What's up with EK knives....

[graham88]

I have never had one... because by the time I wanted one, they were hundreds of dollars more than I could pay....

Why can I remember these for sale at cutlery shop for 1/4 of the prices I see now???

They are obviously beautifully made knives…. But why $300.00

http://www.ekknife.com/images/MCMAP-Knife.jpg

 

[MACHINEGUN]

They have went up considerably.. glad I bought mine over ten or so years ago.

 

[Uralguy]

Brigade Quartermaster was blowing them out when I bought mine. I think I bought 3 for $50 total. Still one of my favorites.

 

[mercop]

Ah, they are OK I guess.

 

[graham88]

Ah, they are OK I guess.

SWEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!! I will only dream.

 

[Pale Rider]

Ah, they are OK I guess.

Show Off!!!

 

[MACHINEGUN]

History

"A GOOD KNIFE CAN SAVE A LIFE" — John Ek, 1941

Considering the important 20th century American knife designers and makers, the name John Ek stands out with as much mystery as respect.
In a sense, he was the Jim Bowie of the 20th century. As time passes and more is written about this man and his knives, his fame as a pioneer in American knife-making will continue to spread. Like Bowie, John Ek pioneered a classic design unlike any other. And his knives were made for fighting -- by American military personnel. One newspaper article indicated that Ek knives "became surrounded almost immediately by an aura of fame and invincibility." John Ek has even been referred to as "the Stradivarius of the blade."
John Ek knives are in that highly restricted category of knives that have been battle tested and battle proven by Americans in five wars -- World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Iraq. As he said in the mid-1970's: "There's been hardly a break without some kind of military involvement since 1941, so we've been busy with knives ever since." He called his knives "Ek Commando Knives." This was a reference to World War II Allied Commando-type units (such as the U.S. Marine Raiders, Rangers, First Special Service Force, and British Commandos), who were highly respected for their knife-fighting abilities. Ek often met with military personnel to discuss knife design and close-combat fighting. Company reports indicate that he requested -- and received -- permission from the British War Office to use the term "Commando."
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This sketch of John Ek, when he was young, was made by his brother.​

