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Comment by Tobias Gibson on July 9, 2014 at 7:27

Jim, Makes perfect sense to me.Everything about the picture looks like an issue knife from 1944-5

Comment by Jim Thompson on July 8, 2014 at 21:02

The picture is not clear where the scabbard is marked under the U S N letters on the steel throat. It is marked MK2. The knife on the reverse is also marked USN-MK2. I have assumed that they were issued together. I was told, when he gave me the knife, a few years ago that he carried this during his service. His tour was the latter half of the war.

Comment by Tobias Gibson on July 8, 2014 at 19:45

The Marines complained that the leather sheaths and stacked leather handles on the knives were rotting in the high humidity and heat of the Pacific Islands. They began to treat the stacked leather handles with different solutions to prevent mildew and rot. This pressure treating method it still used today. They also came out with rubberized handles.

Leather sheaths were replaced with composition sheath with a steel throat and an integrated cloth frog made of mildew resistant cotton webbing.  These sheaths were adopted through out all branches of service do to a shortage in leather.  The one for the M3 Trench knife was the M8 and later the M8a1 Scabbard which remained in use until just a few years ago.  This may be a replacement scabbard (can't really tell in a photo)  but such sheaths were used during the latter half of WWII.

Comment by Michael D. on July 8, 2014 at 18:43

Great piece. Ka Bar too! That does not look like an original sheath. Is it original? Looks like something from the 1980s?!? From Aitor or Muela.

Comment by Tobias Gibson on July 8, 2014 at 9:46

Hard to argue with that knife.   I also like the rot proof sheath that it was issued with!   Very cool.

Comment by Ricky L McConnell on July 8, 2014 at 9:33

Great knife, I love the history behind it.