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[1], and full production resuming as of July 2008.[2] It was designed by retired Army Captain Bud Holzman, who based the pattern off a Roman Mainz Gladius.[1][2]
It has a double-edged spear-point wasp-waisted blade, and used a distinctive handle similar to that of the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife developed during World War II.[3] The Mark II was commonly carried by U.S. troops in the Vietnam War, and was second only to the Ka-Bar knife in fame.[3] The Mark II gained additional fame when it was featured in a scene in the science fiction/action movie Aliens and was also used by Mel Gibson in the film Mad Max 2. The MK II was the suggested blade in Paladin Press's controversial how-to book, Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors.[4]
During the Vietnam war, some production runs of this knife had a 5-degree offset between the blade and the grip in order to ride in the sheath more comfortably.[2][1] Toward the end of the Vietnam war, the military's base/post exchanges discontinued selling these knives, reasoning that they were "not in good taste" or "too brutal".[3] Al Mar, then working for Gerber as a knife maker, 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.[3]
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c Pacella, Gerard (2002). 100 Legendary Knives. Iola, Wis.: Krause Publications. p. 145. ISBN 0873494172.
- ^ a b c Dick, Steven (November 2008). "Vietnam Legend Returns". Tactical Knives Magazine: 30.
- ^ a b c d Walker, Greg (1993). Battle Blades: A Professional's Guide to Combat/Fighting Knives. Boulder, Colo.: Paladin Press. p. 30. ISBN 0-87364-732-7.
- ^ Feral, Rex (1983). Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors. Boulder, Colo.: Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-276-7.
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