Mk.1 Navy, Just a good knife.

R

Roguer

Joined
Jan 5, 2015
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OK so I have One Mk. 1 Navy knife to be honest. It rides on the belt as if it isn't there. I used it for a belt rider when hunting and been using it for small game, fishing, and other cleaning of game/fish/evilsticksformarshmallowsandhotdogs and find its a perfect little knife. Its Kraton handle keeps it grippy enought doing field stuff to slippery things. Its good size, nice slicy dicy blade makes short work of most tasks. Simply put, good knife.

The handle is the perfect size, and compared to the shorty ka-bar, its WAY more versatile. Been using it as it slips in to my belt line up because it is just a good basic knife. And that's the point of a good knife, that does good knifey things with out thinking about doing the tasks the knife does. You just use it. And I realized I used the Mk. 1 quite often for general purpose tasks. Because of it I see no need for Becker Tweeners. I'll probably order another one after getting a D2 Straight Edge model.
 
I've been thinking about getting a MK 1 myself ever since I saw it. Although I really haven't been able to find much in the way of information on its historical counterpart, despite it supposedly existing.
 
The USN MK1 was simply a 5" blade knife bought by the hundreds of thousands by the Navy for issuing to sailors crewing landing craft, support boats, deck work aboard ship in general. The Navy PTB decided that sailors needed 5" knives for such work. Unlike the 1219C2/USN-MK2 which had specific criteria to meet, the specs for the USN-MK1 was essentially - make a knife with a 5" blade.

A knife made for the Navy under a USN-MK1 contract will have "MK-1" or "USN - MK1" on a ricasso. One made for the civilian world or even private purchase would simply have the manufacturer's standard stampon it. An example of this would be the USN-MK1s produced by PAL. Their MK1 knives have RH PAL 35 on the mark side and USN MK1 on the pile side. Their civilian/private purchase knives had RH PAL 35 onthe mark side and nothing on the pile side.

Here is a list of official WW2 MK1 manufacturers, as compiled by Mr. Frank Trzaska on his usmilitaryknives website.

Henry Boker & Co.
Camillus Cutlery Co.
Colonial Knife Co.
Geneva Forge Inc.
PAL Blade Co.
Robeson Shuredge
Union Cutlery Co.
Western States Cutlery Co.

Many other companies made and sold knives used by our sailors and Marines, but they weren't "official, contract" makers.
 
D998D358-8ADF-4A24-ADC5-C3CECDCE6F9A.jpeg

ww2 KA-BAR compared to the new ones. The new ones are slightly smaller. The hard sheaths sold with the new KA-BAR mk1 will not work with any vintage ones that I have.
 
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Roguer said:
OK so I have One Mk. 1 Navy knife to be honest. It rides on the belt as if it isn't there. I used it for a belt rider when hunting and been using it for small game, fishing, and other cleaning of game/fish/evilsticksformarshmallowsandhotdogs and find its a perfect little knife. Its Kraton handle keeps it grippy enought doing field stuff to slippery things. Its good size, nice slicy dicy blade makes short work of most tasks. Simply put, good knife.

The handle is the perfect size, and compared to the shorty ka-bar, its WAY more versatile. Been using it as it slips in to my belt line up because it is just a good basic knife. And that's the point of a good knife, that does good knifey things with out thinking about doing the tasks the knife does. You just use it. And I realized I used the Mk. 1 quite often for general purpose tasks. Because of it I see no need for Becker Tweeners. I'll probably order another one after getting a D2 Straight Edge model.
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I agree with you 90% -- loved my Mk1, except for 1 thing.
If the handle was 1/2" or so longer, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly, but as it is the pommel hits in an uncomfortable spot, so after the tweeners came out, I traded off my Mk1.
 
