USMC Hospital Corpsman Knife

[GunnyUSMC]

The USMC Hospital Corpsman Knife was issued by the Marine Corps during World War II. It was a bolo type knife intended for clearing brush and for cutting wood for litters or shelter poles.





The Knife had an overall length of 16 1/2 inches with a blade that was 11 1/4 x 3 inches. The spoon tip blade was supplied both parkerized or bright. The wooden handle had either three or four flush rivets, steel, iron or brass. The left face of the blade was stamped with "USMC" and the manufacturer identity. Some knives were not marked with the USMC marking or the manufacturer name.






These are the listed manufacturers of the USMC Hospital Corpsman Knife:

Briddell
Chatillion
Clyde Cutlery Co.
Fayette R. Plumb
Village Blacksmith
The USMC Hospital Corpsman Knife scabbard is stitched leather with a brass riveted throat and a brass grommet hole at the tip. The back of the scabbard had a M1910 pistol belt hook attached by a heavy riveted and stitched loop of leather. Just below the hook, the leather was stamped with three rows of letters.

USMC
BOYT
42

Boyt was the only manufacturer of the scabbard, with dates from 1942 to 1945, with "44" most common.




Mine is missing the pistol belt hook and only has US stamped above BOYT.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

First Big Knife

I had one of those as a teenager in the mid-sixties.

Bought it for something like $5 or $10 at the local surplus store.

If memory serves, it was likely a Plumb.

Dad showed me how to put an edge on it. I started with a file, and then went to a stone.

It was never as sharp as my dad's Filipino bolo knife (they were essentially the same size, but his was much thinner and lighter).

Left it at home when I joined the military. Haven't seen it since. There's a remote possibility that it's among the stuff my brother has had to gather up since my dad recently passed.

That knife was a real brute. You couldn't really hurt it. You could pound nails with the flat, break rocks with the back, and chop nasty knotted shrubs with the edge. It just didn't care.

If it ever comes back to me, it's gonna get the benefit of everything I've learned about knife sharpening. It will wind up with a handsome convex edge. And it will shave.

Hey, a brute needs love, too.

 

[janedoedad]

The Marine Corps does not have Corpsmen. Navy Corpsmen serve with Marine Corps Units. Just in case anyone was confused. . .

 

[hso]

Nice writeup.

Thanks

 

[bikerdoc]

Gunny,

Nice piece of history there. Like all old knives I wish they could talk.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

This one was given to me as a gift about 16 years ago. I had only seen one before. Back in 1982 when I first got into the Corps there was a NCO that carried one when we went to the field. He said that his grandfather carried it in WWII.
They are worth around $200 now days so, this one doesn't do any chopping any more.
About a year ago I saw that someone had repros for $70.

 

[Piraticalbob]

Atlanta Cutlery sells a replica of this knife.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

My Dad got one it was a gift from his Jarhead older brother in the early 1960's. We have cut downs lots of brush and small trees with it over the past 50 years. It is heavy enough to strike like a 20 oz claw hammer.

 

[sgtstryker]

Hey Gunny, nice knife. I had a WWI Bolo made by Plumb, with the canvas scabbard. It was also marked U.S.M.C. and I was told by an old Salt that it stood for United States Medical Corps. The use is obvious, for cutting limbs during field surgery. Just a side bar to your excellent write up..Thanks.

 

[Steel Talon]

I have a few myself and still covet/use the one my grand-uncle gave me in the late 50's.

Growing up we spent countless adventures together, and like ArfinGreebly it was the one I learned how to sharpen big blades with.

 

[rcmodel]

The proper name is U.S.M.C. Medical Corpsmen Knife.

The use is obvious, for cutting limbs during field surgery

They were not intended to be used for lopping off limbs.

The necessity of using sterile surgical instruments to remove limbs was well understood and practiced by the late 1800's.

Medics didn't carry around dirty limb loppers in pistol belt scabbards in either WWI, or WWII.
Since medics didn't carry weapons, they didn't carry bayonets or pointy fighting knives either.

Their intended use was for brush clearing for field hospitals, and making field expedient splints, stretchers, tent poles, etc.


rc

 

[Steel Talon]

^correct..
Amputation requires a sawing action of the bone. A "cleaving" delivered from a Corpsmen Bolo would give a splintering action to the bone end.

 

[fatcat4620]

I am glad i am not the only one that noticed. I have done some butcher work and noticed that knife is not for opening a box of babdaids.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Geez, $200? Kicking myself for passing the one at a local militaria show for $50.

Still kicking myself for not buying the USAAC (US Army Air Corp) folding survival machete, also $50.

 

[sgtstryker]

Outstanding. Great information thru stimulated debate.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I will be looking for one at the next show I go too or the big Surplus store in Fort Worth.

 

[JoeMal]

That's a neat knife and interesting write up. Thanks