gentlemanjoe
Well-known member
If you notice that little porpoise cast into the bottom of the scabbard near the sharpening stone (In the next to the last photo) check the knife tang for a similar stamp. That's the early ones that mostly went to SF and 82nd Airborne Div. Most USGI will also have a code (-,+/ etc....) stamped where the patent info is and depending on the code will tell you what year it was made. I have 4 or 5 of them and one that was made by Buck. Also there are a few different ways Phrobis stamped their blade. As I recall there was an early commercial version in black that was available in the PX. The earliest versions of Phrobis and Buck fetch a premium over the latter ones.I've been using one on camping trips for many years. I absolutely love the thing.
The sheath is an earlier model with a built-in sharpener underneath a protective nylon cover that snaps in place. As is common, it's cracked and I think it's probably the reason they eventually omitted it:
And the little pouch on the front is the perfect place to store my backup fire starter:
As a side note in the late 80's-early 90's when the big switch came out 1911 to M9, M16a1 to A2, M151 to Hummer etc... and these new bayonets. One of the bayonets came up missing after a night Mass Tac jump and we were locked down for 3 days because of a missing bayonet. In all honesty I think someone got one from another unit supply sergeant just so we could go home. If we'd have caught the asshole who stole it we'd have probably killed him.
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