I have a Gerber Mk II that I purchased new sometime in the early 1990's from the Cutlery Shoppe. It's not serrated (yes that's original, the serrations were not ground off--there never were any), has the 5 degree blade offset (yes, I'm certain) and also has a gray, sandpaper textured grip that contrasts both in color and texture with the black anodizing of the guard & pommel portions of the grip. It's serial numbered XX4264. The "XX" is actually part of the serial number, I'm not trying to conceal the number.
I can't remember any of the specifics about this knife and since it's no longer sold, I can't find any information on it.
Is this a decent knife in terms of materials? I remember having some very minor rust issues with this knife years ago so I've kept it oiled since then. I'm guessing it's not stainless, or at least not one of the more rust resistant varieties since it's never been in anything approaching a hostile environment.
It seems reasonably close to the Applegate-Fairbairn design although perhaps the blade is a bit long and the guard is the wrong material. I know that a version of this knife garnered something of a reputation in Vietnam, but what's the general thinking about the utility of this knife for its intended purpose?
I can't remember any of the specifics about this knife and since it's no longer sold, I can't find any information on it.
Is this a decent knife in terms of materials? I remember having some very minor rust issues with this knife years ago so I've kept it oiled since then. I'm guessing it's not stainless, or at least not one of the more rust resistant varieties since it's never been in anything approaching a hostile environment.
It seems reasonably close to the Applegate-Fairbairn design although perhaps the blade is a bit long and the guard is the wrong material. I know that a version of this knife garnered something of a reputation in Vietnam, but what's the general thinking about the utility of this knife for its intended purpose?