Dad's U.S. Machete

I was in the garage this weekend pushing things around to make room for a small workshop for my wife. I ended up having to move my Dad's two footlockers. I took a moment to reminisce and opened one. I saw my Dad's Machete tucked along the back wall of the box where he always kept it. I had totally forgotten that my Dad had a Machete in one of them. I thought I'd take some pictures to share them with y'all. I have done nothing to the Machete except take a gun oil rag to it to wipe off some dirt and surface rust. The Machete remains the same, other than the oil, as it was the last time he used it.

I remember this Machete when I was a kid, the first time I saw it was in the barracks in Port Hueneme, CA. that must have been around 1967 or 68. My dad was a Navy Seabee abd served in the Korean War and Vietnam and while the sheath says 1966 on it, I think it is not the original sheath and the Machete is much older as the handle looks to be made out of bakelite. Whatever the case, sadly I don't know its story and never will since he has long passed.

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I have the same one Bill, got it in Ft Wainwright Alaska...and it has a canvass scabbard with a M1910 belt hook. It has a leather strip sewn in between the canvass at the edge. It's the original scabbard and they are WW2 issue. If you look up your blade markings you'll see. The scabbard you show is the one I pilfered from my CQ back in about '76 when I was in Mortar Platoon and it came originally with machete's we had marked "Ontario Knife"...and are period correct for the date you see marked on the mouth of the scabbard... Dad did what I did, needed a scabbard for his knife and went and drew one. The Collins was originally longer than you see, maybe eight inches more...I could measure mine for you but the measurement is on line with examples. The Ontario blades were shorter. Mine was for a Sheffield blade I'd had since I was a kid.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Dad did what I did, needed a scabbard for his knife and went and drew one.

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Jim, Thanks for the info. I'll have to guess he had this since Korea but will never be sure. Honestly, it felt kind of weird unsheathing the Machete after all these years and I kind of freaked when I saw the surface rust. I have a lot of this stuff from both wars just little things even a mosquito head net (same one I was issued in the 70's) little odds and ends and clothing of course. I have both of his KA-BARS, I do have the story on them. I guess the most interesting is the US NAVY decals that go on the side of a Jeep that he has in one of the boxes for whatever reason. I do know that his Gray footlocker was from the Korean War and the Green issued during Vietnam.

Nice story USA maybe from time to time ensure the moths and rust are at bay in the lockers:thup:

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

I have the same one Bill, got it in Ft Wainwright Alaska...

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Gee Jim, are you saying that you liberated that machete from the US Army? Shame! In 1975 I got my Ontario Knife machete from another platoon at Ft. Richardson, Alaska and forgot to return it. OOPS! It has the same 1966 scabbard that Bill has but the blade looks like it was used to chop rebar. Probably why they never came looking for it.

BEAR

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Originally Posted by BEAR

you liberated that machete from the US Army?

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I was wondering if you'd see this...yes, it came from an Akio and left in my sleeping bag valise. Not a very good fit but no one there seemed too worried. Hope they didn't hold your stores accountable later...

Those "Ontario" machetes had a hard blade and yours would be typical of them to have chipped so badly. If you were working low in scrub, the rocks would take big chunks out...

Thought I better actually show what I have... Shows flawed memory too. My soft case has a velco strap which would have been our spec. Machete was originally sold to me in a spare barrel case for a 1919A4 Browning.

The Collins has a loop and I thought it had an M10 belt hook... You see it's dated...'45 on the blade and '42 on the canvas scabbard, you just can't quite see it in the picture.

Sorry for the bad pictures, I really need a new camera. Tried to take pictures of the chewed up blade but it wouldn't show. The electrician taped handle is how I acquired it.
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Originally Posted by BEAR

the chewed up blade

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Yup, lots of them got that...

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Thought I better actually show what I have... Shows flawed memory too. My soft case has a velco strap which would have been our spec. Machete was originally sold to me in a spare barrel case for a 1919A4 Browning.

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Interesting that my Dad's is not stamped US NAVY like yours. But then there is no date either.

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Originally Posted by BEAR

Tried to take pictures of the chewed up blade but it wouldn't show.

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My Dad's is chewed up as well, no big chunks though.

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Originally Posted by usabaker

stamped US NAVY

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Neat part is the Airborne had it...just what was in stores when you order. If you look online you'll find examples like it common.