Post War USMC Ka-Bar?

[Still-A-Marine]

This was sold as a post war knife with the scabbard being painted with shoe polish. What makes this a post war knife? To me the knife looks like the one shown in Cole III on page 94 (top knife). Here are three pictures. Bill

[Still-A-Marine]

2nd pic.

[Still-A-Marine]

3rd pic

[Still-A-Marine]

Cole III page 94: looks like the top knife to me - what am I missing?

[tsellati]

Cole III page 94: looks like the top knife to me - what am I missing?

 

I don't think you are missing anything. I agree with your assessment that the knife you have matches the top one in the line drawings. I have a USMC marked KA-BAR knife whose features precisely match the second one from the top in the line drawings. It was described as WWII era - a description with which I agree.

 

Here are some shots of my knife -

 

 

 

 

 

Tim

[doyler]

The only thing I can think why it was sold as post war is the color of the sheath.It is a WW2 knife and sheath no doubt.Whether the sheath was darkened by the owner for commecial hunting use or personal preferance or if it was like the holsters and darkened in the military.None of these were produced after WW2 on a military contract with USMC/USN markings as far as I know.I have seen them show up in in Viet Nam era groups as they were in the system for years.

The seller most likely made the assumtion it was post war from the color of the sheath since the later produced oned were a dark color.

RD

[Still-A-Marine]

Like I said in my first post - it looks correct to me.

 

The eBay listing was "KA-BAR / USMC marked knife and sheath. This appears to be a postwar knife. Owner painted the brown scabbard black with shoe polish."

 

It actually came with a group of 5 Ka-Bars total. Ka-Bar only had a contract with the government during WW2. So either this is a good reproduction or the real thing. And it doesn't have the look of the knives made during the 1970 and on. I was just concerned that there were some reproductions that I had not seen before. This seller is known for his knife knowledge. But of course anybody can make a mistake.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...#ht_6630wt_1402

 

Bill

[elyisum]

looks like WW11 to me .

[capajo02]

I'm no expert... but I'd agree with the previous posts. Nothing about the pictured knife screams "post-war" to me... That's just my opinion... my experience is more with USN Mk 2s and Mk 1s... but it looks good to me.

 

-John C.

[capajo02]

I do think, however, that this is a later war knife based on the pommel assembly... sorry I forgot to add that in the previous post.

 

-John