Gerber Mark II
Encyclopedia
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. It was designed by retired Army Captain Bud Holzman, who based the pattern off a Roman Mainz Gladius
.
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
for the British Royal Marines. 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. The MK II was the suggested blade in Paladin Press
's controversial how-to book, Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors
.
During the Vietnam war, the first production run of this knife had a 5-degree offset between the blade and the grip in order to ride in the sheath more comfortably and give the user a grip similar to that of a fencing foil. This design feature lead to a significant amount of knives being returned by users for having a "bent blade", so Gerber discontinued that element on subsequent production runs. In the 1970s, the military's base/post exchanges discontinued selling these knives, reasoning that they were "not in good taste" or "too brutal". 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.
Gerber manufactured a scaled down version of the Mark II known as the Mark I. The Mark I had a 4 3/4" long blade and was marketed as a boot knife
.
Combat knife
A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Since the end of trench warfare, most military combat knives have been secondarily designed for utility use in addition to their original role as close-quarter combat...
knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
manufactured by Gerber Legendary Blades
Gerber Legendary Blades
Gerber Legendary Blades is a maker of consumer knives and multitools headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, United States, within the Portland metropolitan area. Currently Gerber is a sub-division of Fiskars Brands Inc, owned by the Fiskars company of Finland...
from 1967 to 2000, with an additional limited run of 1500 in 2002, and full production resuming as of July 2008. It was designed by retired Army Captain Bud Holzman, who based the pattern off a Roman Mainz Gladius
Gladius
Gladius was the Latin word for sword, and is used to represent the primary sword of Ancient Roman soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians and others during the early...
.
It has a double-edged spear-point wasp-waisted
Wasp waist
Wasp waist refers to a woman's fashion silhouette, produced by a style of corset and girdle, that has experienced various periods of popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its primary feature is the abrupt transition from a natural-width rib cage to an exceedingly small waist, with the hips...
blade, and used a distinctive handle similar to that of the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife
Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife is a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a foil grip developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on concepts which the two men initiated before World War II while serving on the Shanghai Municipal...
developed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the British Royal Marines. The Mark II was commonly carried by U.S. troops in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and was second only to the Ka-Bar
KA-BAR
KA-BAR is the contemporary popular name for the combat knife first adopted by the United States Marine Corps in November 1942 as the 1219C2 Combat Knife , and subsequently adopted by the United States Navy as the U.S. Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2...
knife in fame. The MK II was the suggested blade in Paladin Press
Paladin Press
Paladin Press is a book publishing firm founded in 1970 by Peder Lund and Robert K. Brown.The company publishes non-fiction books and videos covering a wide range of specialty topics, including personal and financial freedom, survivalism and preparedness, firearms and shooting, various martial...
's controversial how-to book, Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors
Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors
Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors is a book written under the pseudonym Rex Feral and published by Paladin Press in 1983. Paladin Press owner Peder Lund claimed, in an interview with 60 minutes, that the book started life as a detailed crime novel written by a Florida...
.
During the Vietnam war, the first production run of this knife had a 5-degree offset between the blade and the grip in order to ride in the sheath more comfortably and give the user a grip similar to that of a fencing foil. This design feature lead to a significant amount of knives being returned by users for having a "bent blade", so Gerber discontinued that element on subsequent production runs. In the 1970s, the military's base/post exchanges discontinued selling these knives, reasoning that they were "not in good taste" or "too brutal". Al Mar
Al Mar Knives
Al Mar Knives is a production knife company headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, United States. Al Mar Knives was established in 1979 by Al Mar, and has a reputation for making tactical knives of innovative design. While headquartered in the United States, Al Mar Knives are made in Japan.-Al Mar:Al...
, 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
Survival knife
Survival knives are knives intended for survival purposes in a wilderness environment, often in an emergency situation when the user has lost most of his/her main equipment. Military units issue some type of survival knife to pilots in the event their plane may be shot down. Survival knives can be...
, rather than a fighting knife.
Gerber manufactured a scaled down version of the Mark II known as the Mark I. The Mark I had a 4 3/4" long blade and was marketed as a boot knife
Boot knife
A boot knife or a gambler's dagger is a small fixed-blade knife that is designed to be carried in or on a boot. Typically, such a knife is worn on a belt or under a pant leg. If worn around the neck they become a neck knife. Boot knives generally come with a sheath that includes some form of a...
.
In popular culture
- The Mark II gained additional fame when it was used by Mel GibsonMel GibsonMel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
in the film The Road Warrior. - At least for a time, it was also a popular choice of the comics anti-hero PunisherPunisherThe Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
for close combat.
See also
- List of daggers
- OKC-3S BayonetOKC-3S BayonetThe OKC-3S is a bayonet developed by the United States Marine Corps to replace the M7 bayonet as its service bayonet for the M16 family of rifles. This multi-purpose bayonet provides greater durability than the M7 and also functions as a fighting knife....
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
External links
- Official Gerber Website
- Details on the Mark, Command, and Guardian series of Gerber knives
- Gerber Mark II Production Matrix
- Detailed information on the Mark II including production variations, packaging, advertisements, and accessories
- Images of the Gerber Mark II 20th Anniversary Edition prototype
- Scene from Aliens