United States. A Marine Corps Fighting Knife with Sheath, by Ka-Bar Knives

This sword features a 175 mm long carbon steel blade with clip point, exhibiting a nice black finish, magnetic, with a very sharp edge and a very sharp tip, along with a wide spine, the cutting edge beveled, the other side beveled beginning where the spine ends and dips forward to the clip point, with capsule-shaped fullers on both sides butting the spine. It is marked "USMC" (United States Marine Corps) on the obverse ricasso, the reverse ricasso marked "KA-BAR / OLEAN, N.Y." (Ka-Bar Knives., Inc., formerly Union Cutlery Co., of Olean, New York, a subsidiary of the Cutco Corporation), measuring 175 mm in length. The blade passes through and is embedded into the black finished steel crossguard with rounded ends and forms the core of the handle which is wrapped in six bands of blackened leather to create the grip, designed with distinct separation between each of the bands, each of which consists of multiple strands, finished with a round pommel with a flat bottom, with the metal core visible in a rectangular slot on the bottom, the knife measuring 302 mm in length. The accompanying sheath is in a dark brown finished leather and has a three-piece construction: a large piece folded over and forming the base, with a rivet at the mid-point to secure the two sides, the front with a shorter piece stitched in place along both edges in order to house the blade. The obverse is emboss stamped with three items: the "KA-BAR" maker mark near the opening, along with the United States Marine Corps insignia on its body and "USMC" below the insignia. The end is finished in a point and incorporates a die-hole near the point. The upper portion has a horizontal strap with snap closure that passes through a slot in the base and is secured in place via a single rivet, in order to secure the fighting knife in place while not in use, the sheath measuring 330 mm in length. The blade exhibits contact marks and surface wear from active use, the leather grip very nice with limited wear, the leather sheath with creasing, contact marks and discoloration present indicating active use and age wear. Fine.