If you're a serious collector of fixed blade knives, certainly you've heard of the Gerber Mark II. First produced in 1966, the MK II was designed by retired Army Captain Bud Holzman, who used the pattern of Gladiator swords for his inspiration. And there could be no greater inspiration for a truly deadly tactical knife like this one.
The Gerber Mark II was originally produced from 1967 to 2000. There was a short run of 1500 made in 2002, and then regular production resumed again in 2008.
The Gerber Mark II is a world famous double-edged, double-serrated combat knife. It is admittedly a bit much for daily pocket carry, and it isn't exactly full of gadgets. Nevertheless, it is a badass knife, and worthy of inclusion in our knife reviews. The Gerber Mark II was first introduced in 1966 in a slightly different design. The knife quickly gained a reputation as a deadly combat knife, as opposed to a general utility / combat knife, like the famous standard issue Ka-bar knife. The Gerber Mark II is too thin to use for prying and hammering, like the hardier Ka-bar, and didn't originally have serrated edges. The knife apparently became wildly popular in military base exchanges due to its reputation and deadly looks. This didn't go over so well on the homefront, where Vietnam war protestors used the knife to showcase the "murder" taking place in Vietnam. The military apparently banned the sale of the Gerber Mark II to avoid the bad press, but Gerber got the knife back in circulation by adding the serrated edges and labeling it a "survival knife", instead of a combat knife. The modern incarnation is made of 420 HC steel with a black oxide coating.
The Gerber Mark II features a double-edged partially serrated spear-point blade with a contoured handle. The Mark II knives were used heavily by U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War. The knife was also featured in the movies Aliens and Mad Max 2.
The 6-7/8" double-edged, spear point, wasp-waisted blade is currently being made from 420HC stainless steel with a black oxide coating. Each edge has partial sawtooth serrations close to the hilt, a long ago innovation from the original design which was intended to expand the marketing realm of the Mark II into the survival knife category. The die-cast aluminum handle is also coated with black oxide, making for a good match with the blade and black ballistic nylon sheath, and an overall attractive look.
Aside from its historical significance - being a commonly carried tactical blade in the Vietnam War - and its valuable addition to any collection - each is engraved with a serial number - the Mark II is one of the best selling knives of all time. From 1966 to 2000, Gerber Legendary Blades was shipping the Mark II all around the world, and couldn't make them fast enough in many years. There was another very limited run in 2002, and as of July 2008 the Mark II is back to full production. Get yours while you can. Who knows how long this run will last.
To buy or get more information on the Gerber Mark II 6.875" Double Serrated Blade with Nylon Sheath, click the link below.
Gerber Mark II 6.875" Double Serrated Blade with Nylon Sheath
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ReplyDeleteI carried this knife my whole military career and it always got a great response every time I took it out. I never used it for anything other than opening MREs and that sort of thing but it always inspired people. In Iraq And Afg the locals were vry impressed they appreciate bladed weapons. Its an awesome weapon.
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