Finally got my knife back...

[Idaho45guy]

Back in the late 70's or possibly 1980, I was only 10-11 years old and worked a paper route. I had spotted a knife for sale at the local sporting goods store that I had to have, but it was very expensive. I don't recall the actual price, but it seems like it was around $50, which was a ton of money for a kid back then. My shiny new fancy BMX bike that I bought was $89.99.

So, I saved up enough money and bought the knife.

It was a KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife. It was beautiful! My mom was concerned that a kid would own such a formidable weapon, but my dad said I would learn if I cut myself. I didn't. Cut myself, that is.

Then maybe a few months or a year later, we heard that there was a predator in the area that had tried to snatch a couple of kids off the street while they played. All the kids were freaked out, as were the parents. My solution was to strap on that giant USMC knife and ride around town on my BMX bike with my buddies, confident that no weirdo would try anything with such a weapon displayed.

Well, apparently that either concerned my mom even more, or my buddie's moms, or someone who thought it wasn't a great idea. So my mom took the knife and hid it away and told me I could have it back when I was older. I was upset, but soon forgot about it.

A few years later, I asked my folks if I could have my USMC knife back and they said sure. But they couldn't find it. I was crushed.

I never did buy another one, as I was heavily into muscle cars by then and every dime went into my car.

Years later, my dad revealed that they had hid it in an outbuilding that got a leak and the knife was completely destroyed by rust and rot.

Well, the other day, I ran across an ad for a brand new KA-BAR USMC knife, but they were $125. But it stirred some great memories, so I shopped around and found one NIB for $75. Bought it and it showed up today.

40 years later, I finally have my knife back...

278487

278488

278489

Exactly like the one I had years ago. Only difference I can find is that the leather sheath is a tad thinner, but everything else is the same. Wonderful memories!

I'm keeping my mom away from this one!

[skeettx]

AWESOME
Well done, well done
Mike

[jonp]

Great story. Imagine, a kid with a knife? I got my first knife, a Buck Trapper and cut my knuckles learning that it didn't have a lock blade thing on it and didn't do it again. Must have been 6 or 7yrs old and have had a knife in my pocket ever since.

[Ed K]

Got a Buck folding hunter when I was around 12 or thirteen. It kinda blew my mind when my parents let my little brother one-up me with a Buck General. I think it was bigger than he was! I no longer have mine but I do still have my Swiss Army knife from 1971 that my folks brought hone from Switzerland before they were really popular in the US. Almost 50 years later I still have the original toothpick and tweezers!

[monadnock#5]

You're lucky. Archeologists may one day dig up my skateboard.

[gwpercle]

That's an Awesome Score ... ATTABOY
I've always had a soft spot for the USMC K-Bar , I'm glad it's still being made .
My Dad brought back one from WWII . I guess it was "Tactical " before that word was ever invented !
It's still a handsome looking fighting knife .
Gary

[rockrat]

I have my Fathers K-bar, from 1940. Marked USN.

[Thumbcocker]

I listed after a Camilius air force survival knife. Got one in 1978. Couldn't wait to use it in my first deer kill. Did in 1988. It sucked as a hunting knife.

I still have it but a $12 Mora does most anything I want a sheath knife to do. Sometimes reality is disappointing.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[tai95]

I remember going to gun shows with my dad in the early 80s. There was always (still is actually) that one table that had the throwing stars, chinese knock off rambo survival knifes, and various other knives on their table. If you asked those guys they would bring out the box of butterfly, switchblade, OTF knives that were "not for sale". I begged my dad the entire day for a butterfly knife. He finally broke down and bought it for me under 2 conditions. One mom could never know and two if I cut myself he was throwing it away. The first day I had it I sliced open my thumb. Played it off as and got to keep the knife.

Knife is long gone, but the scar and memory are still there.

[Idaho45guy]

I have my Fathers K-bar, from 1940. Marked USN.

That is awesome! During my online search for mine, I saw vintage ones on Ebay for $900.

[thegatman]

Great knife.

[country gent]

What we do for memories. I have one my grand father had. it sits in a place safely and stays there now.

[OldBearHair]

Sure enjoyed reading your post, Idaho 45 guy. It really brought memories of WW11. My brother Paul was in the Navy (1944) on the USS Mississippi in the Phillipines. He wrote .letters to my dad asking for a knife. Said there were no knives for them to cut ropes and stuff. Dad got busy at the forge and began making hand made knives that went to war.
I have been curious to know whether Dad copied USMC fighting knife or they copied his. Some of you may be able to clear that up for me. I was nine years old, my uncle Jack came and helped by installing the handles. My job was to sand the blades with emery cloth. The pictures of the KBar are the same as in my memory. I would slide the emery cloth past the end of the blade and poke my fingers. My Mother would tear a strip of cloth about an inch wide then rip that down about a third of the way, wrap the cloth around the wound then wind the tag ends around that and tie it on the back of the finger. Later years my Mother remarked that I had so many bandages they looked like a glove. We mailed knives to several sailors. I have records of fourteen cousins that received the knives and have the letters that my brother wrote home to Dad. Paul was killed in an explosion of one the big guns that blew up. Thank you for your post.

