It has been in business more than 50 years and is a government contractor.

 

Charlie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...