Did you carry a sheath knife in combat 1941-1979

[Johnny in Texas]

Those of you that served in the U.S. armed service between 1941-1979 did you carry a sheath knife in combat, if so what type and what maker if you remember. We can take this to the knife forum if need be.

[sac troop]

I’m posting this on behalf of my late FIL. He was a glider pilot in the AAF during WW2. Before the invasion of Normandy he procured this knife from a survival pack that was part of the CG-4A glider. The companies with contracts for assembling these kits were given standards for the pieces of equipment included in these kits from the government.
The knife is based on the pattern that would be identified with a Marble’s 5 inch Ideal knife. His specific example was made by the Case Cutlery Co. Other knife makers such as Camillus, Western, and Kinfolk are known suppliers of these type of fixed blade knives. He carried this knife through out his missions in the ETO from France to Germany. It’s one of the few things he hung onto during his Air Force career when he retired in 62.


http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll61/sac_troop/Bills%20Military%20photos/file_zps08d6db96.jpg

[Johnny in Texas]

Thank you that is a wonderful story and a nice knife and display!

[Shooter5]

Granpa carried a US Navy Mk1 in WW2, 1942-1945. Later acquired a repro as a memento.

[Michaelp]

Buck six inch hunter.
Also Buck 110.

[usmc69]

Marines were issued K-Bars.

[Ron James]

:hello:Up in the Highlands of Nam ( Ban Me Thout ) I had three sheath knifes I used. One was a Puma Hunter, the other which I really carried 24-7 was a state of the art folding knife ( hey, I carried it in a belt sheath ). Newly arrived in 1966 I observed an individual with this beautiful heavy duty combat folder. the likes of such I had never seen before, brass and steel. Turned out his father worked a hardware store and would be glad to ship one to me. Yep, in short order I was the proud owner of a Buck 110. More Buck 110 knifes were carried in Nam than any other knife, on my second tour it seemed every one carried one. Oh, the third knife ,which I almost never carried, a issue Pilot survival knife. Up town, down town. SF, grunt, company clerk, they all carried a Buck 110.

[Oyaji]

Pilot survival knife

[jgaynor]

M3 Trench Knife
My dad (on the left) carried an early carbine so he was issued the M3 Trench knife.
The picture shows dad and my uncle meeting in Germany in April 45

[joem]

Pilot survival knife

That's what I carried. And still have it.

[Barryeye]

What a great photograph Jgaynor. I am a big fan of the American M3 and that is the first photograph I have seen of an M3 worn behind a .45. I can only imagine how those two men felt meeting up so far from home. Thanks for posting.

[High Plaines Doug r]

I carried a George L Herter or "Canadian" knife in RVN and Cambodia in 1970. It served me well but the leather sheath took a beating as all I had to waterproof it with was LSA.

[sac troop]

I think you made a great choice back then. It does happen to be one of my favorite designs. For a fixed blade knife I think it's just pure elegant.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll61/sac_troop/Knives/file_zps13fede44.jpg
My old Herter's today lives in my kitchen butcher block where it gets called to duty regularly. In the past it's cleaned it's share of deer. The other two have followed me home over the years.

[High Plaines Doug r]

http://i41.tinypic.com/j82kg0.jpg

I seem to have acquired a similar collection: EdgeMark Yukon Hunter (from my brother), G L Herter's (from my Dad), A G Russell (mine). All utilitarian knives.

I recommend bee's wax for your leather sheath.

[Cosine26]

Yes I carried a knife in combat. It is a KABAR marked USMC on the right side of the blade and KABAR, and Olean N.Y. on the left side. It is in a plastic sheath marked USN, MK 5. I picked it while serving in the USN during WWII. (Long story that I have told elsewhere). I flew low-level night-attack in Korea in B-26’s with the USAF. We were equipped with personnel equipment left over from WWII which was not in the best of condition. We wore back pack parachutes and a seat pack of an inflatable dingy. Occasionally one of these dingy would just accidentally inflate and an inflated dingy would fill up the cockpit of a B-26 in a hurry. When riding right seat I always carried this KABAR in my right boot so that if either my dingy or the pilots dingy inflated-I could reach the knife and stab the dingy.

