Gerber Mark II
| Gerber Mark II | |
|---|---|
| File:Gerber Mark II.jpg Gerber Mark II with after market coating on the blade. | |
| Type | Dagger |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1966 |
| Wars | Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1966 |
| Manufacturer | Gerber Legendary Blades |
| Produced | 1967–2000 2008–2022 |
The Gerber Mark II is a fighting knife manufactured by Gerber Legendary Blades from 1966 to 2000, with an additional limited run of 1500 in 2002,[1] and full production resuming as of July 2008.[2]
Design
[edit | edit source]The Gerber Mark II was designed by retired Army Captain, Clarence A. “Bud” Holzmann, based the pattern on a Roman Mainz Gladius.[1][2]
At 12.75 inches (32.39 cm) long it has a 6.5 inch (16.5 cm) 420 HC stainless steel double edged spear point wasp-waisted blade, weighs 8 ounces (226.8g), and has a die cast aluminum handle.[3]
The Mark II has a distinctive look similar to that of the Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife developed during World War II for the British Commandos.[4]
Vietnam War variant
[edit | edit source]During the Vietnam War, the first production run of this knife had a five 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.[1][2]
This design feature led to a significant number of knives being returned by users for having a "bent blade", so Gerber discontinued that element on subsequent production runs.
Use
[edit | edit source]The Mark II was commonly carried by troops for the United States in the Vietnam War, and was second only to the Ka-Bar knife in fame.[4]
In the 1970s, the military's base/post exchanges discontinued selling these knives, reasoning that they were "not in good taste" or "too brutal".[4]
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.[4]
Variant
[edit | edit source]Mark I
[edit | edit source]The Mark I was a scaled down version of the Mark II. It had a 4.75 inch (12 cm) blade and was marketed as a boot knife.[5]
Users
[edit | edit source]
In popular culture
[edit | edit source]- The MK II was the suggested blade in Paladin Press's controversial how to book, Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors.[6]
- The Mark II gained additional fame when it was used by Mel Gibson in his role of Max Rockatansky in the film of 1981, The Road Warrior.
- The black coated blade model of the Mark II was used during the mess hall knife game scene in the science fiction film Aliens.
- The film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) features the Winter Soldier using a Mark II in a fight with Captain America.
- During a scene in Man of Steel (2013), Colonel Nathan Hardy (portrayed by actor Christopher Meloni) uses a Mark II in an attempt to fight the Kryptonian lieutenant Faora Hu-Ul, before Superman intervenes.
- Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal) uses a Mark II throughout the film Under Siege (1992) most notably during the finale against William Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones)
See also
[edit | edit source]- List of daggers
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
- OKC-3S Bayonet
- M9 bayonet
- Strider SMF
- SARK
- CQC-6
- Commander (knife)
- Mark 3 Knife
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ The Mark II page at the Gerber website: www.gerbergear.com Archived 2020-11-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- 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
