Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
by Sean “Sako” Sakinofsky
Few movie knives are as famous as the custom Jimmy Lile survival Bowie carried by John Rambo in First Blood. It became one of the defining images of 1980’s action films.
The likelihood of a Green Beret medic like Rambo walking out of military service with such a knife isn’t impossible, but it’s probably not very plausible, especially for someone returning from Vietnam. The salaries for Rambo’s rank and likely time in service simply wouldn’t have covered a knife that expensive, even back then. Yeah maybe it was a gift.
However the likelihood of John Rambo owning a Gerber Mk II in real life would’ve been highly plausible. In fact this knife has such a history and checkered past that one would ask, why didn’t Rambo use it? So with that being said let’s dive into this knife that was designed like it’s predecessor the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife to be downright deadly.
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Gerber, the manufacturer, originally marketed the MKII as “Made to be Deadly.” They did not mince their words.
The Gerber Mark II (commonly called the Mark II) was designed by retired U.S. Army Captain Clarence A. “Bud” Holzmann. A highly decorated soldier with the 101st Airborne who saw heavy combat during WWII, he almost certainly used or had access to the F-S Fighting Knife. He identified the flaws in the original design and made significant modifications. He widened the profile of the blade and reinforced the construction from grip to blade by using the shape of the Everitt knuckle knife construction, of course removing the knuckle guard or duster section. The design incorporated a five degree cant or offset of the grip to the blade, which we will dive into later.
The design was accepted by Gerber in 1966, and went into production in the hope that the U.S. Army would procure it for standard issue. Instead it was offered at all PX stations for individual purchases by the soldiers.
Early production models including many used in Vietnam had a five degree offset between the blade and handle. This design feature created a lot of controversy.
Some believed it allowed the sheathed knife to ride closer to the body either on the waist or in the boots or enabled faster drawing when sheathed in reverse, providing a more natural grip similar to a fencing foil. Some say this is a myth; however in the method of drawing it would align perfectly with a straight arm and would be ideal for thrusting the blade into the kidneys of the person the operator wanted to dispatch. The cant however was dropped after early runs because customers thought it was a design flaw or that the knife was maybe broken and they returned them as “bent.” This version of the knife is highly sought after and now fetches considerable sums of money.
Another deadly design feature of the Gerber MKII was its distinctive wasp waisted (narrowed near the guard) double edged spear point design optimized for efficient piercing and getting to vital areas inside the body. This of course changed to a more straight profile in later iterations of the model.
MACV-SOG legend Jerry Shriver in Vietnam. (Photo, US Army)
The controversy of the knife hit its peak during the 1970s, most likely fueled by the anti-war rhetoric that was being experienced in the States. Gerber felt the brunt of this. This resulted in them stopping the production of the plain edged dagger. They cited it for being too “brutal.” Gerber designer Al Mar added double sawtooth serrations near the hilt on both sides. This re-marketed it as a survival knife with the hope to restore sales.
Gerber changed their marketing from “Designed to be Deadly” to “Designed to Survive.” Some later models even included ruler markings on the blade in the hope it would pacify the critics and open up more sales.
The Mk II saw design changes over the course of its production (with a small 2002 limited run). Production resumed in 2008 with modern updates like black oxide coating and revised serrations. While no longer in regular production as of 2026, vintage examples especially Vietnam era originals remain highly collectible, while the later models are essentially shadows of their former selves.
On a closing note, many have noted that legendary elite operator from MACV-SOG “Mad Dog” Jerry Shriver famously was photographed with an early Mark II. Shriver was last seen heading toward a tree line in Vietnam in 1969, more than a decade before Rambo emerged from the woods with his Bowie.
Sean “Sako” Sakinofsky is a South African arms veteran, endurance athlete, and firearms enthusiast. Find him on Instagram, @toliberatetheoppressed.
