Old Ka-Bar USMC :D

Carolina River Rat

Carolina River Rat

Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
4,667
My dad passed away two years ago this month. I miss him dearly, but dang he had a lot of stuff, and none of it was organized, at least not in any way that I could determine. I'm sure he knew right where everything was :). At any rate, while going through a box I found in the attic, I came across this old USMC Ka-Bar. Looks like he broke the tip prying something, and then just re-sharpened it so the end resembles a small chisel. I'm pondering how best to fix that. Sheath and handle had some sort of mold growing on them. Cleaned that up and it's lookin better. He cut the rear part of the guard off, but it was still pretty rough, so I filed it smooth and polished it a bit with my Dremel. I'll touch it up with cold blue one of these days. It looks like the blade was either blued or parkerized, and that might be a clue to the thing's age, since I don't believe Ka-Bar does this anymore. Are there any other clues to how old it might be? There's no serial number that I can find. Here's some pics.

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Great find. I can offer no information but I will suggest that the best way to fix the tip is to keep it sharp and use it the way your father would. You will always think of him when you use it and, you just might find that you like it that way.;)
 
Awesome stuff, Rat.

Where you been? Ain't seen you in a LOOONG time!!! :D

The only ways to get a tip back on that guy, is to take metal away from the edge and swedge. Once you start taking metal away, evenly from both grinds, the point will return on its own.

I would say, keep it as is, and keep it as a reminder.

I'm sorry for your loss, brother. Its tough, I'm sure.

Moose
 
Howdy Moose. It has been a while. I had a brief, but steamy, affair with another forum, but now I'm back where I belong. I'm doing well for the most part. Having trouble keeping steady work, but I'm managing to make ends meet with side jobs and the like. I'm going to do as you and Protourist suggested and use the knife as-is unless I run into some situation (zombies, llamas, or a combo of the two) where a point would be a lifesaver.
 
Carolina River Rat said:
Howdy Moose. It has been a while. I had a brief, but steamy, affair with another forum, but now I'm back where I belong. I'm doing well for the most part. Having trouble keeping steady work, but I'm managing to make ends meet with side jobs and the like. I'm going to do as you and Protourist suggested and use the knife as-is unless I run into some situation (zombies, llamas, or a combo of the two) where a point would be a lifesaver.
Click to expand...

I see all knives as users, but the onese that mean more to us, are the ones that our loved ones had. Their memories, their sweat, their blood, are still there, on that knife somewhere.

I think back to my first Kabar, and the uncle that gave it to me. The guy was a drunk, but he had problems that stemmed from Korea, he just couldn't get past. I used the knife he gave me, abused it rather, cost me the blade.

Its probably rusted to nothing, in some land fill in Texas somewhere. I still have the memories of him, holding a bottle of Jack in one hand, a 1911 in the other, sayin'"We're gonna let this bad boy rip in a minute, BAM!! Loud, ain't it? Yeah, they are. Kicks too. Here, <swig, glug, glug> you shoot it. Hold it tight, now........."

OR, taking me squirrel hunting. Or deer hunting. Or tracking, or, well you get the idea.

I still have the memories, but not the knife.

And, that would be my fault.

Good to see ya back, Rat. Real good.

Moose
 
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