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Vietnam Era Camillus MK2


hirsca
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Picked this up a while back.  US over CAMILLUS N.Y. with an unmarked early 7 rivet Oxblood sheath.  Made between 1962 and 1974, before Camillus dropped the N.Y. from the ricasso.  It came with the leather thong that appears to have been with the sheath for a long time.  Were these issued with the leather thong?

 

Thanks, Al

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I bought a bunch of loose thongs years ago.  I think these came with the thong loosely packed, but I have no real evidence.

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Al- Bought one at  Ft Bragg's Smoke Bomb Hill  Bookstore in 1974 for around $5-$6, but do not remember it having a leather thong. At that time, I know of no units on Bragg issuing these at all, most were private purchase. Later on in the late 70s, into the 80s, USN MK2s were issued in 5th and 7th SFGAs.  When I was in 5th GP, the scuba teams had them, in 7th, all the ODAs were issued MK2s. SKIP

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10 hours ago, thorin6 said:

I bought a bunch of loose thongs years ago.  I think these came with the thong loosely packed, but I have no real evidence.

Thank you thorin6.

 

Al

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9 hours ago, SKIPH said:

Al- Bought one at  Ft Bragg's Smoke Bomb Hill  Bookstore in 1974 for around $5-$6, but do not remember it having a leather thong. At that time, I know of no units on Bragg issuing these at all, most were private purchase. Later on in the late 70s, into the 80s, USN MK2s were issued in 5th and 7th SFGAs.  When I was in 5th GP, the scuba teams had them, in 7th, all the ODAs were issued MK2s. SKIP

Thanks SKIPH.  Very interesting.  I would think that with the US on the ricasso, these knives would have been an issue item.  My knowledge of combat knives is very limited.

 

Thanks again, Al

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11 minutes ago, hirsca said:

Thanks SKIPH.  Very interesting.  I would think that with the US on the ricasso, these knives would have been an issue item.  My knowledge of combat knives is very limited.

 

Thanks again, Al

Hi Al - I don’t think I read from Skip’s post that they were never issued.  They were government contract knives, with stock numbers, in government inventory.  I have a later, maybe 80s, one, that still has the inventory sticker on the back, with the military nomenclature and part #.  

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17 minutes ago, Blacksmith said:

Hi Al - I don’t think I read from Skip’s post that they were never issued.  They were government contract knives, with stock numbers, in government inventory.  I have a later, maybe 80s, one, that still has the inventory sticker on the back, with the military nomenclature and part #.  

Great information Blacksmith.  Except for the thong question. that closes the loop for me on this knife, .  Thanks much.

 

Al

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6 hours ago, hirsca said:

Thanks SKIPH.  Very interesting.  I would think that with the US on the ricasso, these knives would have been an issue item.  My knowledge of combat knives is very limited.

 

Thanks again, Al

 

Around the mid 1970's Camillus started offering their Government contract knives to the general public.  The 1219C2 knives came with the same sheath supplied with the Government contract knives.  IMHO, it would be problematic trying to determine if the knife was an original contract piece after it was removed from it's original packaging.

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26 minutes ago, sactroop said:

 

Around the mid 1970's Camillus started offering their Government contract knives to the general public.  The 1219C2 knives came with the same sheath supplied with the Government contract knives.  IMHO, it would be problematic trying to determine if the knife was an original contract piece after it was removed from it's original packaging.

More good information, thanks.  

 

Al

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57 minutes ago, byf41 said:

I bought an un issued one of these from Mike Silvey many years ago and it did not have a leg strap . 

Interesting.  Separate leg strap purchase as thorin6 posted in #2?

 

Thanks, Al

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I purchased about a hundred of these knives a few years ago from the old Uncle Sams Retail Outlet. They were USMC turn in knives, all in used condition. I sold most of them on ebay, but kept several of the nicer oxblood Vietnam era ones. None of these knives had thongs nor any provision for one as far as I could tell.

 

Also OP, if yours is oxblood, it is almost certain a military issue piece, as Camillus switched over to black before the end of the war, well pre-dating any Camillus civilian sales.

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