[Idaho45guy]

I have been curious to know whether Dad copied USMC fighting knife or they copied his. Some of you may be able to clear that up for me.

The blade design of the USMC fighting knife is referred to as a clip-point Bowie and has been around since the early 19th century. It's an excellent and popular design that the Marines adopted for their knife in November of 1942.

[samari46]

Have a pilot's survival knife that I bought in 1966 while I was in the navy. Still have it today. Every so often I take it out and clean the green crud off all the rivets, oil the blade and put it away. Frank

[gbrown]

Interesting, all these stories. My first knife I bought for 25 cents back in the 50s from a classmate. Mom didn't buy that and took it away from me. Thought I had gotten it otherwise. I got it back about 20 years later. Little Swiss Army type, with fork and spoon on it. It's back in a drawer somewhere. Neatest knife I have is the same as the OP. Marine Corps fighting knife from WWII. Dad was a CPO, running a repair shop at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. He was buddies with all the cooks at a dining facility there. A young marine was talking to him, was dying for a canned ham. Dad got him one from the cooks, fellow gave him the knife. He also got a a 15-18 inch butcher knife from the cooks. I still have both.

[RogerDat]

When my father passed away in his effects was my boy scout knife. I carried that so much in my youth I wore the handle down. Today I keep it in a jewelry box. Think I got it "taken into custody" as punishment for an unrelated offense. Lord knows I committed enough of those to have exhausted grounding and loss of other privileges. Despite not recalling the offense now many decades later I'm pretty sure that the loss made an impression at the time.

In my early 20's I worked part time in an Army & Navy Surplus store. We had those K-Bar knives and periodically some young man would come in and fondle them (rarely buying) or a vet would come in and buy one. Myself I went with the Gerber Guardian 1 and still have that. Very nicely made knife but I don't carry it as it is useless as anything but a dagger. Prices have gone up nicely on eBay. May have to give it to one of the kids or grandkids so it doesn't end up in some damn estate sale for $10 Myself I'm pretty dedicated to avoiding knife fights as we all know there are better ways to avoid conflict. Or at the least avoid coming in second place if conflict can't be avoided.

We sold butterfly knives as well and they were very popular. Staff would sit and play with them like yo-yo's when it was slow. We also use the 30% off sale signs hanging from the ceiling for dart and throwing star practice I still have a large butterfly knife I sometimes carried because I could open it with gloves on. Or even mittens if done slowly. Was useful when out and about in the winter.

Swiss army knives have a direct worm hole through space and time to where odd socks go when they vanish from the dryer. The toothpick is simply waiting for an opportunity to ride that wormhole into oblivion. The tweezers are dedicated to going behind the handle to a spot that if you could get them out from there you could pull the splinter with whatever you used to fetch them out with.

[Alstep]

Back in the early '50's, there were lots of surplus stores and my Dad bought several Camilius knives @ $1 each. Gave me one and several to my friends. We all carried them everywhere, hacked down brush & small trees & built a fort. Still have it, the sheath is beet up & it's been sharpened a bunch of times but it's still serviceable.
We all always carried a pocket knife back then, even to school. Broke mine out right in class to sharpen my pencil, was the normal thing to do. Our school even had a rifle team, and we competed against neighboring schools.
Imagine doing all that today!!!

[tai95]

Our school even had a rifle team, and we competed against neighboring schools.
Imagine doing all that today!!!

Actually my old high school, I recently found out now has a trap shooting team.

http://www.springvilletimes.com/08/new-trap-club-gives-sgi-students-opportunity-to-learn-gun-safety-shooting/

[blackthorn]

I have a folding lock blade marked K-Bar I got at a flea market. Good knife. When my Granddaughter was seven I bought her a jack-knife (made in Ireland). Sharpened it up and gave it to her when we made our yearly two week trip to the lake. Warned her that it was sharp and turned her loose. She went outside and attacked a willow tree/bush. About an hour later she came in and she was holding her finger. I asked her "how bad?" She said very solemnly, "not bad, but I'll tell you one thing--mummy is Not going to be impressed". She was right!

[shtur]

The day before I left for Vietnam, my Dad gave me a Western hunting knife. I came back home with the knife. I always wanted a K-Bar, being a Marine, but I never could part with the money for one. Now I don't have a need for one, but I still like looking at them.

[monadnock#5]

When my son was a teenager he got involved with junior High Power. His skill level plateaued and no amount of practice and encouragement would help. His grandfather, the Marine Corp vet, had shown my son a Kabar from his years of service that of course my son really liked the look of. So, I tried psychology and told my son the day he broke 400 I'd take him to the gun shop where he'd seen a brand new Kabar and buy it for him. Needless to say it wasn't long until I had to pay off. It was a good decision he never gave me a reason to regret.