HISTORIC  NOTE:      Gerber Mark II Combat knife was designed on May 15th, 1966 by Captain C.A. “Bud” Holzman, U.S.A., Retired, of Gerber Legendary Blades of Portland, Oregon. A prototype was made and then field tested and evaluated at Fort Lewis, Washington by members of the U.S. Army’s Fourth Infantry Division in July, 1966. Following their suggestions, a second prototype was made and tested in August 1966. Their design was finalized and the Mark II went into production in October 1966. Advertising started in December 1966 with the first shipments made in early 1967. The original factory brochure stated “A good man deserves a good fighting knife – and that’s what we made!” Production started with serial number 1001 and by the end of 1967 about 4000 had been made. The original knives had the gray “Steel-Grip” handles and non-serrated “wasp” blades with a 5 degree cant in straight, staple reinforced, brown leather sheaths w/round tips. Approximately 2,746 knifes {sn#1001-sn#3747} were made in the original variation. At least 235,000 were made in the first thirty years of production between late 1966 and 1997. Gerber had been making kitchen knives since around 1939 and sporting knives since around 1958.   - END OF HISTORIC NOTE -