The ferocity of the enemy and the elements proved especially harsh on the U.S. Marines and their equipment.
The 1219C2, later known as the U.S.M.C.
Colonel John M. Davis and Major Howard E. America in late 1942.
Springfield Armory is now offering a Clip Point Field Knife that takes many cues from the classic Marine Corps knife. But, how does it compare to the original?
To do this, Springfield Armory turned to TOPS Knives of Ucon, Idaho.
Remley conferred with TOPS on the specifications for the Field Knife.
Springfield Armory wanted the Field Knife to closely spec to the original 1219C2.
The Clip Point Field Knife is a well-balanced knife suitable for various outdoor activities.
Both blades are/were constructed from 1095 high carbon steel, but there are departures.
The Field Knife has very durable Micarta scales bolted to the tang.
This gives the modern version a handle as tough as a coral head.
The author tested the Springfield Armory Field Knife in harsh conditions, including salt water as shown here.
The Field Knifes steel is 0.19 thick.
This compares to the 0.16 width of the original.
Again, S.A. wanted their knife to be overbuilt.
The limited-edition knife ships with a leather belt sheath. It completely encases the blade and has a snap for retention.
Finally, the S.A. Field Knife is differentially heat-treated, unlike its predecessor.
Its clip point follows the WWII contours, with the profile of the tip ever-so-slightly upswept.
The distinctive fuller grooves are present on either side of the Black Traction powder-coated blade.
The Springfield Armory knife is made by TOPS Knives right here in the United States.
1219C2s came with blued or phosphate-coated blades.
Clip Point Field Knife Features
The Details
Lets talk fuller grooves for a moment.
A fuller is a knifemakers tool which leaves depressions on the sides of a sword or knife blade.
Springfield Armory’s Field Knife has a Micarta handle with red liners under the scales. Is this a nod toward the original U.S.M.C. design?
The fuller is used for pushing hot material aside and leaving an I-beam effect in the steel during forging.
The depressions are called fuller grooves.
They allow the blade to retain strength while lightening it.
While the knife is clearly suitable for a range of outdoor uses, it can obviously be used for survival purposes: defense, food prepping, shelter building and more.
I conferred withThe Armory Lifesresident medical expert and Emergency Department physician,Dr.
Will Dabbs, MD.
He stated, I was shocked at how hard it was to withdraw a deeply embedded blade.
The handle is relatively thin but still substantial enough to fill the hand. The Micarta scales do an excellent job of providing traction even when wet.
A couple of times it just seemed like the object was fastened onto something in there.
The addition of fuller grooves might actually help break that suction.
Curiously, TOPS added red liners under the scales.
Two brass lanyard holes give the knife owner options when in the field. They can be used to improve retention or lash the knife to another object for chopping, use in a trap or for making a spear.
Is this a nod to the Union Cutlerys first production red spacer knives?
Those early-war knives featured a red leather spacer beneath the guard and red and black spacers at the pommel.
But TOPS has been using red liners on some of its offerings since 1998.
The Springfield Armory knife is rugged, feels good in the hand and holds arazor-sharp edge.
Micarta was a solid choice for the Field Knife since stacked leather washers tend to degrade over time.
Actually, they disintegrated in the unforgiving 1940s South Pacific.
The Field Knifes guard is another interesting feature.
The blade — especially the point — is very tough. The author tested the strength of the tip by pounding it into an ammo can. The blade survived without issue.
Something the 1219C2 did not have were lanyard holes.
I like having options, especially ones which add usability.
The construction of the sheath mirrors the fine quality of the 2020 Knifes version.
The embossed crossed cannon logo of the Springfield Armory is a nice accompaniment.
I even attacked a pressure treated 26 for giggles.
That old ammo can from myKangee review?
With the thin clip point of this knife, no fool should do this.
Yeah, thats me.
Go to forum thread
Springfield ArmoryLimited Edition Custom Clip Point Field Knife
