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View Full Version : Bolo Knife, I Believe???


GregV
10-22-2009, 02:44
I bought this set the other day because I thought the scabbard was pretty cool. It's hard for me to resist anything that's WW2 dated. I don't even know if it's legit, but it looks and smells old. I have never really thought much about these before. It is a bolo knife (obviously missing the handle), right? Does the date and USMC stamp looks real. Were these made in Japan, as the guard is stamped KIFFE JAPAN?

Thanks, Greg V
CharlieEcho
10-22-2009, 04:03
Your sheath is the type used for the "bolo machete" used by Marines and Corpsmen. There are a couple on ebay you can view as examples. I have never seen a WWII model with the hilt/guard. Kiffe I know made retro carbine bayonets. Some people claim Kiffe had a military contract with the US. I'm not sure about that.

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-MACHETTE-MARKED-U-S-M-C_W0QQitemZ220384035631QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Defau ltDomain_0?hash=item334fe9832f

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-WWII-USMC-MEDICAL-BOLO-KNIFE-MACHETE-MARINE-COR_W0QQitemZ220498536014QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item3356bca64e


http://oldguns.net/pix/14645.jpg Much older model.
Johnny P
10-22-2009, 04:25
The sheath is real, and was issued with the WWII U.S.M.C. Medical Corpsman knife. I don't know when the knife was made, but it is a copy of the Model 1917 Bolo. The markings on the knife are not original.
GregV
10-22-2009, 05:06
Thanks Guys. I thought that the markings on the knife looked funny. I am glad that the scabbard is real, as the scabbard is what I was actually interested in. I figured the knife, even if real, wasn't worth much without a handle. I thought about selling the scabbard, but maybe I'll just look for the right knife to put in it.
Tom Doniphon
10-22-2009, 11:14
Greg, your bolo was made by Kiffe in the 1970s. So the marks are definitely fake.
CharlieEcho
10-23-2009, 06:34
Thanks Guys. I thought that the markings on the knife looked funny. I am glad that the scabbard is real, as the scabbard is what I was actually interested in. I figured the knife, even if real, wasn't worth much without a handle. I thought about selling the scabbard, but maybe I'll just look for the right knife to put in it.

There were are a couple on ebay. There are also resources to repair and replace the weakest part, the handle. You could chop down a tree with these things. A large tree.
:icon_scratch:
Lancebear
10-23-2009, 07:07
Greg,

Take a look at the "Armies of the Past" site. Might have a real deal bolo. Call if you see one you like. The site is not always up to date.

Think that pattern of bolo might be a Plumb mfg. Not expert on these but have seen them.

LB
Tom Doniphon
10-23-2009, 10:00
The Kiffe bolo is a basically a copy of the Model 1910 or Model 1917 Bolo. The Model 1910 was made by Springfield Armory. The Model 1917 was made by Fayette Plumb and Amercian Cutlery. They all have wood grips. The most common scabbard for these is the one with the yellowish canvas cover and leather tip. There was also a full metal scabbard.

As already mentioned, the leather scabbard you have is for the USMC Medical Corpsmen Knife.
dave
10-24-2009, 06:07
The USMC stands for US Medical Corp. not Marine Corp. as some people think.
Johnny P
10-24-2009, 08:23
Sometimes teachers can be just plain mean. I remember in school that one of the student's brother was in the Marines. He sent his younger brother, Don, a musette bag which Don was extremely proud of and he used it to bring his books to school. He wanted to put Marine Corps on the bag and ask the teacher how to spell Marine Corps. Without blinking an eye she spelled it out just like Don had pronounced it "Marine Corpse", and Don inked this on his musette bag.
GregV
10-24-2009, 09:03
Thanks again for all of the replys and information. I seem to remember at least one other meaning for USMC being stamped on "stuff". Wasn't there a contractor that marked their items USMC. I have a NIB aiming device that has USMC stamped on the box.
CharlieEcho
10-24-2009, 09:59
The USMC stands for US Medical Corp. not Marine Corp. as some people think.

Is there a reference for the US Medical Corps? There is for the US Army Medical Corps; Army Medical Corps; and the Army Reserve Medical Corps. I have never seen the US Medical Corps. That seems a little confusing even for the Army.
:icon_scratch: Inquiring mind want to know.:icon_scratch: