Picked these 2 items up at an antique place

[Patriot474]

One is a U.S. Military trench knife, I cant really identify if its out of World War II or sometime after. What searching I did found me a couple knifes that looked like it, 2 was from the Vietnam Era, the other was World War II.

The other item is probably a little unrelated with this site, but I thought it might of been a rare item of interest.

Its a L.S.U. Student Handbook from 1935-1936 and its in beautiful condition with the exception being the top left corner has a ding, at first I thought this was a reprint but could find no where inside the book stating it was a reproduction. Its something totally unique that Ive never seen before and havent found one online anywhere, truthfully dont know what it is or how they were distributed.

Going back to the Military Knife, its a U.S. Camillias or however it is spelled.

 

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[Patriot474]

Mike: Want my address and some mail money??

SBB: your link is exactly what my knife and scabbard looks like. Mine is also like the subject in that it says Camillus and maybe some other things. I haven't dug it out yet, but I remember that part.

Patriot: So are you saying you have black tape over white tape over the leather stacked handle? I hope the leather is all there as the tape can be cleaned up if it is. I am suspecting but keeping my fingers crossed that you may be missing a piece or two of the stacked leather. Can you show us a photo with more light on your knife?

indeed it is, I didnt know that was leather, but their is some missing stacks, a couple anyway.

I am no leather expert, but would venture to say it has to be before Vietnam for leather to be that brittle the way it is. Hence why the tape was put on there for those couple of stacks.

 

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[maipenrai]

Looks exactly like a knife that I "retrieved" from an arsenal, around 1958, and everything there was WW2 equipment. Had the bent hand guard also.

 

[oldgoat]

Might want to look up Camillus knife works out of camillus N.Y.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Bummer on missing a piece of leather or two. I have a rock hammer with a missing piece of leather and it is a pain to deal with. Even so, as far as I (and maybe the other guy out there) am concerned, you have a first rate digging tool.

 

[BuckleBoy]

The LSU student handbook. Rare? Probably. Valuable? Probably not. The library/special collections might be interested in it at the school.

Neat piece!

 

[High Plains Digger]

You may need a better explanation on why the tape is on your handle: The leather may not necessarily be brittle, but it does slide. You may start out with a gap in one place and then the pieces slide and the gap is in a different place, so you pinch your hand, usually in a soft spot, and say a few choice words. The tape covers up a host of sins.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Over time the leather on the handle will dry out and shrink.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[deepskyal]

Looks like my digging tool... Bought it at an Army/Navy surplus back in 1980. WW2. Still have the sharpening stone to boot!

Al

 

[High Plains Digger]

And I thought I was the only turkey carrying around a 12 inch knife as a digging tool! Let's start a forum!

 

[Scar]

BuckleBoy you may be amazed at the price someone may pay for that handbook. It is dated the same year Huey P. Long was assassinated. Are you still at LSU?

 

[High Plains Digger]

Just a couple of things to add: Just wire brushed my knife looking for info. Nothing at the base of the blade. Then I looked under the guard (hilt, I guess)and on the bottom (facing the blade) it says Camillus NY and Mark 2 USN . So that is interesting. Then, last night on one of the War programs re: the invasion of the Phillipines, someone was using a knife to point on a large map. It was a dead ringer, except that it had only 1 side of the guard bent. Actual WWII combat footage!

 

[GpSnoopy]

The grooves in the handle, the indentation in the blade, and now the Mark 2 USN markings sure leads me to believe that it is the Standard issue WWII U.S. Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2 (KA-BAR) The picture on this wiki does show different curves on the guards, but perhaps they happened afterwards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KA-BAR

Camillus Cutlery Company was one of a few that were contracted to supply these as well as other items.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camillus_Cutlery

 

[High Plains Digger]

Found your wiki reference interesting. I am not 100% positive, but on the program last night, I think it was an Army officer with the knife. And the wiki doesn't say a thing about army use. Although I didn't study the uniform, MacArthur (as in Douglas) was being briefed by him, so odds are.....Army. Can't see any reason at all the Army wouldn't want it.

My interesting story: My other Mark 2 with the sheath (marked USN) was found in 4 ft. of water off a small public beach on the N side of Oahu. I know it was probably just recently lost, but that is the same beach I discovered a pig tail barbed wire holder about 50 ft. out. Someone was really hating themselves for loosing it. Aloha.

 

[jimbob450]

You might want to look on Ebay under fighting knives, I had a Ww2 knife with both guards pointing slightly downwards. It was made by Case. After a little
research i found out most good knive mnfgrs. in the U.S. made milatary
knives during WW2. Jimbob

 

[Retired Sarge]

The knife is what is referred to as the Mk 2 Fighting Knife or Combat Knife, this style as mentioned was used from WWII on up to the present. The key to aging these things come down to the markings, sheath, and construction.

Mike
USAF Retired

Like I mentioned back in post 7, the key to telling what period this is from is from the contruction, sheath, markings etc. The knife was used for and made for many years. But just because it's marked as USN doesn't mean only the Navy used it. Just like the 5 inch hunting knife is referred to as the USAF pilots knife or Jet pilot knife, when in fact it was used by all branches and all aircrew, from rotor wing, fixed wing, jets, props, plus a slew of ground pounding troops, no insult meant to the "Boots on the Ground" troops.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[kenley]

I say again. K-Bar.I carried one in the Marine Corps and my youngest son carried the same K-bar (with a new sheath) during three tours in Iraq and both battles for Fallugah. One particular K-bar was photographed and is part of the worlds most published photograph. Frank Sousley has one near the small of his back in the 2nd flag raising photo on Iwo Jima 1945. He is 2nd from left with a Garand slung "cross shoulder" Immediatly behind him is Ira Hayes with the carbine. Then John Bradly (Navy Corpsman) and Harlon Block.

 

[Retired Sarge]

According to the M. H. Cole "U.S. Military Knives", book III, Camillus was the first to make the USN MK 2 knife during WWII.

They were later also made by PAL, Robeson, Conetta, Utica, and Ka-Bar and marked U.S.N.

Camillus, PAL, Robeson, and Ka-Bar also later made the exact same knife marked U.S.M.C.

For all practical purposes, any Navy MK2 is the same knife as a Ka-Bar, and any Ka-Bar is a Navy MK2 if it is mil-spec.

The gray plastic U.S.N. MK2 scabbard was at first issued with knives to be used by UDT teams.

Later, they became more or less standard issue because of jungle rot quickly eating the leather sheaths in the South Pacific theater.

So barring any markings etc on the knife leading us to know who made it, it is essentially MK2 / Ka-Bar style knife.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[kenley]

Mine are both stamped USMC.

 

[uglymailman]

Kbar- not a trench knife. Trench knife had brass knuckle handle w/ spike on butt of handle.

 

[kenley]

Uglymailman is correct. Trench knife is like a brass knuckles with a blade. Also known as "knuckle duster"Picture below is a US Model 1917
Bad focus, but You get the idea.