It is reported that President Franklin D. Roosevelt kept a John Ek Commando Knife on his desk in the White House until the time of his death. This certainly seems possible, as photographs exist of John Ek with a large display of Ek Commando Knives on exhibit in the White House in 1944.
General George S. Patton, Jr. also owned a John Ek Commando Knife (as did several of his subordinates). John Ek even named his Model No. 6 the "Patton Knife." Captain Clark Gable, while not necessarily expecting to see combat, was none-the-less a customer of John Ek -- thinking that if the situation took him in harm's way, he would have a dependable knife.
MILITARY FIGHTING KNIVES
The recorded information in our registry files shows that Ek knives were and are owned by men of all ranks in every branch of service -- Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. Their mailing addresses prove that Ek knives were used in every theater of operation around the world. In fact, Ek knives probably hold the record for being the leading privately-purchased military knives in American history.
During World War II, John Ek had very strong feelings about restricting his knives to active-duty servicemen. He did not want his knives to fall into the wrong hands. Ek felt his knives were the finest made and that they gave the user an advantage over any adversary. His philosophy was "A knife is more deadly than a gun. A gun will run out of ammunition, but as long as a person is behind a knife, it can kill."
For this reason, during WWII each knife was individually serially numbered and registered in the owner's name. The purchaser had to fill out a registration card certifying that the owner was a member of the armed forces, giving his name, rank, and service serial number. This strict screening procedure also applied where knives were purchased by military men or individuals through dealers. Before the knife would be made available, the individual had to fill out the same form, and it had to be returned to the company. If a dealer failed to return a registration card, future orders were cut by the number of missing registrations until the missing card was returned.
John Ek could certainly have sold far more knives had he not been concerned about the strict registration procedure. But he was a strongly patriotic American, a newspaper headline once calling him a "Modern Day Thomas Paine."
During a time of steel shortages, the U.S. Government War Production Board tested and approved the designs of the Ek knives and authorized John Ek continued availability of the high-quality, nickel-chrome-moly steel. As a strategic materiel, this was scarce. It speaks well of the John Ek knife that the government wanted him to continue production and that he was admitted to the Army Ordnance Association.
Ek selected nickel-chrome-moly steel for his blades. He found this material to be extremely strong, yet to have some degree of stain and rust resistance. Of Swedish ancestry, Ek in later years would also use Swedish Sandvik stainless steel, upon request. In April or May of 1939 John Ek designed the first John Ek Commando Knife which he named, appropriately, the Model No. 1. Actually, he thought that one model would be all that would be needed. The Model No. 1 had a single-edged blade of spearpoint design, with a sharpened false edge extending approximately three inches along the back edge of the blade.
Later, a double-edged version of this (the Model No. 2) was developed. Then crossguards were added to these versions, making them the Model No. 6 and No. 7 respectively (today called the No. 3 and No. 4).
RUGGED DESIGN - FULL TANG
Several aspects of his design made his knives distinctive and rugged. First of all, the knife was of full-width, full-length tang construction. Not only did the tang (the extension of the blade which runs through the grips) run the entire length of the grips, but the tang was also the full width of the grips. In other words, the grips were about one inch wide and five inches long -- and so was that portion of the steel blade. This provided maximum strength. By comparison, most knives of the day (even ones made today) had narrow "rat-tail" tangs -- many running only one-third the length of the grip.
Also unusual was the extended butt, a direct extension of the blade and the blade tang itself. Depending upon the year of manufacture, the butt could vary in length anywhere from nearly one inch to approximately one-half inch beyond the grip. It could also be used as a pry bar for opening ammunition crates or, according to Ek's 1944 manual, Your Silent Partner, for "an upstroke to lay your opponent out." Another use of this extension was to protect both the hand and wooden grips when the butt was used as a hammer.
The extended butt of the Ek Commando Knife may possibly have inspired the design of the "skullcrusher" pommel on the First Special Service Force V-42 Stiletto, which appeared in 1943.
The grips were of Rock Maple, selected for a number of reasons. John Ek preferred wood to leather, as the latter rotted, particularly under tropical conditions. He also chose it over the brass/alloy grips of the British Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife, finding it to be more comfortable and to provide better gripping power, especially when the hand was wet with perspiration. This also allowed the owner to custom fit the grip, by sanding, to the exact contour of his hand. For a number of years the company included a piece of flint paper with each knife for this purpose.
The grips on his more-popular knives had eight scallops -- four on each of two grips. The gripping power was so good that John Ek found that a crossguard was not necessary to prevent the hand from slipping. When questioned about this by the War Production Board, Ek greased his hand and plunged one of his knives into the wooden floor with such force that no one was able to pull it out. This dramatically demonstrated that the crossguard was not necessary to keep the hand from sliding onto the blade.
He preferred his knives without crossguards for ease of concealment and for quick withdrawal (no crossguard to snag on clothes). In fact, when his range of knives was finally expanded to 10 different models, only three of these had crossguards. Evidently, military men agreed with him, as his Model No. 1 and Model No. 2 (single-edge and double-edge, respectively) were always his most popular knives, and neither of these had guards. (Note: The Model No. 1 and Model No. 2 were discontinued in the late 1980's but, popular with jujitsu-trained knife fighters, brought back in 1997.)
Also unusual and distinctive were the "Poured-Lead" Rivets which were used to affix the two wooden grips to the blade tang. Most knives at the time used standard cutlery rivets or pins, or they were simply driven onto the rat-tail tang. The Poured-Lead Rivets had the advantage that, if the grips ever became loose, they could be tightened in the field without any tools. All the owner needed to do was take a heavy object, such as a rock, and pound the lead rivets to tighten them. Another advantage of the Poured-Lead Rivets was the extra weight which made the knife balance far better than most, as it added weight to the hilt. This caused it to fall into the hand, rather than fall out of the hand. (Note: The present "X-Head Fastener System" enhances both of these benefits).
HAMDEN: 1944-1949
In January 1941, John Ek started producing knives in quantity in Hamden, Connecticut near Lake Whitney (he had started making knives in 1939). By 1943 he had put six different styles of knives into production, and the quantity of production increased. By August 1944, demand for his knives had grown to the point where three shifts worked around the clock seven days a week, producing 10 different models.
Virtually all of the knives made in WWII by John Ek were numbered. The first number on the blade is the model number; the subsequent numbers are the serial number, preceded by a letter of the alphabet. Starting with the 1000th knife of each model, the letter A preceded the serial number. Serial numbers following the alphabetical prefix went up to 999 prior to shifting over to the next letter of the alphabet. For example, a knife numbered 1B299 means this is a Model 1, serial number B299.
Ek serially numbered these knives to help the owners keep track of them if they were lost, and also because he guaranteed each knife for the lifetime of the original owner. By keeping the original owner's name on record, he could follow up his lifetime guarantee system.
Always interested in improving quality control, his lifetime guarantee increased the probability that he would learn of any mistakes he made. He received back very few of his knives, because they were so rugged; there was very little to break or go wrong with them.
FLORIDA: 1949-1982
In 1949 John Ek moved to Miami, Florida where he continued production of his famous knives. From here he provided knives to American forces during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Miami-produced knives were marked "John Ek Knives, Miami, Fla.", whereas earlier knives bore the "Hamden, Conn." identification.
When the U.S. entered and fought the Vietnam War, Ek Commando Knives received acclaim from owners -- such as this letter from a helicopter gunship crew chief, received in 1965: "When your ship is shot down in VC territory, your rifle or pistol is of no use to you if you have to walk back to friendly lines. You can't afford that much noise, so your knife and knowing how to use it are your best weapons. The only knives suitable for this type of war and for survival use are your Commando knives."
Another trooper from the 101st Airborne wrote: "I don't know where we all will be going, but I'm sure it's back to the boonies again. I hope to have one of your knives when I return to the jungle. I heard about your unique knives from a friend back in the world who said they were the best in the world and made specially for combat fighting."
John Ek died on 21 October 1976, but the business was continued by his son, who had worked for his father as a knifemaker prior to John Ek's death. Due to the growing crime rate in Miami, the Ek family decided to relocate the operation to St. Augustine until 1982, when they moved it to Richmond, Virginia -- halfway between the earlier Connecticut and Florida locations.
RICHMOND: 1982 to Today
In 1982, the Ek family moved the operation to Richmond, Virginia, then tranferred the direction and ownership of it to Robert A. Buerlein. The Ek motto became "Constant Improvement," and changes made over the years help identify the date of origin. Efforts concentrated on developing tighter technical specifications for the knives for higher and consistent quality. They were made sharper (razor sharp) and more robust, with state-of-the-art materials. Locations for the grip fastener system were moved for greater strength, and a new crossguard was developed. This latter was thicker with quillons that curved forward slightly, to prevent jamming the thumb. Poured-Lead Rivets were initially used in all production for the first several years, but this gave way to the newly-developed "X-Head Fastener System." These were solid-brass precision-made screw fasteners which provided the desired weight of lead (for proper knife balance). Yet, they also allowed quick removal and easy replacement of grips, if the owner desired. Sturdy and split-proof Pakkawood and, later, Micarta, grips replaced the maple and, later, walnut grips of earlier knives. Different sheath configurations were also developed, including the utilization of brown leather, black leather and later, olive drab, black, tan and ACU Mil-Spec web material.
In 1993 Blackjack Knives, Ltd. of Effingham, IL became involved with manufacture of "production" knives (for two years), while Ek Commando Knife Co. in Richmond continued primarily with custom commando knife-making and sales. When Blackjack ceased operations in the mid-1990's, the making of production knives returned to the Richmond operation, but back to its time-honored, benchmaking approach, with emphasis on quality, not quantity. The Model No. 1 (edge-and-a-half, without crossguard) and Model No. 2, (double-edge, without crossguard), which had been discontinued in the late 1980's, were re-introduced in 1997, and in mid-1997, leather sheaths were discontinued, replaced by the military-style web sheaths.
In 2004, the Marine Raider/MCMAP Knife was introduced, authorized by the U.S. Marine Raider Association. Four per year are presented, in walnut-and-glass display cases, at MACE (Martial Arts Center of Excellence) at Raider Hall, Quantico MCB, to outstanding Black Belt Instructor/Trainers in the graduating class. This is the Dunham-Wetherbee Award (Corporal Jason Dunham, USMC, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2007 by President George W. Bush). In 2004, the Marine Raider Stiletto MKII™ was also introduced -- authorized by the U.S. Marine Raider Association and inspired by their WWII Stiletto. Also in 2004, Checkered Walnut grips were offered again for the first time. In January 2005, the Ek Bowie (Model 5) was re-introduced, and in January 2006 Poured-Lead Rivets were re-introduced, on a special-order basis. In the spring of 2006, the new Army Combat Uniform (ACU) Universal Camouflage pattern was made available for Ek sheaths and with a new Paragrip® knife, the ACU Ranger. In September 2006, the new "military-lug-pattern" wider Gripping Grooves™ were introduced on the Micarta grips. They were modified, starting in March, 2007, by also running the Gripping Grooves over two of the three fastener grip flats.
Over these many years, the Ek Commando Knife Co. has continued catering to requests from military men, special operators, law enforcement personnel, professional adventurers and collectors the world over, most of whom have been Ek Commando Knife owners for many decades. The tradition continues, always influenced by the words of John Ek: "A good knife can save a life."
Many an American life was saved in five wars by John Ek's Commando Knives. The thousands of letters he received during his lifetime from satisfied Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen were the ultimate satisfaction for this patriotic American. His name, his knives, and the Ek Commando Knife Co. live on today as a legacy of his ideas, his skills and his patriotism.
Continue the mission...
Identification of Ek Commando Knives
Ek Commando Knives are nearly always marked with the location of the company at that time. Richmond-marked knives can be dated as below:
Lower banner etched "Commando": 1982-1991
Lower banner etched "Gulf War": 1991-2004 (Sept.)
"Iraqi War" banner added in lower right: 2004 (Oct)-
Some knives made in Richmond in the late 1980's did not have the Richmond, VA address on them.
Model numbers have changed over the years. Ever since 1982 model designations have been:
Model 1: Edge-and-a-half, w/o crossguard
Model 2: Double edge, w/o crossguard
Model 3: Edge-and-a-half, with crossguard
Model 4: Double edge, with crossguard
Model 5: Bowie, with crossguard
The model prefix describes the grip. Current grips are Micarta (M), Checkered Walnut (CW) and parachute cord (in four colors/patterns of camouflage). For example, an M4 has Micarta grips, double-edge blade and a crossguard.


Here is a guide for those who might be interested in getting into collecting Ek knives or looking to price one they may have.
This is an introductory guide to Ek knives that appear on eBay, rather than a complete history of the company and the different products made during its history. This guide is intended for buyers new to Ek knives and sellers interested in appraising what they have, based on the eBay market value.

The author welcomes any corrections or updates experienced collectors may have.

This guide will address the four main "generations" of Ek knives appearing on eBay in the order in which they were originally made.

Generation 1: (1941-1976) Hamden, Connecticut & Miami Florida.
These were made during John Ek's lifetime. Most were constructed of 1/8th inch tool steel with stained, tan-brown rock maple handles secured by three poured lead rivets. By today's standards, the knives are crudely finished but they were dependable and built Ek's reputation as a supplier of private-purchase military knives. During his lifetime, Ek sold the knives exclusively to soldiers. The WW II knives were made in Hamden, Connecticut and knives made between 1949 and 1976 were made in Miami, Florida. Ek knives are marked with the location of their manufacture. This is useful to determine in which conflict an Ek may have been used. Also worth noting is the unusual serial numbering system found on Gen.1 Ek knives. Letters replace the "thousands" place in the serial number of a given model. A=1000, B=2,000, C=3000, D=4000, and so on. A knife with the serial number D567 is actually the 4,567 knife made of that type.

