Kabar "old Betsy"

[jimmyraythomason]

I have my late father-in-law's old Kabar belt knife that I would like to know something about. It has been in the family for years. The sheath has a silver sticker that says "old Betsy" (according to my wife as it is now illegible). Does anyone know the approximate dates of manufacture or any other information that might be helpful? Sorry for the poor quality pictures. Ka-bar is stamped on the left side of the blade and U S M C is on the right. Thanks.

 

[rcmodel]

Here is everything I know about them.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=683967&highlight=Conetta

'Old Betsy' would never be an original sheath marking for one of them.

Probably added by a bored GI somewhere.

rc

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Thanks RC. The knife and sheath I have is the second one in the picture on your link. The sheath is identical (save the owner added USMC). It is sown and stapled. Adding the "old Betsy" is something my f-I-l would do but since he is no longer with us I can't ask and my wife doesn't know. This knife is marked Ka-bar but does not have N. Y. on it anywhere (that I can find).

 

[jimmyraythomason]

My f-I-l was army during Korea but he had a b-I-l who was a Marine that was also over there.

 

[rcmodel]

Then it's an WWII era knife judging from the lack of a full address, and the cross pinned butt cap.
(Also used in Korea.)

KA-BAR reportedly made 1,000,000 of them during WWII.

The early ones had a threaded and peened or welded tang visible in the center of the butt cap.

But they broke when used as a hammer.

The Type II butt like yours is pinned to the stronger tang.

rc

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Awesome! Thanks for the info RC! Now I wish I knew exactly how it came into my f-I-l's possession.

 

[19-3Ben]

Interesting to see the quillons bent back. Was the Kabar ever produced like that? or would this have been a modification?
I've only ever seen them much flatter (my own USMC model included). Nowhere near that level of sweep/bend.

 

[rcmodel]

Some were bent slightly on the ends.
Some were straight.

That one is bent in the middle more then normal.

These are normal.



rc

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Interesting to see the quillons bent back. Was the Kabar ever produced like that? or would this have been a modification?

I doubt that was from the factory. My father-in-law was not above modifying anything to suit his needs. He was his own man!

 

[hso]

Are all the markings on the ricasso in front of the guard or are there any on the guard itself?

Can you take it outside and photograph it on the shaded side of the house where you won't cast any shadows over it and the light will be naturally diffused? Don't try to get too close, just set it on the deck/patio/ground and shoot it from that distance. Then you can try to get 3ft. away and do it again. Get the 2" on either side of the guard in the middle of the photo and get both sides and any guard markings.

Camillus delivered the Knife, Fighting/Utility knives to the Marines in February 1943. Kabar shipped their first batch sometime after that and only made these knives from February or March 1943 through August 1945 when the contracts were cancelled at the end of the war.

Your's looks like a thick pommel, no color spacers. Got a picture of the pommel and how it is attached?

 

[Sam1911]

Those cross guards bend very easily, and the gaps at the base of the blade indicate that it was bent or struck causing the washers of the handle to compress a little and loosen up the assembly.

Mine is just like that on one side...from when the old guy in my home town taught a few of us kids how to throw knives... :banghead: He didn't have any lessons on fixing your dinged up knife.

 

[rcmodel]

Got a picture of the pommel and how it is attached?

It's cross pinned.
I can see the pin in the first photo.

rc

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I have the old style blade,"complete" with broken tang, that has Kabar Olean NY stamped on one side and USN on the other. No guard or handle though, just another project waiting in the wings...