MAC MKII COMBAT DAGGER

By: Greg Chabot

Photos: Sasha Steadman

The Gerber MKII is a legendary knife design that earned its reputation in the blood-soaked soil of Vietnam. For many years, it was a top seller and second only to the Ka-Bar in popularity with the troops during the cold war. Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s I enjoyed reading magazines such as Gung-ho! Eagle, New Breed and Soldier of Fortune (back in the Col. Bob Brown days!). I remember seeing Michael Echanis (picture below) on the cover of SOF with a Gerber MKII, which made a profound impact on a young me. In other magazines, I’d see pictures of badass dudes in Africa and other conflict zones with MKIIs taped on their kit.

Brief History Lesson:

The MKII went through a few changes during its production run. The original MKII was designed by Clarence “Bud’ Holzman, who based his design on the Roman Mainz Gladius. The first production run had a five-degree offset between the blade and handle for comfort on the hip and to give the user a grip like a fencing foil. Gerber discontinued that feature as many MKIIs were returned wrongly, for having a bent blade.

In the early 70’s there was pushback from the military exchange system that was refusing to carry MKIIs, citing they were too “brutal” looking, etc. Al Mar, a famous knife designer and maker, was working for Gerber at the time and added sawtooth serrations, rebranding the MKII as a Survival knife, which kept them on PX shelves. The MKII had other variations through the years until being discontinued around the 2019 timeframe.

I have always liked the MKII and had one that I gifted to a friend many years ago. I personally hated the serrations as I felt it took away from the clean look of the early ones. And the serrations were pretty much useless in my opinion. Early MKIIs are highly desired by collectors and the prices reflect that. I’m not paying those prices for a production knife regardless of age. While searching I stumbled upon the MAC MKII by Military Armament Corporation out of Knoxville TN. After checking it out, I decided to buy one to review.

First Impressions:

The knife arrived quickly from MAC and came in a cardboard box. Inside was the MKII and a leather sheath. The wasp-waisted blade looked clean with an even grind with no defects. Sample cut paper with no issues.

The handle is finished in a gray cerakote that was evenly applied, as was the black cerakote on the pommel and guard. The pommel has a hole for a lanyard if one chooses to use one. The sheath is tan leather with an old-style web belt clip. It is also set up for end users to run their belt through it. The sheath stitching is done well and there is riveting to prevent the sheath from failing with use. Overall, I had a good first impression of this blade.

 Specs:

The double-edged blade is made of 440C stainless steel that has been heat treated to a hardness of 58-60 HRc with a 20-degree cutting edge. The blade length is 6.5” with an OAL of 11.75”.  It is a full tang design that is epoxied into the handle. Origin is unknown, I’m guessing Turkey as MAC is an importer of various Turkish firearms. Handle is machined aluminum with a weight of 11.5 ounces.

Testing:

I’ll start with this; daggers are made to put holes in people first and foremost. They are designed as an offensive/defensive blade, and my tests will focus on that aspect. The MKII balances well in hand. The handle is very comfortable and ergonomic. The texture was a little smooth for my liking. Comparing it to my vintage Gerber Command 2 with the epoxy Armorhide paint, I could feel the difference right away, after coating my hands with mineral oil to simulate blood, I could still retain control of the knife, but it did move around more than I liked. I plan to add some skateboard tape after testing to remedy that. It’s not a deal breaker and it’s an easy fix if you prefer a more aggressive texture.

For stabbing it performed as expected. I had no problem penetrating multiple layers of clothes on an old heavy bag. This is a very fast blade, and it was easy to go from a forward to reverse grip. It performed decently for slashing, and the pommel did the damage I expected (tried on a melon). The tip of the dagger is the weak spot of the design. Daggers prioritize a deep thrusting geometry to go deep and penetrate vital organs to kill. The tips are thinner than other designs, keeping that in mind I did use the sample to open a can and did not damage the tip. The blade kept its edge, and I was glad it wasn’t damaged.

Final Thoughts:

This is a nice clone of the original Gerber MKII and with a current MSRP of $54.99 USD it is a steal. Gerber purist will find something to bash on the MAC. I could personally care less if the waist is narrower than the original, etc. This clone will kill a person just as fast as an original MKII from the 60’s.  For those of us that use knives, it won’t be a huge financial loss if it gets damaged or winds up in an evidence room if you defend yourself with it. Would I recommend this knife? Yes, it is affordable and well made, and it should provide a lifetime of use if properly cared for. I’ll add this, buy a knife that will suit your needs, not because it looks cool. If you are looking for a classic design without the price tag, head over to MAC and get yourself a MKII. Here’s the link. https://milarmamentcorp.com/mac-mk-ii-knife/

Also, hat was bought at https://invictal.com/