In July 1966 a prototype was made and sent to Fort Lewis for evaluation. The square spine was eliminated and a one piece handle was suggested.Īn undated intermediate design without any nomenclature is shown here. The design was submitted to an industrial design firm which made a number of changes. The cant helped to keep the blade level for better penetration in a lunging move. The offset would allow the blade to be carried in the boot, on the hip or in the small of back without snagging and aid in concealment.Īlso, the cant of the blade offset the natural wrist's tendency to raise the blade. The pommel was drilled for a wrist thong.īut its unique feature was the canted blade with a 5-degree offset. The handle was to be checkered or ringed with concentric circles. The blade had a wasp-waist shape and a square ridge ran down the center on both sides for added strength. The second picture is a copy of the initial design, which shows a guard, grip and pommel very similar to a Fairbairn-Sykes knife.īut unlike the F-S blade which tapered to a point, it instead had a wide double edged blade. The left picture is a copy of a letter sent by Pete Gerber returning the original design document to Bud. Gerber Jr., President of Gerber Legendary Blades, on and submitted his design. But almost 20 years after his discharge, Bud began working on an idea to create a military knife, suited for "hand to hand" combat, for our nation's soldiers serving in Vietnam.īud Holzmann met with Joseph R. Holzmann pursued a career in automotive sales. Holzmann was awarded the Bronze Star, our nation's fourth-highest individual military decoration.Īfter the war, the retired officer returned to a peaceful life in Portland Oregon, where he and his wife Paula raised their family of three children while Mr. For his gallantry under enemy fire, Capt. The division was renowned for action during the Normandy landings and in the Battle of the Bulge. "Bud" Holzmann served with the famed 101st Airborne Division in the European Theater. Back to the Mark II Main Page GERBER MARK II™ HISTORY
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