Noted military knives historian Gary Boyd estimates over 100,000 "Hamden" knives were produced between 1941 and 1945. After Ek moved to Miami, a flood in the 1970s destroyed the shop's records. Most "Miami" knives were made during the mid to late '60s. Mr. Boyd states the highest serial number he'd seen on a "Miami" knife was 411 and the knife was made in 1970-71 according to John Ek's son. This combination of a low number and a late model year would indicate very few "Miami" knives were ever made.

All Gen. 1 Ek's are indisputably the most valuable type of Ek knife. Collectors have even been willing to take a chance that an old knife might be an Ek. An unfinished, unsharpened, (and most importantly) unmarked blade "blank" a seller claimed was an Ek knife offering no documentation for his claim sold on Dec-30-06 for $31.89.

The real product commands a much higher price. An original Gen.1 Model #1 dagger (with a single edged blade and sharpened false edge 2-3 inches along the back) sold on Sep-27-06 for $810.00. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end. This price remains consistent roughly 6 months later, showing only moderate drop. An Gen.1 Model #1 dagger sold on Feb-14-07 for $650.00. The winning bid was placed 4 seconds away from the auction's end. Its serial number was 1L890. According to John Ek's original numbering system, the "1" indicates Model #1, the "L" is the 12th letter of the alphabet and stands for the "thousands" place in the serial number. So, this particular Ek is the 12,890 Model #1 made by Ek.

A poor condition Gen.1 Model #2 dagger (with a fully double edged blade) which had the tip of the blade broken off, sold on Oct-21-06 for $305.00.

Similar to the Gen1 Model #1 dagger is the Model #6. It also has a a single edged blade and sharpened false edge 2-3 inches along the back. The Model #6 also has a straight steel crossguard. Even though it had been used and heavily sharpened to the point the serial number had been ground down, a Model #6 sold on Feb-11-07 for $343.14. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end.

An original Gen.1 Model#2 dagger (with a double edged blade and fully sharpened on both edges) sold on Jan-01-06 for $672.07. The winning bid was placed 4 seconds away from the auction's end.

A near mint. Gen. 1 Model #2 dagger closed at US $685.97 on Feb-26-07. However, the reserve was not met. The seller claimed the knife's serial number 2/ 076" meant the Model #2 was the 15,076 Model #2 ever made.

Even an unmarked Model #2, claimed by the seller as "genuine" and sold with an Ek sheath made much later for the Gen. 2 series was snapped up with a $105 Buy It Now on Nov-22-06.

A Hamdon Connectciut marked, Ek Model 1 serial number D277 sold on Dec-16-06 for $431.00.

A Gen. 1 Model #5 knife (with a thin bowie style blade and a curved handle) sold on Nov-08-06 for $637.77. The winning bid was placed 3 seconds away from the auction's end.

A mint in original box Gen.1 Model #5 listed by the seller as serial # G280, sold on Nov-28-06 with a Buy It Now Price of $800.

Original Hamden-era accessories also command high prices among collectors. Ek knives were sent with a a small booklet called "Your Silent Partner", which covered the different kind of knives available, their features, and basic care of the knives themselves. A second edition of this small pamphlet sold on Mar-15-07 for $200.50. The winning bid was placed 7 seconds away from the auction's end.

There are limits, even for collectors. Two mint condition oversize store display models of the Gen 1 dagger, each over two feet long, were offered for $1995 each. Both auctions closed on Oct-31-06 with no bids. The two knives were relisted at the same price and closed on Nov-28-06, again with no bids. The seller then halved the price of the knives to $999 and both auctions closed on Jan-03-07, still with no bids.


Generation 2: (1982-1993) Richmond, Virginia

After John Ek's death and a brief lull, the company relocated to Richmond, Virginia and continued making knives. The company dramatically improved all aspects of quality. Handles were made of finely grooved black Micarta and hand-checkered walnut handles were offered as an upgrade. Machined brass X-nut screws were standard and the original poured lead rivets became a rarely selected option. Blades were ground out of stainless steel, mirror polished, and razor sharp. A beautifully made leather scabbard was included. These were richly finished in brown, black, or very rarely tan, and supplied with an elaborate combination of belt loops, retaining straps, and nylon parachute cord wrap. Ek knives also were produced in a lower cost model with a handle made entirely of green or black (and occasionally "desert camo") wrapped parachute cord and a heavy nylon-webbing sheath in a matching color. A number of variants, such as Ek bowie knives, hunting knives, throwing knives, and reproductions of other WW II patterns such as the Australian bowie and the Murphy-pattern combat knife were also produced.

These variants do attract a surprising amount of interest. An Ek throwing knife in near-mint condition sold on Jan-13-07 for $113.50. This amount is very impressive considering the Ek throwing knife design is a bevelled length of steel with a point and is useless for anything except throwing. Condition matters, too. A used set of two Ek throwing knives sold on Feb-03-07 for less than half that, only $54.00.

While not the rarest or the most famous, "Richmond" knives are some of the best Ek's ever made, much superior to Gen. 1 knives. Depending on model rarity and condition, closing prices will normally range between $150-260. For example, a Gen.2 Ek M-4 (fully sharpened double edged blade, grooved micarta handles, brass guard, and brass X-nut fasteners) with the beautifully constructed leather sheath, complete with all its straps and original parachute cord wrap sold on Dec-6-06 for $192.50. This is a typical closing price for M-4, a knife that best typifies the Gen.2 line.

The leather sheaths are an important collectible too, costing almost as much as the knives themselves. Two black leather sheaths sold in one auction for $134.50 on Mar-11-07.

As with all collectible knives, condition plays an important part in setting the final price. An unusual Ek Gen.2 Ek P-4 (fully sharpened double edged blade, grooved micarta handles, brass guard, and poured lead rivets) in poor condition, heavily sharpened with dinged point sold on Feb-09-07 for $149.53. In this case, the condition of the knife probably reduced the final closing price by about $50 to $65. Even so, there was some interest and the winning bid was placed 6 seconds away from the auction's end.

Even the entirely cordwrapped handle versions command high prices. A mint in box, with all original paperwork, Ek Model SF4 (survival-fighter) fully double edged dagger with olive drab cordwrapped handle and matching olive drab web sheath sold for $158.05 on Nov-26-06. The price increased from 100.01 to its closing price with the three highest bids placed in the last 6 seconds of the auction.

Another mint Ek Model SF3 (survival-fighter) partially double edged dagger with olive drab cordwrapped handle and matching olive drab web sheath sold with a Buy It Now for $197 on Dec-09-06. Reflecting a post-holidays decline an identical SF3 sold only for $147.50 on Feb-06-07. The winning bid was placed 7 seconds away from the auction's end.

Variant Ek knives can command very high prices. A mint in box, with original paperwork Ek Model P-1 ( single edged blade and sharpened false edge 2-3 inches along the back, grooved micarta handles, no guard, and poured lead rivets) sold for $251.40 on Jan-27-07. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end.

An equally uncommon variant, the Ek boot knife was most frequently seen with a cord wrapped handle in either green or tan camoflage and either a leather or nylon web sheath. An Ek boot knife with a green cord wrapped handle and a brown leather sheath, an usual combination sold for $152.50 on Mar-08-07. The winning bid was placed 21 seconds away from the auction's end.

Approaching the high end of closing prices, a mint in box, with original paperwork Ek Model M-6 bowie sold for $214.49 on Dec-05-06. The M-6 was a later addition to the Ek line. It had a fully double edged bowie blade and the handle/ guard found on Ek daggers, namely the angled brass guard, grooved micarta grips, and brass X-nut fasteners. The introduction of the Ek bowie was one of the first signs Ek was beginning to see sales decline. The blade design represented a major departure from the standard Ek dagger line up to that point and was an attempt to reach a broader market. Ek bowies were shipped with the nylon web sheaths normally included with the cord wrapped-handle lower cost knives.

