Can you guys tell me if this is a genuine canted blade Gerber Mk II from the Nam era and is the inscription legitimate ? Thanks guys .

I know there are reproductions of this knife .

Its looks good for me, its 1971 dated

See http://home.comcast.net/~rfrost70/Mark2.htm

 

Hope it helps

Mikko

It looks legit to me. Danny

Thanks guys . Just checked the matrix and it doesn't indicate this one as being canted ? Sure appears canted in hand . Any thoughts ?

I believe the canted blades were a 15 degree pitch.If you lay the knife down there will be a very noticible bend-offset to the blade.Not positive but I believe the canted blades were very early production 1967-1968 and not aware they had the saw teeth configuration on the blade.I have a knife and it doesnt appear in the early serial range but has a cant to the blade.Im thinking the vet did it for some reason on mine.Mine also has a blued blade.Blueing wasnt done by the factory and I have had guys tell me it "never happned (blueing)on Gerber MkIIs" Then I show them a factory pamphlet and you could order a bottle of blueing grom Gerber for the cost of $1 for "field blueing" your new Gerber.

This is the most comprehensive work I’ve seen to date on the Gerber MK II’s. http://www.militarycarryknives.com/Knives.htm

 

I’ve seen a lot of exceptions to the printed serial number matrix’s over the years. I’ve seen a lot of knives that have a cant in them that is less than 5 degrees through out a wide range of serial numbers. I’ve come to believe that this has more to do with the manufacturing process than it does a purpose built variation.

A 5 degree cant is very pronounced. I’ve seen knives that have more cant than that, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a MK II with a 15 degree cant that I’ve seen reported. Maybe they exist, but I think you’d have a very hard time sheathing such a knife.

The knife in the OP looks good to me for a 1971 produced knife. Hope someone can come up with some more info on the printing on the blade.

Your Gerber MK ii is a good one but was not one of the factory canted blade models. The canted models were the first run of the MK ii and were not made for long. And none that I have seen had the serrated blades on the canted models. The engraving on the blade looks good also. That is something that a lot of nam vets done with there knives. But yours is the first unit marked example I have seen in years. All in all you have a nice knife there and worth doing some research on to find out about the owner. Please let us know if you find any info out.

I have seen many many "canted" blades on knives over the years. Typically they bend from sitting on them while wearing your gear. A knife carried on your web gear belt for any amount of time in the field will get the canted blade effect when you plop down for a break and it is under you. Very typical on a used knife.

 

All the best

Frank Trzaska

Frank,

 

That's hilarious, even if you didn't mean for it to be funny. There goes the mystique about the number of degrees, etc., etc. The degree of canting is directly proportional to the size and shape of the butt of the GI. LOL!

Frank is probably right in his assessment. I bought a Gerber MK2 in Feb 1971, serial # 018189 (1970 range). New in the box, for $17. I used it a few times, it has a couple of parachute jumps. If you put a ruler next to the blade, resting on the guard, it has a slight cant to the blade (one side touches ruler, other side of blade bent out). Because of lack of info, I thought for many years it was a canted version. At this point in collecting, I know better. But, I probably sat on it too many times. Still have it, just rechecked # to post it here. I did blue it when I bought it. It came with instructions on bluing, but I honestly can't recall if it came w/the little bottle of bluing, or I bought it. SKIP

Thanks alot guys . This one is definatly not a 15 degree cant , maybe closer to 5 degrees so maybe it falls into the fat guy leaning on it category ? Definatly SOME cant though . I saw a Gerber comemorative canted MK II at a gun show and you can spot that cant from 10 feet away . Are all the "original" canted blades done in the 15 degree also ? I know the matrix contradicts this . Still a bit of a mystery to me but I sure appreciate the forums help .

The first models that were made had a 5 degree cant to the blade not 15. The cant blade model was only made for a very short time . Then the straight blade models were made from then on only a few special made commemorative had the cant blade. This was the first time I have heard of people sitting on them and bending the blade. But I can see how it could bend they do not have a full tang I don't think. And the tang it's self is very narrow the blades in mkii have always been know to be fragile. Mkii's were never designed to be a camp or utility knife. They are designed for combat and for the job they were made to do they do well. But you can break a blade very easy trying to use them as work knives.

Got mine the first year of production.