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.

[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]

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.

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]

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.