USN MK1 for review

[cerick1450]

Hello

How does this Knife and sheath look?  Original?  It is maked USN and Ka-Bar Olean N.Y. on the blade.  Both the knife and sheath are in very good condition.

Thank you..

 

[mikedon]

The knife is original and WWII. The sheath is WWII, but I do not believe it goes with the KA-BAR Mark 1. The KA-BAR Mark 1 sheaths have stitching around the entire edge of the sheath. Your sheath looks like the one that comes with the Western 6" Shark.

[sactroop]

I agree about the sheath and it being associated with Western.  That being said I can't say it couldn't have come from supply that way.

[cerick1450]

If anyone has a proper sheath for this, please let me know.

thank you

[WarBaby]

On 8/28/2023 at 2:39 PM, mikedon said:

The knife is original and WWII. The sheath is WWII, but I do not believe it goes with the KA-BAR Mark 1. The KA-BAR Mark 1 sheaths have stitching around the entire edge of the sheath. Your sheath looks like the one that comes with the Western 6" Shark.

A lot of the KA-BAR MK1 knives came in the “fold over” leather USN sheaths as well - especially the USN blade marked specimens.

[opseccc]

Very nice knife.  The sheath looks like the sheaths's that were paired with the Western G-46-6 knives. 

[Choctaw Dan]

I concur.  Knife and sheath are both original, just not to each other!

[sactroop]

There is the possibility that the sheath was replaced from ship stores while on active duty.  Supply wouldn't be too concerned with anything beyond function.

As an example I have an Ontario pilots knife that was issued in a Camillus marked sheath.  

[Choctaw Dan]

On 1/21/2025 at 12:52 PM, sactroop said:

There is the possibility that the sheath was replaced from ship stores while on active duty.  Supply wouldn't be too concerned with anything beyond function.

As an example I have an Ontario pilots knife that was issued in a Camillus marked sheath.  

That generates the question:  were Western Sharks (and other Western Cutlery blades) an "official" part of ships' stores and so forth? 

 

I know that the War Department purchased the "6-inch fighting/utility knives" from many suppliers, but without sheaths,. The sheaths were purchased separately from other suppliers. That is why they all look so much alike.