Other variants, while equally rare don't attract as much attention. Gen. 2 Ek bowies were made in a number of variants in a continuing attempt to find a successful pattern that would be a major success. Versions include the "SOF" bowie which had a blade very similar to the "MACVSOG" bowie used by Special Forces troops in Vietnam and the "Desert Bowie" which had a full-length fully sharpened back edge. The "SOF" bowie had the same guard and micarta handle as Ek daggers while the "Desert Bowie" had a cordwrapped handle which supposedly didn't retain as much heat if used in the desert. One mint example of each knife sold on Mar-10-07, each for $175.00.

The Ek Desert Storm dagger Model DP-6 with a tan web sheath, tan cordwrapped handle, and beadblasted blade/ guard sold for just slightly higher $178.50, just one day later on Mar-11-07.

A new auction record was set on Feb-04-07 for a regular production knife. A mint in box, with original paperwork Ek bowie sold for $256.90. The bowie blade had a sharpened top clip, but was not fully double edged. The handle/ guard was similar to those found on Ek daggers, namely the angled brass guard, grooved grips, and brass X-nut fasteners. The major difference was the grips were made out of walnut and hand checkered at the factory. The sheath was made of nylon webbing.

Commemorative Ek knives typically sell for much higher due to their rarity and their extra embellishment. A set of 6 commemorative Ek daggers honoring the armed forces, each richly engraved, etched, plated with gold, and individually housed in walnut display cases closed at $810 on Nov-24-06. However, the reserve was not met.

A rare, Desert Storm matched set consisting of a bowie and a boot knife, both with special Desert Storm blade etch and desert camo cord wrapped handles sold on Jan-20-07 for 221.25

An Ek Model 4 commemorative dagger celebrating Ek's 50th anniversary was originally priced at $450 back in 1991. The knife was mirror polished, with stag handles, a gold inlaid inscription on the blade, engraved gold plated cross guard and engraved gold plated X-nuts. The knife was housed in a furniture-grade glass fronted oak display box. A seller offered a mint example with an opening bid of $249.95. The auction ended on Nov-26-06 with no bids. It was relisted with no reserve and sold on Dec-10-06 for $163.49. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end.

An EK Model 4 commemorative dagger issued by the American Heritage Foundation Vietnam Ek Fighting Knife honoring the USMC Force Recon had an engraved blade, gold plated X-nut fasteners and guard, and housed in an oak display box. It sold on Dec-16-06 for $230.00. The winning bid was placed 8 seconds away from the auction's end.

Before Ek finally went out of business, the company tried to save itself by expanding its line with some hunting knives. These were made in small numbers, are rare, and retained the Gen. 2 level of quality. One model, the "Handy" measures 6 1/4" overall, with a 3" blade. It has brown pakka wood handle scales secured to a full tang with two flush brass rivets (not the famous Ek X-nut fasteners). An Ek Handy sold on Jan-11-07 for $112.50.

Generation 3 (1993-1997) Effingham, Illinois

The end of the 80s hit the knife industry hard and a firm specializing in entirely in hand finished, expensive knives wouldn't survive the next decade. Blackjack Knives bought Ek, and moved production over to Blackjack's plant in Effingham, Illinois. Initially, quality was quite good. From the start, leather scabbards were discontinued to cut costs and the nylon-webbing sheath was instead substituted on all models. Later as Blackjack itself started to fail, the quality of the knives began to slip noticeably. Toward the end Blackjack, like the original company at the end of the Gen. 2 era, tried to expand the Ek line. Blackjack began desperately producing small lots of vastly different knives marked with the Ek brand in an attempt to catch the knife-buying public's attention. Blackjack started marking "Ek" on hunting knives, a variety of small boot knives, and small production runs of knives made by completing earlier unfinished parts. Many of these small production runs are the rarest knives ever to carry the Ek brand name, several runs numbering only a few hundred or less.

Collector interest in "Effingham" knives varies widely. "Effingham" daggers don't attract as much buyer interest, though many knives of this generation are quite good. Even so, sellers of "Richmond" knives routinely emphasize the difference in quality. Some of the "last gasp" knives turned out by Blackjack will attract enough attention from advanced collectors to drive the price up to the lower end of Gen. 2 values, regardless of the product's quality which can vary from superb to a sad parody of earlier knives marked with the Ek brand.

"Effingham" Ek daggers and bowies are the most common found on eBay with closing prices averaging $100-140. Blackjack's embellished commemoratives do command better than average prices. A USMC Vietnam commemorative bowie, with exceptional gold-inlaid engraving of the USMC crest and various tributes to the Vietnam conflict, complete with camoflage lined, glass topped oak presentation case sold on Jan-14-07 for $197.50. The winning bid was placed 4 seconds away from the auction's end.

Mint examples from the smaller runs manufactured at the end of Blackjack's history can sell for incredibly high prices, rivalling and sometimes surpassing the Richmond-made Gen. 2 era.

A dagger made with a coffin shaped rosewood grip and the leftover blade, guard, and sheath from Blackjack's "Applegate-Fairbairn" model sold for $138.88 on Mar-11-07.

Blackjack made a fine replica of Sam Houston's bowie with coffin handles and a foot long blade for the U.S. Historical Association. The over-runs were fitted with gorgeous cocobolo wood grips and marked with the Ek Commando logo. The knife itself had absolutely nothing to do with the Ek line, didn't look at all like an Ek knife. That didn't stop Blackjack from slapping the EK Commando Knives logo on it in an effort to generate some hype. Less than two dozen were made and didn't even come with boxes, just a sheath. A mint example sold on Dec-03-06 for $147.60.

This same bowie with black buffalo horn handles closed at new record for modern Ek knives. It sold on Feb-06-07 for $375. The winning bid was placed 21 seconds away from the auction's end.

One alternative Blackjack introduced was a radically simplified dagger known as the "Pigsticker". It has a narrow blade with parallel edges and a keen point. Handles vary from cordwrap to maple secured with copper rivets. Sheaths are usually leather. One of the original mirror finished, hand ground "Pigstickers" marked "Prototype" sold on Feb-11-07 for $151.25. The winning bid was placed 2 seconds away from the auction's end.



Generation 4: (1997- the present) Richmond, Virginia -again.

Like Kimber Firearms, a group of employees bought the rights to Ek and have resurrected the company, reintroducing most of the standard patterns from the 1980s. Best of all, Ek knives are again made to that same high standard of quality. Only the leather scabbards haven't been re-introduced. The modern knives are also marked "Richmond, Virginia", which makes distinguishing them from the original 80's-era knives, a bit difficult. This is hardly accidental, as the new Ek company wants to make a brand connection to the firm's reputation for extremely high quality back in the 80s.

The easiest way to distinguish a current production Ek from an 80s production Ek is the company logo on the blade. Gen. 2 daggers have two banners, a large top half-banner reading "Korea, World War II, Vietnam" and a smaller, separate bottom half-banner intertwined through a pair of crossed EK daggers reading, "Commando". Current production Gen. 4 daggers have extended the top banner in an oval shape so it now encircles both the crossed daggers and the smaller intertwined "Commando" banner. The large banner includes "Gulf War, Iraqi War" along the bottom half.

Current production Gen. 4 daggers are available from the factory for around $230-270 depending on options selected. Two daggers have appeared on eBay at the time of this writing. The first had micarta handles and sold on Oct-13-06 for $200. The second, had checkered walnut handles and sold on Oct-30-06 for $202.50. The winning bid was placed 2 seconds away from the auction's end.

The same seller of the previously mentioned Ek daggers also sold a Gen. 4 Ek bowie with the same handle type. The knife sold on Oct-20-06 for $188.51. The winning bid was placed 19 seconds away from the auction's end.

A WWII D-Day commemorative dagger, serial number 06, sold for $100.99 on Feb-07-07 . The knife had fully checkered walnut grips and special blade etch. The low price is due to the poor condition of the knife which included chips along the edge, a damaged point, and dark pitting on the blade.

