Listed here is the Ka-Bar USMC 1219C2 Fighting / Utility knife. This is the knife we get the most requests on as to originality. These knives can be seen at just about any gun or knife show listed as WW II era knives. Constantly listed on eBay as WW II carried, even the owners will swear they carried them in the war. This reproduction is the most often faked knife we know of.
This is the first year of production model. It is a Parkerized finish and is the most often seen version called a WW II knife. These are very easy to spot as the repro. Note the thick 3/8 inch half pinned pommel. This was never used on the WW II knives. All thick pommel WW II knives were peened tangs, both round and rectangle. The WW II pinned pommels were of the thin variety being 1/4 inch thick. These knives have the thick black spacers at the pommel and the guard, another thing the WW II originals didn't have.
This the post 1977 up to the current version Ka-Bar. These knives follow the same pattern as the above knives except the finish is the baked enamel type. They have the half pinned thick pommel, the instant giveaway to a current knife. They also have the thick black spacers. Don't be fooled by this one, it is current. Note the two different scabbards, a light blonde color with rivets and a darker brown with staples. The Eagle, Globe and Anchor marking was never used in WW II, don't be fooled by it, again they are only available on current knives.
Last but not least we have the U.S. / Army marking on a Ka-Bar. This is pure fantasy, these were never made during WW II with this marking. In fact they first appeared in the late 1990's for a commemorative knife and were kept as sales were strong. A truly modern adaptation of the Ka-Bar.
Here is an example of a knife that was trying to be passed off as Vietnam Era. If being made in 1976 is that time frame so be it. The owner has scratched Vietnam 66/67 into the blade and cut in sawteeth. This is just one example of the hundreds we have seen over the years.
Rebuilt possibly using PAL parts