1066vik said:
I agree with you 90% -- loved my Mk1, except for 1 thing.
If the handle was 1/2" or so longer, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly, but as it is the pommel hits in an uncomfortable spot, so after the tweeners came out, I traded off my Mk1.
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Oh yeah it needs a 1/2" longer handle I agree. But its workable and doable the way it is. My nieces and nephews love that knife. Its going be given away I guess soon. My Ka-Bar shorty...instant give away to a nephew, WAY to short of a handle. I have a habit of giving knives away for free to who needs them most when I remove them from inventory. Mostly non knifey people who end up using it as their every thing knife, so I'm glad I gave them ones of decent quality I could trust my life on myself.

@every one. GOOD info and pics people! My Mk.1 was after that Short Shorty debacle I had. The Shorty was of good material and quality, it just was way to dang short for me! My shorter little brother used my nephews knife to skin my deer and he liked it. I told him not to steal his son's knife like the other one! the shorty has good steel and build. So does the Mk.1, but only I CAN USE IT! I can make it work for me, well till the niece who's been eyeing it... She might want that one I have instead of a new one because of all the memories around the activities we did with it around.
 
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I just received a knife I found to be really interesting it fits into my USN MK1 collection as a civilian variant. Ironically with its aluminum crows beak pommel it fits the description of the MK1 deck knife better than the actual WW2 knife.

The pommel definitely solves that missing 1/2” problem. KA-BAR would be smart to remake this pattern. As a sportsman’s knife.
 
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Roguer said:
OK so I have One Mk. 1 Navy knife to be honest. It rides on the belt as if it isn't there. I used it for a belt rider when hunting and been using it for small game, fishing, and other cleaning of game/fish/evilsticksformarshmallowsandhotdogs and find its a perfect little knife. Its Kraton handle keeps it grippy enought doing field stuff to slippery things. Its good size, nice slicy dicy blade makes short work of most tasks. Simply put, good knife.

The handle is the perfect size, and compared to the shorty ka-bar, its WAY more versatile. Been using it as it slips in to my belt line up because it is just a good basic knife. And that's the point of a good knife, that does good knifey things with out thinking about doing the tasks the knife does. You just use it. And I realized I used the Mk. 1 quite often for general purpose tasks. Because of it I see no need for Becker Tweeners. I'll probably order another one after getting a D2 Straight Edge model.
Click to expand...
I love the Ka-Bar Mk 1. I stripped mine after seeing the black coating begin to chip and then took the edge down to a more acute angle. I also moved the sheath strap down so the blade follows my hip.

For a while I was quite frustrated with the slickness of the lacquered leather grip as it has no grooves like the USMC/Mk 2 (which I don't own). I got some suggestions on BF about roughing it up with sandpaper, but I stumbled on the solution. After a day of rough use I washed the knife in soap and water and the leather began to lose its lacquer. Soon most of the surface lacquer was gone and it was grippy. As it dried it kept that texture and it is now always secure in my hand.

The length of the grip is just right for my average size hands. Even with winter gloves it fits well.

My USN Mk 1 has done everything a knife needs to do and more (including hammering with the pommel) and I'll continue to use it.

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Zieg
 
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Such a great knife. My Dad had a Pal version he used for everything in the field. It was his only field knife. I was in awe of that knife when I was a kid. He kept it on his night stand ready if something went bump in the night.

His Dad was in the Navy in China before WW2. I know it wasn’t his dads knife, but the Navy connection was part of its appeal.

He said it was his favorite because it had a large enough handle, and it could slice an onion. The full flat grind makes a good cooking knife. A knife that couldn’t slice an onion was useless to him.

When I realized so many companies made this awesome knife, I had to assemble a collection of them. When I got my original KA-BAR version I sent a letter to KA-BAR saying how much I liked it and if they were smart they’d remake this iconic knife.

They sent me back a letter thanking me and they’d consider it, about 6 months later they released the new versions. Coincidence?
 
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Well my brother told his oldest daughter to get ready for deer hunting and gather her gear. She waited till I showed up, went in my car, grabbed my deer dragging rope, mini toboggan, and my Mk. 1 knife but she did steal her dad's hack saw with a few spare blade. Turns out she did that a few years in a row and never told any one. Guess I know what to order her for x-mass now.
 
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