Guns International #: 102813054
Seller's Inventory #: EK WW2 RARE KNIFE
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Guns International #: 102813054
Category - Collectibles - WWII
- Knives
EK COMMANDO RARE KNIFES WW2 IN VERY GOOD CONDITION
Description: SEE THE PICTURES OF EK COMMANDO RARE KNIFES WW2 IN A VERY GOOD CONDITION. John Ek designed his first knife, the style 1, sometime in early 1939. Mr. Ek was a machinist and several references mention his supposed motivation for designing a better knife were letters he received from military personnel complaining about the poor quality of issue knives. While it is true that complaints arose from U.S. soldiers and Marines, the complaints were about the then issue World War I era bronze-handled Mark I trench knife. (The KA-BAR combat knife wasn't adopted for military issue until 1942). The truth is, that since Mr. Ek was a scoutmaster and Connecticut State Guardsman, he was well acquainted with knives. Shortly after his State Guard and rifle/bayonet training, he felt that the bayonet, when removed from the rifle, was too unwieldy if used for hand-to-hand fighting. He made up his mind that he would experiment until he developed a knife that was more suited as hand weapon for close-in fighting. This was the true catalyst for the birth of Ek Knives. His designs used a hot-poured lead/tin mixture to attach two hardwood handles to his full tang knife blades. He took his design to the U.S. Government War Production Board, along with a few samples of his knives. When questioned about the lack of a crossguard on his knives he explained that his knives had eight scalloped edges which gave the user such a good grip that he found that a crossguard was unnecessary. He demonstrated the grip of the knife by greasing his hand and plunged one of his knives into the wooden floor with such force that it was difficult to pull it out. The point did not break and his hand did not slip. He did not get the Military Contract that he had hoped for, but he did leave the meeting in Washington, DC with permission to obtain raw materials. One of the most important materials was the steel, a high-quality, Nickel-Chrome-Molybendium, oil-hardening steel that was a critical war material. The lead for the handle rivets was recovered from used bullets and wheel weights. The hardwood Rock Maple was from scraps of bed slats and furniture. The majority of John Ek Knife production occurred at the Whitney Machine Shop at 1242 Whitney Ave. in the Hamden Conn. neighborhood of Whitneyville. The location, a low brick building constructed in 1910 and probably remodeled several times, is now co-occupied by a cake shop and soup restaurant. Mr. Ek was deeply patriotic but could not qualify for military service due to injuries he had received from an auto accident in 1936. So in 1941 he began with just a few employees and started producing his knives in quantity. He requested and received permission from the British War Office to use the term "Commando" and he named his knives "John Ek Commando Knives". In 1941 John Ek stated "A Good Knife Can Save a Life". His company motto was "Made in America, By Americans, For Americans". He hired disabled Americans and continued to do so as he increased knife production. Sometime before 1944 John Ek Commando Knives also opened another location, a building at 1212 Whitney Ave., about a half block up the Avenue. That location is now a parking lot for a condominium complex. During World War II, John Ek had very strong feelings about restricting his knives to active-duty servicemen. He instituted a system where the knife had to fill out a registration card certifying that the owner was a member of the armed forces, giving his name, rank and serial number. He also guaranteed each knife for the lifetime of the original owner. The registration cards were retained along with the serial number of the knife sent to the serviceman. This knife serial number 20732 is the one of that time when it was registed to the US Army Sreviceman. It is an extremely rare and highly collectible WW2 item with the original sheath. My asking price is $1,495, or best offer Please check our other listings. We accept bank & postal money orders or personal & business checks, but those take time to clear. We also offer 90 days layaways with 25% down & three more payments of 25% per month. The layaway plan does not have 3 days inspection privileges; therefore there is “NO RETURNS” policy. If you have offered to buy my guns, and the payment has not made soon after (from 3 to 5 days), I will not guarantee you will be the buyer of it. I can secure your purchase only when you have paid for it. If your payment comes too late, I will return it back to you. Please check our other nice listings. SAFETY NOTICE: Buyer solely responsible for following all safety requirements in handling guns. The buyer agrees to hold seller harmless against damages, injury or death caused by defective merchandise or ammo. Price: $1,495.00 Contact Seller |
Guns International #: 102813054
Seller's Inventory #: EK WW2 RARE KNIFE
Guns International #: 102813054
Seller's Inventory #: EK WW2 RARE KNIFE