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Robinson Blade Marked WWII Fighting Knife

Hello! I am new here today and want to say hi. I collect "KABAR" style knives right at the moment and have a question about the rarity of Robinson fighting knives. I have the opportunity to buy one and don't know how rare they are compared to the blade or guard marked Kabars of the 1942-1944 period. Anyone know something? John

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Permalink Reply by Ms Data on October 16, 2014 at 21:48

Don't know if we can help but we do like pictures.

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Permalink Reply by Howard P Reynolds on November 8, 2014 at 15:19

Don't know anything about Robinson knives, but Robeson knives were made during WWII. Old company that started much like the Case Brothers, buying jobber knives (knives made by some other company). About 1895 Millard Fillmore Robeson rented a factory in Camillus, NY, and began making his own knives in Perry, NY. He died in 1903, and his sons George W. and Irving S. Robeson took over. Apparently the Rochester Stamping Works made the blades for Robeson Cutlery and George W. was President of Rochester Stamping Works, while Irving S. was President of Robeson Cutlery.

By the beginning of WWII, Robeson Cutlery was on hard times, due to German imports during the '20s & '30s. The company was sold to Saul Frankel in 1940, and he hired Emerson Case, of the famous Case Brothers Knives to run it. Emerson, son of Elliott Case had been working for Kinfolks Cutlery, an offshoot of Case Knives.

During WWII, Robeson Cutlery produced the M-3 Commando, MarkI and MarkII (KaBar style) knives, as well as folders for the military. Robeson Mark II (KaBAr) knives are probably fairly rare.

Jean Case, Emerson's cousin closed Kinfolks Cutlery in 1957, due to union organization efforts by the workers, and Robeson Cutlery acquired the rights to the Kinfolks name.

Cutler Federal Corp. bought Robeson Cutlery in 1964, and closed the Perry NY manufacturing facilities in 1965. They continued to market Robeson knives, but they were made by Camillus Cutlery.

Cutler Federal eventually sold the Robeson name to Ontario Knives who continued to market "Robeson" knives until 1977. As far as I know, Ontario Knives still owns the Robeson name.