KA-BAR

So apparently, my grandpa had a knife hidden in his drawer (deceased now, just to be clear), and I found it had the USMC letters on it.
So I decided to do a bit of research into it, and it turns out its a KA-BAR knife that was commonly used for trench warfare in WWII, issued to the marine core and navy. In fact, it was such a popular knife during the time that the design for the standard issue knives of today are based off its design.

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So, its quite dirty, but I think if I can clean it up some, it might be worth something. Especially since I have the original leather sheath for it (although a bit damaged).

I have absolutely no idea if it's worth anything, but it's certainly very very cool - especially given that it's from a family member. (I love my various bits and pieces from family who were in the military.)

Archer Wrote:I have absolutely no idea if it's worth anything, but it's certainly very very cool - especially given that it's from a family member. (I love my various bits and pieces from family who were in the military.)

Yeah, that's what I thought too. Thing is, my grandfather was a drill sargent in the marines (very, very tough man), and I can see some knicks on the blunt side of the knife, so I think he, or someone else, might have even used it in combat.

It's always kinda sobering, isn't it, to see an actual tangible reminder of something like that - eg a nick in the blade that could just be from training or could mean someone died on the other end of it. If you ever go to London, take a look at St Paul's Cathedral - the walls are still covered in small holes from shrapnel from bombs falling in WW2. Did your grandfather serve in WW2, and if so do you know where? Or was he a professional soldier?

My paternal grandfather was in the Merchant Navy (which had a higher death rate than any of the armed forces, by some considerable margin) and died on a tanker that was sunk by a u-boat in the North Atlantic. A certificate was given to his wife commemorating his death, including a phrase along the lines of "He gave his life to help save mankind from tyranny." We have it framed in the hall, and every time I come into my house I give it a look. It's one of my favourite things in the world, sobering, inspiring, and very sad.

Otherkin or not, sometimes it's amazing to look at something and say: Yes, my forebears did this, and it was bloody difficult, and I dunno if I could do it myself . . . but they did.

Archer Wrote:It's always kinda sobering, isn't it, to see an actual tangible reminder of something like that - eg a nick in the blade that could just be from training or could mean someone died on the other end of it. If you ever go to London, take a look at St Paul's Cathedral - the walls are still covered in small holes from shrapnel from bombs falling in WW2. Did your grandfather serve in WW2, and if so do you know where? Or was he a professional soldier?

Yes, he served. Both my mother's parents did.
My grandfather was a drill sargent in the marines, and my grandmother was a lutenient (sp?) in the navy, where she served as a nurse anethesist.

Archer Wrote:My paternal grandfather was in the Merchant Navy (which had a higher death rate than any of the armed forces, by some considerable margin) and died on a tanker that was sunk by a u-boat in the North Atlantic. A certificate was given to his wife commemorating his death, including a phrase along the lines of "He gave his life to help save mankind from tyranny." We have it framed in the hall, and every time I come into my house I give it a look. It's one of my favourite things in the world, sobering, inspiring, and very sad.

Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Archer Wrote:Otherkin or not, sometimes it's amazing to look at something and say: Yes, my forebears did this, and it was bloody difficult, and I dunno if I could do it myself . . . but they did.

Yeah. No doubt that its sobering when my grandmother tells me about how hard it is to actually strangle someone, how many times she's been around the world, and how she's seen people's arms and legs blown off, and they were still walking. *Nod.*

Yoherz Wrote:and my grandmother was a lutenient (sp?) in the navy, where she served as a nurse anethesist.

That's some tough shit right there - especially as for the most part, she wasn't helping patch people up so they could go home and recuperate but rather so they could go back to their unit and keep on shooting and being shot at.

Archer Wrote:

Yoherz Wrote:and my grandmother was a lutenient (sp?) in the navy, where she served as a nurse anethesist.

That's some tough shit right there - especially as for the most part, she wasn't helping patch people up so they could go home and recuperate but rather so they could go back to their unit and keep on shooting and being shot at.

Yup. My mom always told me how grandma wouldn't let her have a sick day from school.
Only thing is that she has dementia, and she's in the late stages, but she still remembers things from 50 years ago, like how she sailed around the world on a ship (I forget the name) with Bob Hope and Ben Crosby.

That's awesome - was it a military thing, or what? (The sailing with the stars.)

With Alzheimer's, I don't know a huge amount about it, but I have heard that often older memories stay very vivid, while medium and short term stuff is lost. It's a nasty, nasty disease but if your grandmother still has clear memories of things like sailing the world wth Bob Hope and Bing Crosby when she was young, that's good.

Archer Wrote:That's awesome - was it a military thing, or what? (The sailing with the stars.)

Yeah, I think so. I can't quite remember, but I think it was part of a morale thing they were doing for the troops.

Archer Wrote:With Alzheimer's, I don't know a huge amount about it, but I have heard that often older memories stay very vivid, while medium and short term stuff is lost. It's a nasty, nasty disease but if your grandmother still has clear memories of things like sailing the world wth Bob Hope and Bing Crosby when she was young, that's good.

Yeah, that's usually the case.
Also that their brain doesn't tell them that they're tired, or hungry, or sometimes that they're even in pain (not that my grandmother would even use the word "hurt", even when she broke her hip it only "bothered" her), and they start to lose common sense.
I remember especially one time when she wanted some coffee. So she took her plastic coffee cup, poured the instant mix in there, set her cup down on the stove, and turned it on. Only reason the house didn't burn down is because my mom smelled it and got it quickly.

The KA-BAR is so heavily involved with the USMC that the two have near become synonymous. A recent development of the KA-BAR as actually been the incorporation of bayonet lugs in order for Marines to only carry the KA-BAR and not a KA-BAR and a bayonet.

Antique KA-BARs can be worth something to the right collector. Though the nicks in the blade may not be for combat as the KA-BAR is as much a multi-tool as a weapon. Additionally, swords and the like tend to get nicks from sword on sword strikes, knives are less likely to be nicked from blade to blade contact as combat knives such as the KA-BAR are not used for conventional sword play as most think of it.

All in all, you'd have to do some more research and investigation of the knife in order to determine the origin of its marks. If you do wish to just keep the knife as keepsake or tool or both, it is a sturdy and reliable a piece of craftsmanship as any you'll find.

Good luck and Semper Fidelis.