[holdover]

K bar, Nam '68-69

[pelago]

I carried a "K" bar total time in USMC, If I had web gear on I had a "K" bar on, still have it, carried it in RVN, and "other places"
USMC 26 DEC 1963 TO 17 FEB 1989

[John R.]

In the Rhodesian Army in 1974-75 I was issued a Gerber MkII S/N 019525, no whetstone on the brown leather scabbard and the fine sawteeth.Still have it too !

John R.

[SKIPH]

From 1970-79 I carried a variety of knives. Anywhere from a Buck 110, Gerber MK2, Case 337, 6" Q, Bowie knife, M1910 Repro. Finally settled on a Camillus MK2 in 1974, carried one the next 17 years. SKIP

[Jon Field]

K-Bar RVN

[Hal O'Peridol]

Why the cutoff date of 1979?

In 1991, in Saudi/Iraq/Kuwait, I carried either a Western Bowie, or a Western hatchet/knife combo set.

[Nick Riviezzo]

I carried an early "bent blade" Gerber Mk.1 [?] # 002662 through 66-67 & 70-71.I lost the sharpening steel the last time I was shot down. I was lucky to get another steel from Gerber before they stopped making them. It was ,and still is, a great knife but the leather sheath left a lot to be desired. I ,like others here, also carried a Buck folder 110 through my first tour, 63-64, and both of the subsequent tours. I still have that one too! Nick

[Scott Wilson]

Hey Nick, You have got to start posting photos! I am really foaming at the mouth to see some of your historically significant pieces!

[pelago]

K-Bar

[BudT]

Camillus pilot survival knife and a Schrade 150T. I still have the Camillus the 150 was taken from me at Cam Rahn Bay but I acquired another.

[blackhawknj]

M7 bayonet and a Boy Scout knife. Got more use out of the latter, that can opener opened a lot of C-rations.

[TomSudz]

M7 bayonet and a Boy Scout knife. Got more use out of the latter, that can opener opened a lot of C-rations.

Sacrilege!!!!! NO P-38?? How dare you! For the infraction, we will bend your dogtags and send you to Afghanistan!

I also got good use out of my Boy Scout knife. Post '79, though.

[Ron James]

Boy scout knife brings to mind. In the aircraft survival packs was s stainless multi purpose knife ( a boy scout knife with steel scales ), they were never standard issue and only in the survival packs but it seems every one had one. I still have one some where.

[Sarge]

Aircrew survival knife, butt down tied to the left strap of my Y straps (combat suspenders).
I brought this with me when I switched from the Navy to the Army. I had carried it while flying crew member for 4 yrs. Unfortunately the soon to be X and her boyfriend stole most of the stuff I brought home from RVN so it is long gone.
Sarge

[browningautorifle]

First tour overseas in 1975/76 I had a Gerber Mk2, serial 035442 and upon return bought a Randal #14 that I carried for several more years. Still have them both.

[jim-d]

As a crewman on a rescue helo (HC-2), carried a Schrade MC1 spring loaded folder with parachute cord cutter.

[blackhawknj]

Over there, an M8 bayonet-always did the job. Long gone alas. In actuality I got more use out of my Boy Scout knife.

[Clark Howard]

I carried the Camillus pilot's knife on my survival vest. The Buck folder in my chest pocket did most of the cutting. Regards, Clark

[sac troop]

What's an M8 bayonet?

[Tudorp]

my uncle was in the 101st Airborne in Korea. Yeah, I know, the 101st didn't serve in Korea in an "official" capacity, but their were some 101st Airborne over there, my uncle being one of them. He carried his Dad's WWII era Navy Mk1 built by PAL that his Dad carried in WWII. I proudly have that knife now in my collection.
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff490/Tudorp/P1090603_zpsc4fa98fe.jpg

I didn't go active duty Air Force until 1979, but I carried an Air Force pilots survival knife by "Ontario".