 

[MACHINEGUN]

History

"A GOOD KNIFE CAN SAVE A LIFE" — John Ek, 1941

Considering the important 20th century American knife designers and makers, the name John Ek stands out with as much mystery as respect.
In a sense, he was the Jim Bowie of the 20th century. As time passes and more is written about this man and his knives, his fame as a pioneer in American knife-making will continue to spread. Like Bowie, John Ek pioneered a classic design unlike any other. And his knives were made for fighting -- by American military personnel. One newspaper article indicated that Ek knives "became surrounded almost immediately by an aura of fame and invincibility." John Ek has even been referred to as "the Stradivarius of the blade."
John Ek knives are in that highly restricted category of knives that have been battle tested and battle proven by Americans in five wars -- World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Iraq. As he said in the mid-1970's: "There's been hardly a break without some kind of military involvement since 1941, so we've been busy with knives ever since." He called his knives "Ek Commando Knives." This was a reference to World War II Allied Commando-type units (such as the U.S. Marine Raiders, Rangers, First Special Service Force, and British Commandos), who were highly respected for their knife-fighting abilities. Ek often met with military personnel to discuss knife design and close-combat fighting. Company reports indicate that he requested -- and received -- permission from the British War Office to use the term "Commando."
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This sketch of John Ek, when he was young, was made by his brother.​

It is reported that President Franklin D. Roosevelt kept a John Ek Commando Knife on his desk in the White House until the time of his death. This certainly seems possible, as photographs exist of John Ek with a large display of Ek Commando Knives on exhibit in the White House in 1944.
General George S. Patton, Jr. also owned a John Ek Commando Knife (as did several of his subordinates). John Ek even named his Model No. 6 the "Patton Knife." Captain Clark Gable, while not necessarily expecting to see combat, was none-the-less a customer of John Ek -- thinking that if the situation took him in harm's way, he would have a dependable knife.
MILITARY FIGHTING KNIVES
The recorded information in our registry files shows that Ek knives were and are owned by men of all ranks in every branch of service -- Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. Their mailing addresses prove that Ek knives were used in every theater of operation around the world. In fact, Ek knives probably hold the record for being the leading privately-purchased military knives in American history.
During World War II, John Ek had very strong feelings about restricting his knives to active-duty servicemen. He did not want his knives to fall into the wrong hands. Ek felt his knives were the finest made and that they gave the user an advantage over any adversary. His philosophy was "A knife is more deadly than a gun. A gun will run out of ammunition, but as long as a person is behind a knife, it can kill."
For this reason, during WWII each knife was individually serially numbered and registered in the owner's name. The purchaser had to fill out a registration card certifying that the owner was a member of the armed forces, giving his name, rank, and service serial number. This strict screening procedure also applied where knives were purchased by military men or individuals through dealers. Before the knife would be made available, the individual had to fill out the same form, and it had to be returned to the company. If a dealer failed to return a registration card, future orders were cut by the number of missing registrations until the missing card was returned.
John Ek could certainly have sold far more knives had he not been concerned about the strict registration procedure. But he was a strongly patriotic American, a newspaper headline once calling him a "Modern Day Thomas Paine."
During a time of steel shortages, the U.S. Government War Production Board tested and approved the designs of the Ek knives and authorized John Ek continued availability of the high-quality, nickel-chrome-moly steel. As a strategic materiel, this was scarce. It speaks well of the John Ek knife that the government wanted him to continue production and that he was admitted to the Army Ordnance Association.
Ek selected nickel-chrome-moly steel for his blades. He found this material to be extremely strong, yet to have some degree of stain and rust resistance. Of Swedish ancestry, Ek in later years would also use Swedish Sandvik stainless steel, upon request. In April or May of 1939 John Ek designed the first John Ek Commando Knife which he named, appropriately, the Model No. 1. Actually, he thought that one model would be all that would be needed. The Model No. 1 had a single-edged blade of spearpoint design, with a sharpened false edge extending approximately three inches along the back edge of the blade.
Later, a double-edged version of this (the Model No. 2) was developed. Then crossguards were added to these versions, making them the Model No. 6 and No. 7 respectively (today called the No. 3 and No. 4).
RUGGED DESIGN - FULL TANG
Several aspects of his design made his knives distinctive and rugged. First of all, the knife was of full-width, full-length tang construction. Not only did the tang (the extension of the blade which runs through the grips) run the entire length of the grips, but the tang was also the full width of the grips. In other words, the grips were about one inch wide and five inches long -- and so was that portion of the steel blade. This provided maximum strength. By comparison, most knives of the day (even ones made today) had narrow "rat-tail" tangs -- many running only one-third the length of the grip.
Also unusual was the extended butt, a direct extension of the blade and the blade tang itself. Depending upon the year of manufacture, the butt could vary in length anywhere from nearly one inch to approximately one-half inch beyond the grip. It could also be used as a pry bar for opening ammunition crates or, according to Ek's 1944 manual, Your Silent Partner, for "an upstroke to lay your opponent out." Another use of this extension was to protect both the hand and wooden grips when the butt was used as a hammer.
The extended butt of the Ek Commando Knife may possibly have inspired the design of the "skullcrusher" pommel on the First Special Service Force V-42 Stiletto, which appeared in 1943.
The grips were of Rock Maple, selected for a number of reasons. John Ek preferred wood to leather, as the latter rotted, particularly under tropical conditions. He also chose it over the brass/alloy grips of the British Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife, finding it to be more comfortable and to provide better gripping power, especially when the hand was wet with perspiration. This also allowed the owner to custom fit the grip, by sanding, to the exact contour of his hand. For a number of years the company included a piece of flint paper with each knife for this purpose.
The grips on his more-popular knives had eight scallops -- four on each of two grips. The gripping power was so good that John Ek found that a crossguard was not necessary to prevent the hand from slipping. When questioned about this by the War Production Board, Ek greased his hand and plunged one of his knives into the wooden floor with such force that no one was able to pull it out. This dramatically demonstrated that the crossguard was not necessary to keep the hand from sliding onto the blade.
He preferred his knives without crossguards for ease of concealment and for quick withdrawal (no crossguard to snag on clothes). In fact, when his range of knives was finally expanded to 10 different models, only three of these had crossguards. Evidently, military men agreed with him, as his Model No. 1 and Model No. 2 (single-edge and double-edge, respectively) were always his most popular knives, and neither of these had guards. (Note: The Model No. 1 and Model No. 2 were discontinued in the late 1980's but, popular with jujitsu-trained knife fighters, brought back in 1997.)
Also unusual and distinctive were the "Poured-Lead" Rivets which were used to affix the two wooden grips to the blade tang. Most knives at the time used standard cutlery rivets or pins, or they were simply driven onto the rat-tail tang. The Poured-Lead Rivets had the advantage that, if the grips ever became loose, they could be tightened in the field without any tools. All the owner needed to do was take a heavy object, such as a rock, and pound the lead rivets to tighten them. Another advantage of the Poured-Lead Rivets was the extra weight which made the knife balance far better than most, as it added weight to the hilt. This caused it to fall into the hand, rather than fall out of the hand. (Note: The present "X-Head Fastener System" enhances both of these benefits).
HAMDEN: 1944-1949
In January 1941, John Ek started producing knives in quantity in Hamden, Connecticut near Lake Whitney (he had started making knives in 1939). By 1943 he had put six different styles of knives into production, and the quantity of production increased. By August 1944, demand for his knives had grown to the point where three shifts worked around the clock seven days a week, producing 10 different models.
Virtually all of the knives made in WWII by John Ek were numbered. The first number on the blade is the model number; the subsequent numbers are the serial number, preceded by a letter of the alphabet. Starting with the 1000th knife of each model, the letter A preceded the serial number. Serial numbers following the alphabetical prefix went up to 999 prior to shifting over to the next letter of the alphabet. For example, a knife numbered 1B299 means this is a Model 1, serial number B299.
Ek serially numbered these knives to help the owners keep track of them if they were lost, and also because he guaranteed each knife for the lifetime of the original owner. By keeping the original owner's name on record, he could follow up his lifetime guarantee system.
Always interested in improving quality control, his lifetime guarantee increased the probability that he would learn of any mistakes he made. He received back very few of his knives, because they were so rugged; there was very little to break or go wrong with them.
FLORIDA: 1949-1982
In 1949 John Ek moved to Miami, Florida where he continued production of his famous knives. From here he provided knives to American forces during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Miami-produced knives were marked "John Ek Knives, Miami, Fla.", whereas earlier knives bore the "Hamden, Conn." identification.
When the U.S. entered and fought the Vietnam War, Ek Commando Knives received acclaim from owners -- such as this letter from a helicopter gunship crew chief, received in 1965: "When your ship is shot down in VC territory, your rifle or pistol is of no use to you if you have to walk back to friendly lines. You can't afford that much noise, so your knife and knowing how to use it are your best weapons. The only knives suitable for this type of war and for survival use are your Commando knives."
Another trooper from the 101st Airborne wrote: "I don't know where we all will be going, but I'm sure it's back to the boonies again. I hope to have one of your knives when I return to the jungle. I heard about your unique knives from a friend back in the world who said they were the best in the world and made specially for combat fighting."
John Ek died on 21 October 1976, but the business was continued by his son, who had worked for his father as a knifemaker prior to John Ek's death. Due to the growing crime rate in Miami, the Ek family decided to relocate the operation to St. Augustine until 1982, when they moved it to Richmond, Virginia -- halfway between the earlier Connecticut and Florida locations.
RICHMOND: 1982 to Today
In 1982, the Ek family moved the operation to Richmond, Virginia, then tranferred the direction and ownership of it to Robert A. Buerlein. The Ek motto became "Constant Improvement," and changes made over the years help identify the date of origin. Efforts concentrated on developing tighter technical specifications for the knives for higher and consistent quality. They were made sharper (razor sharp) and more robust, with state-of-the-art materials. Locations for the grip fastener system were moved for greater strength, and a new crossguard was developed. This latter was thicker with quillons that curved forward slightly, to prevent jamming the thumb. Poured-Lead Rivets were initially used in all production for the first several years, but this gave way to the newly-developed "X-Head Fastener System." These were solid-brass precision-made screw fasteners which provided the desired weight of lead (for proper knife balance). Yet, they also allowed quick removal and easy replacement of grips, if the owner desired. Sturdy and split-proof Pakkawood and, later, Micarta, grips replaced the maple and, later, walnut grips of earlier knives. Different sheath configurations were also developed, including the utilization of brown leather, black leather and later, olive drab, black, tan and ACU Mil-Spec web material.
In 1993 Blackjack Knives, Ltd. of Effingham, IL became involved with manufacture of "production" knives (for two years), while Ek Commando Knife Co. in Richmond continued primarily with custom commando knife-making and sales. When Blackjack ceased operations in the mid-1990's, the making of production knives returned to the Richmond operation, but back to its time-honored, benchmaking approach, with emphasis on quality, not quantity. The Model No. 1 (edge-and-a-half, without crossguard) and Model No. 2, (double-edge, without crossguard), which had been discontinued in the late 1980's, were re-introduced in 1997, and in mid-1997, leather sheaths were discontinued, replaced by the military-style web sheaths.
In 2004, the Marine Raider/MCMAP Knife was introduced, authorized by the U.S. Marine Raider Association. Four per year are presented, in walnut-and-glass display cases, at MACE (Martial Arts Center of Excellence) at Raider Hall, Quantico MCB, to outstanding Black Belt Instructor/Trainers in the graduating class. This is the Dunham-Wetherbee Award (Corporal Jason Dunham, USMC, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2007 by President George W. Bush). In 2004, the Marine Raider Stiletto MKII™ was also introduced -- authorized by the U.S. Marine Raider Association and inspired by their WWII Stiletto. Also in 2004, Checkered Walnut grips were offered again for the first time. In January 2005, the Ek Bowie (Model 5) was re-introduced, and in January 2006 Poured-Lead Rivets were re-introduced, on a special-order basis. In the spring of 2006, the new Army Combat Uniform (ACU) Universal Camouflage pattern was made available for Ek sheaths and with a new Paragrip® knife, the ACU Ranger. In September 2006, the new "military-lug-pattern" wider Gripping Grooves™ were introduced on the Micarta grips. They were modified, starting in March, 2007, by also running the Gripping Grooves over two of the three fastener grip flats.
Over these many years, the Ek Commando Knife Co. has continued catering to requests from military men, special operators, law enforcement personnel, professional adventurers and collectors the world over, most of whom have been Ek Commando Knife owners for many decades. The tradition continues, always influenced by the words of John Ek: "A good knife can save a life."
Many an American life was saved in five wars by John Ek's Commando Knives. The thousands of letters he received during his lifetime from satisfied Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen were the ultimate satisfaction for this patriotic American. His name, his knives, and the Ek Commando Knife Co. live on today as a legacy of his ideas, his skills and his patriotism.
Continue the mission...
Identification of Ek Commando Knives
Ek Commando Knives are nearly always marked with the location of the company at that time. Richmond-marked knives can be dated as below:
Lower banner etched "Commando": 1982-1991
Lower banner etched "Gulf War": 1991-2004 (Sept.)
"Iraqi War" banner added in lower right: 2004 (Oct)-
Some knives made in Richmond in the late 1980's did not have the Richmond, VA address on them.
Model numbers have changed over the years. Ever since 1982 model designations have been:
Model 1: Edge-and-a-half, w/o crossguard
Model 2: Double edge, w/o crossguard
Model 3: Edge-and-a-half, with crossguard
Model 4: Double edge, with crossguard
Model 5: Bowie, with crossguard
The model prefix describes the grip. Current grips are Micarta (M), Checkered Walnut (CW) and parachute cord (in four colors/patterns of camouflage). For example, an M4 has Micarta grips, double-edge blade and a crossguard.


