09-21-2019, 06:17 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 2,520
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My Ka-Bar story...
In the 1990s, I was a reservist in the Marine Corps. One summer, I was spending two weeks in 29 Palms. Since I was a mechanic and licensed to drive a Hummer, I was pulled from my unit and sent to be a driver for an officer for the two weeks. Pretty easy gig, I didn't complain. So me and the other drivers that got pulled arrived at the motor pool that we would be working from. The active duty Staff Sergeant that ran things there assigned each one of us a truck that would be "our own" for the duration. We were told to spend the rest of the day cleaning them out, doing basic maintenance checks, etc. While cleaning out my truck, I found a Ka-Bar under the driver seat:
Wanting to do the right thing, I brought the knife to the SSgt and told him that it was in my truck. He says, "Wow! Great find. Congratulations on your new knife." I replied, "No SSgt, this knife probably belongs to someone. Maybe even one of your (active duty) Marines." He says, "These trucks are only driven by reservists like you each summer. The owner of this knife is probably long gone. And if it was one of my men, well..., that Marine just learned a valuable lesson in gear accountability. Congratulations on your new knife." Ooh rah for me, free Ka-Bar. Side note: The sheath has the name "Sisk" carved into it along with a few stick figures. I wonder if Sisk was full of shit, or if Sisk and this knife actually saw some serious action:
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09-21-2019, 06:35 PM | #2 |
slug
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: swampeastmissouri
Posts: 50,933
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Damn...you found my knife
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09-24-2019, 08:26 AM | #3 |
Deplorable
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Behind The Iron Curtain
Posts: 8,059
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Nice score. I've got a few old Ka-Bars & scabbards, they are very nice blades & well worn.
I've also got my dad's Marble blade/scabbard he carried during WWII when in the Pacific with the 1st Div/5th Marines. |
09-24-2019, 08:46 AM | #4 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 66,461
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Nice find! Too bad that blade can't talk - I think it is trying to tell a story.
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"The truly dangerous man dresses inconspicuously and is soft- spoken. He walks away from most confrontations. The only time you learn that the truly dangerous man is mad at you is a split second before you die, for he never fights. He only kills. The truly dangerous man knows that fighting is what children do and killing is what men do." - Charley Reese 1986
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09-24-2019, 04:26 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: az
Posts: 3,490
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I bought a six pack of K bars with their sheaths about ten years ago. Some military warehouse was cleaning out a whole bunch of stuff and had those knives for sale, cost $30.00 plus shipping. All brand new, never issued. I kept one for my truck tool and bug out box, and one for my garage. Gave the other four to the only four friends I had at the time. I have two other k bars that I have had forever for the house and camp box. They really are a good all around big knife. Congrats on your find it's an old goodie.
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10-05-2019, 07:47 PM | #6 |
Mystic Knight of the Sea
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: The Great Swamp
Posts: 81,969
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That old Marble is a great knife
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10-05-2019, 09:45 PM | #7 |
slug
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Astor Florida
Posts: 48,412
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Snake I really am not much into knives if the bad guys get close enough for knife fighting I call in artillery or air. But I have a box I toss in old knives that look interesting.
Uncle Marv 'Korea Chosin Reservoir' and a few of his buddies were down so I grabbed my K-Bar collection to show them. A few of the WWII K-Bars had rivets on the case as shown in your picture while some did not. I was going to heave the riveted ones assuming them as repose and all said NO don't do dat. Their words in talking to their WWIi vet friends. "The Pacific theater jungle vets were having problems with knife cases jungle rotting or getting critter eaten. Manufactures then put rivets in addition to threading on to make them last." Dang good find Marine your a man of honor trying to get it back to the troop that lost it.
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God Bless Americas Veterans. All who are serving and have served. |
11-01-2019, 11:06 PM | #8 |
Dud
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,486
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I got my first (and only) Ka-Bar at Fort Irwin in the mid-90's while serving in the Army. I worked a month out in the field with an F15 Air Force pilot. It was the only time he'd have to get dirty with us Army guys. At the end of the rotation, he pulled it off his belt and insisted I take it. I did.
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