is my knife a real ww2 relic

**chicobisonte** · 10-19-2015, 02:10 PM

I have a Camillus knife at home i bought from a antique festival and the knife has no markings on the actual blade but they are on the blade guard and it says Camillus,NY U.S.M.C

**greatwhite** · 10-19-2015, 02:53 PM

Pictures will help.

**rbminis** · 10-19-2015, 04:42 PM

by chicobisonte

I have a Camillus knife at home i bought from a antique festival and the knife has no markings on the actual blade but they are on the blade guard and it says Camillus,NY U.S.M.C

Those are the correct location and markings for a knife by this maker. I believe they were also sold post war with this marking.
Ralph.

**MilitariaOne** · 10-19-2015, 05:22 PM

"Camillus had three orders for the USMC version of the knife. The first, issued in October 1943 was for 150,000 knives. The second in June 1944 for another 150,000 and the last in January 1945 for 125,000, which was terminated due to the end of the war with 53,000 delivered.

The change from blade marking to guard marking was ordered in late May 1943 although it may be that blade marking was continued for a short time until the dies could be made to mark the guard. However, it is likely that most if not all of the June 1944 order was guard marked as well as the January 1945 order.

As such, about 150,000 were blade marked and about 203,000 were guard marked. Since the blade marked were made earlier and were subject to more wartime issue and use, they are probably somewhat scarcer than these numbers would indicate, although issue and use in Korea would also reduce the number of guard marked specimens."

From here: Camillus Blade Marked USMC MK2 Rarity - EDGED WEAPONS - U.S. Militaria Forum

V/r Lance