Here is a guide for those who might be interested in getting into collecting Ek knives or looking to price one they may have.
This is an introductory guide to Ek knives that appear on eBay, rather than a complete history of the company and the different products made during its history. This guide is intended for buyers new to Ek knives and sellers interested in appraising what they have, based on the eBay market value.

The author welcomes any corrections or updates experienced collectors may have.

This guide will address the four main "generations" of Ek knives appearing on eBay in the order in which they were originally made.

Generation 1: (1941-1976) Hamden, Connecticut & Miami Florida.
These were made during John Ek's lifetime. Most were constructed of 1/8th inch tool steel with stained, tan-brown rock maple handles secured by three poured lead rivets. By today's standards, the knives are crudely finished but they were dependable and built Ek's reputation as a supplier of private-purchase military knives. During his lifetime, Ek sold the knives exclusively to soldiers. The WW II knives were made in Hamden, Connecticut and knives made between 1949 and 1976 were made in Miami, Florida. Ek knives are marked with the location of their manufacture. This is useful to determine in which conflict an Ek may have been used. Also worth noting is the unusual serial numbering system found on Gen.1 Ek knives. Letters replace the "thousands" place in the serial number of a given model. A=1000, B=2,000, C=3000, D=4000, and so on. A knife with the serial number D567 is actually the 4,567 knife made of that type.

Noted military knives historian Gary Boyd estimates over 100,000 "Hamden" knives were produced between 1941 and 1945. After Ek moved to Miami, a flood in the 1970s destroyed the shop's records. Most "Miami" knives were made during the mid to late '60s. Mr. Boyd states the highest serial number he'd seen on a "Miami" knife was 411 and the knife was made in 1970-71 according to John Ek's son. This combination of a low number and a late model year would indicate very few "Miami" knives were ever made.

All Gen. 1 Ek's are indisputably the most valuable type of Ek knife. Collectors have even been willing to take a chance that an old knife might be an Ek. An unfinished, unsharpened, (and most importantly) unmarked blade "blank" a seller claimed was an Ek knife offering no documentation for his claim sold on Dec-30-06 for $31.89.

