At The National Museum of the Marine Corps Grand Opening...

Ek President, Bob Buerlein (a director of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, which built the Museum), greets friend, Raider Roy Batterton, who was one of the 22 Marine Raiders who trained at the British Commando Training Centre in 1942 in Achnacarry, Scotland, to return to train the Raiders. He and the other Raiders who trained there liked the Commandos' F-S Fighting knife, which became the inspiration for the Marine Raider Stiletto.

(Right) Wyndham Buerlein, a former Amtrac Platoon Commander, inspects the AAV (Amphibian Assault Vehicle) exhibit/diorama. Note the extra EAAK (Enhance Applique Armor Kit) armor. The manikins are utterly realistic -- made from castings of live Marines!

And Ek is There at the Activation Ceremony of the New Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC)

MGen Dennis J. Hejlik receives an Ek Marine Raider Stiletto MkII from the U.S. Marine Raider Association at the Activation Ceremony on 24 Feb 06 of the new Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) at Camp Lejeune. Raiders making the presentation are (L to R) Raider Assn. 1st V.P. Ken O'Donnell (1st Bn), Assn. Pres. Harold Berg (1st Bn), and Assn. Prior Pres. Chuck Meacham (3rd Bn) and Clarence Mobley (1st Bn). The Raiders are the spiritual forefathers of MARSOC, and the General told them, "Thank you especially for the Raider Commando Fighting Knife. It will always stay with the MARSOC Hqtrs." He also told the Raiders, "The four of you at the Activation Ceremony was the highlight of the event." Gung Ho!

Raider George MacRae (3K) (at left) holds the Ek Marine Raider/MCMAP Knife at the 2007 Raider Reunion as Bob Buerlein (of Ek) explains the details of this knife, which was subsequently auctioned to the Raiders with all of the proceeds going to the U.S. Marine Raider Association.

Harold Berg (right), formerly of Edson's Raiders and president of the Raider Association, discusses the Marine Raider Stiletto Mk II with Bob Buerlein, of Ek.

Raider George MacRae (3K) at right and Bob Buerlein (of Ek) inspect Raider knives on display at the Command Museum at San Diego Recruit Depot. Well worth a visit!

The Marine Raider/MCMAP Knife (in Ek's Walnut Display Case) is the Dunham-Wetherbee Award (named after two deceased, valorous U.S. Marines), here presented to MAIT (Martial Arts Instructor/Trainer) Black Belt Course graduate, Sgt Jason Zeise. The U.S. Marine Corps presents four of these awards per year at MACE (the Martial Arts Center of Excellence) at Raider Hall, MCB Quantico. Semper Fi!

LtCol Joe Shusko (at right), Director of the Marine Corps' MCMAP program points out feature he likes on the new Ek Marine Raider Stiletto MkII. Listening are Ek president (L) Bob Buerlein and Raider George MacRae (center) at the U.S. Marine Raider Reunion in Nashville, Sept. 06. MacRae and Buerlein are Co-Chairmen of the Museum Advisory Committee of the U.S. Marine Raider Association, and Buerlein is a director of the U.S. Marine Raider Foundation.

Ek's Marine Raider Stiletto MkII is presented by U.S. Marine Raider Association President Chuck Meacham (r) to LtCol Joe Shusko, Director of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) in the August 2004 dedication of Raider Hall (home of MCMAP) at Quantico MCB. Shusko, in his acceptance, told the Raiders, "We hope you can share with our future warriors your culture, and we hope to continue in your footsteps. This is your home, gentlemen." This is the first MkII Raider Stiletto made, and it is on permanent display in Raider Hall in the U.S. Marine Raider Museum (co-founded by Ek president, Bob Buerlein - Honorary Raider — and Raider R.G. Rosenquist).

PRICE GUIDE VALUES

Knowledgeable collectors value Ek knives. The numbers, below, are from U.S. Military Knives, Bayonets and Machetes Price Guide, by Silvey, Boyd and Trzaska, copyright 2006 by Knife World Publications (Knoxville, TN).

Hamden marked –
Models 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10: $650 - 800
Models 3-4: $650 - 800
Model 8: $750-1000

Miami marked, all models: $1000-1500

Many of today's Eks are rarer than some of the ones mentioned above, and the knives of today are superior quality – thanks to our policy of constant improvement. So, today's knives could also prove to be blue-chip investments!

(Excerpt from feature article, courtesy of Knife World.)

