hmmmm....

I learned some new stuff today!  Unexpected good(?) news.  It turns out that this is definitely more rare than a normal MK2.

This newest acquisition is a version 1 MK2 made by Camillus.  Now, from what I have learned (If anyone has information to the contrary please let me know), the version 1 actually failed the field trials and was not ever issued as a service knife.  The version 2 is what we all know as the military issued Mark 2 or "Ka-Bar" in generalized circles.

I knew when I bought it, that it needed some restoration.  After cleaning though, the blade itself may retain enough of the original parkerizing to be left alone.  The tang...  I had originally thought that I needed to add a piece of steel to extend the tang for the pommel pin.  Now I do see evidence that I need to add a threaded piece instead and make a counterbored, steel pommel and split nut.  The nut would also be steel, but similar to the Remington RH knives (those used brass nuts).

The sheath has a shallow cut down the front of it, but I will have to see what I can do to fix that.  Delicate, time consuming work, but I think I can do it.

Right now my biggest 'fuss' is the shipping on my leather disc kit has been raised from $8 in 2022 (it arrived in a padded envelop last time) to $15 in 2024.  It would cost me approximately $5 to ship a padded envelope weighing the same from my house to the vendor.  I am having a very difficult time justifying this increase in shipping cost.  For other items, I can see it; but this little package is easy and cheap to ship.

If all problems were this trivial, right?

Wait...what? You now have a truely unique piece, and we're holding up progress over a $3.50 year-over-year increase in supply chain costs?

Just a minute...let me bust open my piggy bank here that's full of nickles & dimes....yep...seven dolllars and fortyfive cents. Need me to send you the money? 

Dude...  :-D

A lot more research has gone into this...  I did end up ordering TWO handle kits from Ka-Bar.  Same shipping for 2 as 1 so I saved a little there. but I have a set for next time.

It looks like the threaded rod is a 8-32 thread, but try finding a screw (bolt) or a threaded rod that is not zinc plated, galvanized or stainless...  Well I cannot find it.  So I have devised a plan to make my own.  I have a full tap and die set, so I just need to machine down a piece of low carbon steel to the major diameter of the thread then make my own threads on it.  Very carefully TIG weld it in place using mild steel weld rod and I should have that part workable.  I need to make a new pommel (mild steel again) that has a nice counterbore for a barrel nut that I need to make and thread.  Oh yeah, I need to make the barrel nut too.  I am thinking .005" diametrical clearance should be a good place to start.

Looks like a fair bit of machining is in order for me to do in the near future.  But when I am done, and everything is parkerized correctly, I am hoping this will be presentable and worthy of its place as a fairly rare piece of American history.