The real product commands a much higher price. An original Gen.1 Model #1 dagger (with a single edged blade and sharpened false edge 2-3 inches along the back) sold on Sep-27-06 for $810.00. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end. This price remains consistent roughly 6 months later, showing only moderate drop. An Gen.1 Model #1 dagger sold on Feb-14-07 for $650.00. The winning bid was placed 4 seconds away from the auction's end. Its serial number was 1L890. According to John Ek's original numbering system, the "1" indicates Model #1, the "L" is the 12th letter of the alphabet and stands for the "thousands" place in the serial number. So, this particular Ek is the 12,890 Model #1 made by Ek.

A poor condition Gen.1 Model #2 dagger (with a fully double edged blade) which had the tip of the blade broken off, sold on Oct-21-06 for $305.00.

Similar to the Gen1 Model #1 dagger is the Model #6. It also has a a single edged blade and sharpened false edge 2-3 inches along the back. The Model #6 also has a straight steel crossguard. Even though it had been used and heavily sharpened to the point the serial number had been ground down, a Model #6 sold on Feb-11-07 for $343.14. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end.

An original Gen.1 Model#2 dagger (with a double edged blade and fully sharpened on both edges) sold on Jan-01-06 for $672.07. The winning bid was placed 4 seconds away from the auction's end.

A near mint. Gen. 1 Model #2 dagger closed at US $685.97 on Feb-26-07. However, the reserve was not met. The seller claimed the knife's serial number 2/ 076" meant the Model #2 was the 15,076 Model #2 ever made.

Even an unmarked Model #2, claimed by the seller as "genuine" and sold with an Ek sheath made much later for the Gen. 2 series was snapped up with a $105 Buy It Now on Nov-22-06.

A Hamdon Connectciut marked, Ek Model 1 serial number D277 sold on Dec-16-06 for $431.00.

A Gen. 1 Model #5 knife (with a thin bowie style blade and a curved handle) sold on Nov-08-06 for $637.77. The winning bid was placed 3 seconds away from the auction's end.

A mint in original box Gen.1 Model #5 listed by the seller as serial # G280, sold on Nov-28-06 with a Buy It Now Price of $800.

Original Hamden-era accessories also command high prices among collectors. Ek knives were sent with a a small booklet called "Your Silent Partner", which covered the different kind of knives available, their features, and basic care of the knives themselves. A second edition of this small pamphlet sold on Mar-15-07 for $200.50. The winning bid was placed 7 seconds away from the auction's end.

There are limits, even for collectors. Two mint condition oversize store display models of the Gen 1 dagger, each over two feet long, were offered for $1995 each. Both auctions closed on Oct-31-06 with no bids. The two knives were relisted at the same price and closed on Nov-28-06, again with no bids. The seller then halved the price of the knives to $999 and both auctions closed on Jan-03-07, still with no bids.


Generation 2: (1982-1993) Richmond, Virginia

After John Ek's death and a brief lull, the company relocated to Richmond, Virginia and continued making knives. The company dramatically improved all aspects of quality. Handles were made of finely grooved black Micarta and hand-checkered walnut handles were offered as an upgrade. Machined brass X-nut screws were standard and the original poured lead rivets became a rarely selected option. Blades were ground out of stainless steel, mirror polished, and razor sharp. A beautifully made leather scabbard was included. These were richly finished in brown, black, or very rarely tan, and supplied with an elaborate combination of belt loops, retaining straps, and nylon parachute cord wrap. Ek knives also were produced in a lower cost model with a handle made entirely of green or black (and occasionally "desert camo") wrapped parachute cord and a heavy nylon-webbing sheath in a matching color. A number of variants, such as Ek bowie knives, hunting knives, throwing knives, and reproductions of other WW II patterns such as the Australian bowie and the Murphy-pattern combat knife were also produced.

These variants do attract a surprising amount of interest. An Ek throwing knife in near-mint condition sold on Jan-13-07 for $113.50. This amount is very impressive considering the Ek throwing knife design is a bevelled length of steel with a point and is useless for anything except throwing. Condition matters, too. A used set of two Ek throwing knives sold on Feb-03-07 for less than half that, only $54.00.

While not the rarest or the most famous, "Richmond" knives are some of the best Ek's ever made, much superior to Gen. 1 knives. Depending on model rarity and condition, closing prices will normally range between $150-260. For example, a Gen.2 Ek M-4 (fully sharpened double edged blade, grooved micarta handles, brass guard, and brass X-nut fasteners) with the beautifully constructed leather sheath, complete with all its straps and original parachute cord wrap sold on Dec-6-06 for $192.50. This is a typical closing price for M-4, a knife that best typifies the Gen.2 line.

The leather sheaths are an important collectible too, costing almost as much as the knives themselves. Two black leather sheaths sold in one auction for $134.50 on Mar-11-07.

As with all collectible knives, condition plays an important part in setting the final price. An unusual Ek Gen.2 Ek P-4 (fully sharpened double edged blade, grooved micarta handles, brass guard, and poured lead rivets) in poor condition, heavily sharpened with dinged point sold on Feb-09-07 for $149.53. In this case, the condition of the knife probably reduced the final closing price by about $50 to $65. Even so, there was some interest and the winning bid was placed 6 seconds away from the auction's end.

Even the entirely cordwrapped handle versions command high prices. A mint in box, with all original paperwork, Ek Model SF4 (survival-fighter) fully double edged dagger with olive drab cordwrapped handle and matching olive drab web sheath sold for $158.05 on Nov-26-06. The price increased from 100.01 to its closing price with the three highest bids placed in the last 6 seconds of the auction.

Another mint Ek Model SF3 (survival-fighter) partially double edged dagger with olive drab cordwrapped handle and matching olive drab web sheath sold with a Buy It Now for $197 on Dec-09-06. Reflecting a post-holidays decline an identical SF3 sold only for $147.50 on Feb-06-07. The winning bid was placed 7 seconds away from the auction's end.

Variant Ek knives can command very high prices. A mint in box, with original paperwork Ek Model P-1 ( single edged blade and sharpened false edge 2-3 inches along the back, grooved micarta handles, no guard, and poured lead rivets) sold for $251.40 on Jan-27-07. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end.

An equally uncommon variant, the Ek boot knife was most frequently seen with a cord wrapped handle in either green or tan camoflage and either a leather or nylon web sheath. An Ek boot knife with a green cord wrapped handle and a brown leather sheath, an usual combination sold for $152.50 on Mar-08-07. The winning bid was placed 21 seconds away from the auction's end.

Approaching the high end of closing prices, a mint in box, with original paperwork Ek Model M-6 bowie sold for $214.49 on Dec-05-06. The M-6 was a later addition to the Ek line. It had a fully double edged bowie blade and the handle/ guard found on Ek daggers, namely the angled brass guard, grooved micarta grips, and brass X-nut fasteners. The introduction of the Ek bowie was one of the first signs Ek was beginning to see sales decline. The blade design represented a major departure from the standard Ek dagger line up to that point and was an attempt to reach a broader market. Ek bowies were shipped with the nylon web sheaths normally included with the cord wrapped-handle lower cost knives.

Other variants, while equally rare don't attract as much attention. Gen. 2 Ek bowies were made in a number of variants in a continuing attempt to find a successful pattern that would be a major success. Versions include the "SOF" bowie which had a blade very similar to the "MACVSOG" bowie used by Special Forces troops in Vietnam and the "Desert Bowie" which had a full-length fully sharpened back edge. The "SOF" bowie had the same guard and micarta handle as Ek daggers while the "Desert Bowie" had a cordwrapped handle which supposedly didn't retain as much heat if used in the desert. One mint example of each knife sold on Mar-10-07, each for $175.00.

The Ek Desert Storm dagger Model DP-6 with a tan web sheath, tan cordwrapped handle, and beadblasted blade/ guard sold for just slightly higher $178.50, just one day later on Mar-11-07.

A new auction record was set on Feb-04-07 for a regular production knife. A mint in box, with original paperwork Ek bowie sold for $256.90. The bowie blade had a sharpened top clip, but was not fully double edged. The handle/ guard was similar to those found on Ek daggers, namely the angled brass guard, grooved grips, and brass X-nut fasteners. The major difference was the grips were made out of walnut and hand checkered at the factory. The sheath was made of nylon webbing.

