It was preceded by many, many Bowies and somehow all the Bowies have the name V-44.
So be it.
ww2On the fourth of November, 1942, as part of America's first offensive of the war, the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion landed on Guadalcanal. Their exploits over the next few months earned them a place in history and their commander, Lt Col. Carlson his third Navy cross. The M2, "Kabar" utility/fighting knife wasn't yet available so the Raiders were equipped with the Collins #18 Machete. This knife had a 9 1/2" Bowie style blade, a brass cross guard and green handle slabs of horn. It was adopted initially, in 1935, by the Air Corps as a survival machete. It ultimately came to be associated with Carlson's Raiders and was afterward referred to as the "Gung Ho" knife. The above is not that knife.
An aside to this story (and the reason I'm writing this at all) is that one of the young officers serving under Carlson on Guadalcanal was Evan C. Carlson, the Colonel's son. The younger Carlson was transferred in Feb of 1943 to the 1st Battalion, 21st Regiment in New Zealand where he ordered for his Marines 1000 knives designed to mimic the Collins #18 almost exactly. The exception being that the brass and horn handle was replicated in cast aluminum painted OD.
It was probably not specially designed by the good Colonel's son as it was also the issued "bail-out knife" of the RNZAF and belongs to a group of WW2 Bowies erroneously referred to as "V44's"
My reproduction of this famous knife is the same size and profile as the original. The blade is 9 1/2". It was hand forged from 1095 steel, is hardened and zone tempered.
Includes a cowhide sheath replicating the original.
$175 plus $7.50 shipping.
To order e-mail me.
My time in the Seabees makes me nostalgic over any WW2, "theater knives" - that is - knives made or modified "in theater".
Having acess to skills, materials and shop space, many knives in the Pacific were produced by "The Bees" such as the jolly gentlemen pictured.
To this end, as time permits, I put together a theater V-44 on spec.
Each example pictured would include the same sheath as above.
$180 - $200 plus $7.50 shipping.
To order e-mail me.