The Ek Commando Knife

By Bob Campbell

Two modern Ek knives with crossguards and micarta grips. At top is the single edge (actually, edge-and-a-half) M3, popular with troops in Iraq; below the double edge M4. Two crossed Ek M4s are the centerpiece of the U.S. Army’s “Best Ranger” trophy.

The Ek is light and lovely, lively in the hand and extraordinarily quick. It is easy to handle… It is a fighting knife, designed to leap into the hand and spring into action. The twelve and one-half inch long Ek M4 is not a six-inch utility knife, it is a Commando Knife. Double-edged, the knife features the trademark Ek scallops that give the handle such a reassuring purchase. These scallops work as designed, making the knife very secure in the hand. The screws holding the handle to the full tang blade are heavy, and not likely to work loose. [Note: Ek has recently reintroduced John Ek’s famous trademark poured-lead rivets, on a special order basis.] There is also a small crossguard that accomplishes the neat trick of protecting the hand from stubbing while managing to be as snag-free as a guard can be. This knife is as impressive as anything I have ever hefted. The balance is there, and the fit and finish are excellent. The stainless blade is polished to a high degree and the legendary Ek emblem is acid etched in black on the base of the blade. All told, this is a beautiful knife, but one that is ready for action in the grimmest of circumstances. Similar models are also available in a variety of blade and handle configurations.

John Ek's original first pattern – the Model 1, here a modern version with poured lead rivets and Micarta grips. Each is accompanied by a heavy-duty sheath more rugged and capable than anything John Ek could have envisioned.

There are lighter models available as well. These knives feature para cord wrapped handles with less purchase than the larger knives, but which offer a lighter, less obtrusive option for paratroopers and the like. The knife I tested is a great knife, large in the traditional sense for a dagger, but an excellent design. This knife offers comparable penetration to the scalloped handle Ek, a neat trick. While the man or woman behind the blade will make all of the difference, this is a great knife for our young warriors. In their tawny arms it can do the business if need be.

While I have examined few of the original Ek knives, these modern versions seem comparable in design and intent. Modern materials offer a superior package, and the fit and finish of the new knives is presentation grade.

John Ek's scalloped handle design offers maximum purchase, but the current para cord wrapped models are great options at lower cost. Model at right is the Bowie from the Desert Patrol series, pictured below in its sheath along with the double edged Ek Marine Raider / MCMAP knife tested for this article.

Overall, I am well pleased with my examples. Well, they are not actually mine any more. Each has gone its separate way into the hands of our young warriors, one of whom is also named Campbell. That is as high a recommendation as I can give. These are good knives; whether you have a soldier's presentation knife in mind, or one for a warrior is beginning his or her tour, I can think of nothing better. They are wonderful examples of the American combat blade.

Fighting knives and Marine Raiders have always gone together. At a time when line Marines were issued the Ka-Bar, some Raiders ended up with a Marine Raider Stiletto, a Gung Ho knife and a Ka-Bar. Of course, knives were supposed to be turned in when a new one was issued, but Raiders being Raiders often figured a way around that!

Now the Stiletto is back -- in the form of the Marine Raider Stiletto Mk II -- for today's warfighting. It is a collaboration between Raider Rudy Rosenquist and Honorary Raider Bob Buerlein and the Raider Association and Ek Commando Knife Co. As you may recall, Rudy and Bob worked together back in the 1980's, on the three Raider commemorative knives.

Now, their collaboration continues with this knife. Rudy says, "Our original Stiletto was a deadly knife -- but very fragile". Bob has owned Ek Commando Knife Co. (which goes back to 1941) since 1982, and Rudy and Bob looked at the Ek Model M4 which was a razor-sharp double-edged stiletto and modified the hilt to resemble the WWII Raider Stiletto. The result is robust, gratifying and downright deadly! Rudy says, "This isn't just a wall-hanger (although it is beautifully made). This is a fantastic fighting knife!"

Bob says, "Lt. Col. George Bristol, the Marine who envisioned the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, headquartered at Raider Hall,Quantico, was CO of the 3rd Recon Batallion. When he and his Marines deployed to Iraq about two years ago, the knife he carried was an Ek Model M4 -- the knife that inspired this Stiletto Mk II. I think the Marine Raider Stiletto Mk II is even better than the M4!"

This knife is the spirit and legacy of the WWII original, updated with the best materials and strongest design to keep alive the name of the U.S. Marine Raiders.