Commemorative Ek knives typically sell for much higher due to their rarity and their extra embellishment. A set of 6 commemorative Ek daggers honoring the armed forces, each richly engraved, etched, plated with gold, and individually housed in walnut display cases closed at $810 on Nov-24-06. However, the reserve was not met.

A rare, Desert Storm matched set consisting of a bowie and a boot knife, both with special Desert Storm blade etch and desert camo cord wrapped handles sold on Jan-20-07 for 221.25

An Ek Model 4 commemorative dagger celebrating Ek's 50th anniversary was originally priced at $450 back in 1991. The knife was mirror polished, with stag handles, a gold inlaid inscription on the blade, engraved gold plated cross guard and engraved gold plated X-nuts. The knife was housed in a furniture-grade glass fronted oak display box. A seller offered a mint example with an opening bid of $249.95. The auction ended on Nov-26-06 with no bids. It was relisted with no reserve and sold on Dec-10-06 for $163.49. The winning bid was placed 5 seconds away from the auction's end.

An EK Model 4 commemorative dagger issued by the American Heritage Foundation Vietnam Ek Fighting Knife honoring the USMC Force Recon had an engraved blade, gold plated X-nut fasteners and guard, and housed in an oak display box. It sold on Dec-16-06 for $230.00. The winning bid was placed 8 seconds away from the auction's end.

Before Ek finally went out of business, the company tried to save itself by expanding its line with some hunting knives. These were made in small numbers, are rare, and retained the Gen. 2 level of quality. One model, the "Handy" measures 6 1/4" overall, with a 3" blade. It has brown pakka wood handle scales secured to a full tang with two flush brass rivets (not the famous Ek X-nut fasteners). An Ek Handy sold on Jan-11-07 for $112.50.

Generation 3 (1993-1997) Effingham, Illinois

The end of the 80s hit the knife industry hard and a firm specializing in entirely in hand finished, expensive knives wouldn't survive the next decade. Blackjack Knives bought Ek, and moved production over to Blackjack's plant in Effingham, Illinois. Initially, quality was quite good. From the start, leather scabbards were discontinued to cut costs and the nylon-webbing sheath was instead substituted on all models. Later as Blackjack itself started to fail, the quality of the knives began to slip noticeably. Toward the end Blackjack, like the original company at the end of the Gen. 2 era, tried to expand the Ek line. Blackjack began desperately producing small lots of vastly different knives marked with the Ek brand in an attempt to catch the knife-buying public's attention. Blackjack started marking "Ek" on hunting knives, a variety of small boot knives, and small production runs of knives made by completing earlier unfinished parts. Many of these small production runs are the rarest knives ever to carry the Ek brand name, several runs numbering only a few hundred or less.

Collector interest in "Effingham" knives varies widely. "Effingham" daggers don't attract as much buyer interest, though many knives of this generation are quite good. Even so, sellers of "Richmond" knives routinely emphasize the difference in quality. Some of the "last gasp" knives turned out by Blackjack will attract enough attention from advanced collectors to drive the price up to the lower end of Gen. 2 values, regardless of the product's quality which can vary from superb to a sad parody of earlier knives marked with the Ek brand.

"Effingham" Ek daggers and bowies are the most common found on eBay with closing prices averaging $100-140. Blackjack's embellished commemoratives do command better than average prices. A USMC Vietnam commemorative bowie, with exceptional gold-inlaid engraving of the USMC crest and various tributes to the Vietnam conflict, complete with camoflage lined, glass topped oak presentation case sold on Jan-14-07 for $197.50. The winning bid was placed 4 seconds away from the auction's end.

Mint examples from the smaller runs manufactured at the end of Blackjack's history can sell for incredibly high prices, rivalling and sometimes surpassing the Richmond-made Gen. 2 era.

A dagger made with a coffin shaped rosewood grip and the leftover blade, guard, and sheath from Blackjack's "Applegate-Fairbairn" model sold for $138.88 on Mar-11-07.

Blackjack made a fine replica of Sam Houston's bowie with coffin handles and a foot long blade for the U.S. Historical Association. The over-runs were fitted with gorgeous cocobolo wood grips and marked with the Ek Commando logo. The knife itself had absolutely nothing to do with the Ek line, didn't look at all like an Ek knife. That didn't stop Blackjack from slapping the EK Commando Knives logo on it in an effort to generate some hype. Less than two dozen were made and didn't even come with boxes, just a sheath. A mint example sold on Dec-03-06 for $147.60.

This same bowie with black buffalo horn handles closed at new record for modern Ek knives. It sold on Feb-06-07 for $375. The winning bid was placed 21 seconds away from the auction's end.

One alternative Blackjack introduced was a radically simplified dagger known as the "Pigsticker". It has a narrow blade with parallel edges and a keen point. Handles vary from cordwrap to maple secured with copper rivets. Sheaths are usually leather. One of the original mirror finished, hand ground "Pigstickers" marked "Prototype" sold on Feb-11-07 for $151.25. The winning bid was placed 2 seconds away from the auction's end.



Generation 4: (1997- the present) Richmond, Virginia -again.

Like Kimber Firearms, a group of employees bought the rights to Ek and have resurrected the company, reintroducing most of the standard patterns from the 1980s. Best of all, Ek knives are again made to that same high standard of quality. Only the leather scabbards haven't been re-introduced. The modern knives are also marked "Richmond, Virginia", which makes distinguishing them from the original 80's-era knives, a bit difficult. This is hardly accidental, as the new Ek company wants to make a brand connection to the firm's reputation for extremely high quality back in the 80s.

The easiest way to distinguish a current production Ek from an 80s production Ek is the company logo on the blade. Gen. 2 daggers have two banners, a large top half-banner reading "Korea, World War II, Vietnam" and a smaller, separate bottom half-banner intertwined through a pair of crossed EK daggers reading, "Commando". Current production Gen. 4 daggers have extended the top banner in an oval shape so it now encircles both the crossed daggers and the smaller intertwined "Commando" banner. The large banner includes "Gulf War, Iraqi War" along the bottom half.

Current production Gen. 4 daggers are available from the factory for around $230-270 depending on options selected. Two daggers have appeared on eBay at the time of this writing. The first had micarta handles and sold on Oct-13-06 for $200. The second, had checkered walnut handles and sold on Oct-30-06 for $202.50. The winning bid was placed 2 seconds away from the auction's end.

The same seller of the previously mentioned Ek daggers also sold a Gen. 4 Ek bowie with the same handle type. The knife sold on Oct-20-06 for $188.51. The winning bid was placed 19 seconds away from the auction's end.

A WWII D-Day commemorative dagger, serial number 06, sold for $100.99 on Feb-07-07 . The knife had fully checkered walnut grips and special blade etch. The low price is due to the poor condition of the knife which included chips along the edge, a damaged point, and dark pitting on the blade.

 

[slacker]

I think a link would have worked fine

 

[MACHINEGUN]

I think a link would have worked fine

That would have been fine if all this information came from one site.

 

[graham88]

Thank you for the information.
I always enjoy reading and learning about that I enjoy….
Now if I could just come up with the funds to justify spending $300.00 + on a knife that I’ll just want to look at….
They are works of art!!!
I remember buying a BUCK MASTER in the 80’s at $185.00 and thinking that was allot for a knife… I was just a kid with a part time job.
Now if I still had that knife it would be worth 3x what I paid…

I guess I’ll just haft to save my pennies.. for the EK!!

Again Thanks !!!

 

[MACHINEGUN]

That is why I added it.. if you like or collect Ek knives.. it is a wealth of information.

I know it was for me.

 

[mercop]

The Gerber MK II on the far right is a $1200 knife that I paid $50 for. I also had all my EKs given to me or paid less than $50 each

 

[graham88]

The Gerber MK II on the far right is a $1200 knife that I paid $50 for. I also had all my EKs given to me or paid less than $50 each

Would you be willing to adopt me?