It's one of the best selling knives of all time and continues to see action around the globe. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty. [4] Al Mar, then working for Gerber as a knife designer, added the sawtooth serrations toward the hilt, marketing the knife as a "survival aid", making it more appealing to the PX System, which resumed selling the Mark II as a survival knife, rather than a fighting knife. Carried a MKII in a chest rig for quite a few years while in the AF. dedicated to the commandos who carried the MK II with pictures of surviving examples. First issued for use by U.S. service personnel in the Vietnam War in 1966, the knife has stayed in production since with the exception of 2000-2008. Fortunately for collectors, all Mark II knives, except the yellow-handled dive knives, are individually serial numbered, which makes dating easy. It popped up in the hands of everyones favorite fraud raven Seagal in the film Under Siege, as well as in the Road Warrior, in which Mad Max tucks one into his boot. When it comes to military knives, few are as universally beloved as the Gerber Mark II. First Introduced In 1966, It Still Endures Today. Gerber MK-II: Just as the Fairbairn Sykes is the Iconic knife of WW-II, the Gerber MK-II filled that role for the American soldier in Vietnam. Specifications Its old school cool. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. The Gerber Mark II is a fighting knife manufactured by Gerber Legendary Blades from 1967 to 2000, with an additional limited run of 1500 in 2002, and full production resuming as of July 2008. . Gerber Mk II Serial Numbers: Below is a list of the serial numbers on Gerber Mark II knives and the corresponding year in which they were made. Pre owned but in nice condition Gray Armorhide (cat's tongue) handle. Bud Holzman, who served with the 101, Although Captain Holzman reportedly base the blade profile of the Mark II on the Roman Mainz Gladius in the British Museums collection, the similarities to the F-S Fighting Knife are unmistakable. Holzman in 1966. This steel isnt terrible but isnt as tough as something like the 154CM. The Mainz Gladius was a short dagger that was given to senior officers in the Roman Army and was considered a prestigious status symbol. Lance Gerber, courtesy Coachella. The Mark II went into commercial production in late 1966. The 2008 version ballistic nylon sheath has an injection-molded hard polymer liner and two nylon straps with snap closures for primary and secondary retention to secure the handle. Note the Gerber Mark II worn in an inverted carry, fastened to web gear on his left side. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Gerber Mark II Fighting Knife W/Sheath USA MKII Vietnam Era 1970 . Its strong, easy to sharpen and can become quite sharp as well. SpecialForcesHistory has an entire page dedicated to the commandos who carried the MK II with pictures of surviving examples. Note the harsh wording in the advertisement with emphasis on the knife's "deadly" aspects. After the war, wondering about the history of the knife, Charlie wrote to Gerber (this was years before the internet) and sent a picture of the knife and its serial number hoping Gerber could tell him who had originally purchased it and when. The modern knives run for around 70 bucks but are made from 420 HC. Others have called the MK-II an improved version of the WW-II Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife. But oddly enough, the MK I came after the MK II. While this carry position afforded quick access to the knife, part of the Mark IIs ricasso can be seen indicating the knife was barely being held in place by the sheaths retaining strap. Like the F-S, the Mark II has a slender, double-edge spear-point / dagger blade for maximum piecing capability and a distinctive foil-like handle to enable many handling / gripping options. The Gerber Mark II Vietnam Tribute Navy features a 420 HC steel black oxide coated partially serrated spear point blade with a diecast aluminum handle and a ballistic nylon sheath. The first production run of the Mark II was wasp-waisted and had a five-degree offset between the blade and the grip. Oldpocketknives.com is an online resource for collectors of vintage pocket knives. The NVA soldier was killed in an ambush in Vietnam's Central Highlands, somewhere west of Buon Ma Thout, in October of 1968 . By the 1960s, Gerber decided to manufacture a knife that could be used in combat during the war in Vietnam. Although Captain Holzman reportedly base the blade profile of the Mark II on the Roman Mainz Gladius in the British Museums collection, the similarities to the F-S Fighting Knife are unmistakable. A serrated edge is also functionally longer cutting surface, so it will hold up longer without needing to be resharpened. I. ts a good choice when ease of sharpening and toughness are important. 1982 American Historical Foundation Table - Probably done by Robert Buerlein, 1984 Pete Gerber Desk List - List found in Pete Gerber Sr.'s desk, 1986 Unknown Origin Table - Table of unknown origin, 1997 Levine List - Published in Bernard Levine's Guide to Knives and Their Values IV. I have attempted to use information from the lists to resolve some of the discrepancies, correct a few errors and insert more detail into the table. Not all brown ones are Vietnam, but all Vietnam ones are brown, if that makes sense. View on eBay. Great condition. 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