Combat knife A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand - to - hand or close combat fighting . Since the end of trench warfare , most military combat knives have been secondarily designed for utility use ( clearing foliage , chopping branches for cover , opening ammunition crates , etc . ) in addition to their original role as close - quarter combat weapons , and may be referred to as " fighting - utility knives . " On the other hand , military knives that are intended primarily for use in a role other than combat are typically referred to by their primary role , such as " utility knife " or " survival knife " . History . Dagger s designed for military usage in close combat engagements have been carried by soldiers for thousands of years . The adoption of combat daggers made of iron was a significant milestone in combat knife development , and such weapons were highly prized in the ancient armies of the Middle East . French and Italian military daggers of the 14th century were the first to introduce the acutely - tapered , sharply - pointed and double - edged blade as a response to improvements made in armor design and the need to exploit weaknesses in armor protection . The English and Scandinavians introduced a combat knife known as the " bollock dagger " into military service around 1350 , while the French poignard and the Scottish dirk were daggers designed from the outset as military weapons . The rise in use of firearms led to a decline in the use of combat daggers and knives as military - issue weapons . However , privately purchased knives were often carried by foot soldiers for use both as auxiliary weapons and as utility tools . Some military forces issued knives for individual campaigns or for specialist troops such as pioneer or field engineer detachments , but these cutting tools were not primarily designed for use as combat knives . Modern combat knives . Formerly known as a trench knife , the " combat knife " was used by both sides on the Western front during World War I . Since then , combat knives have been issued by the armies of many nations . Though they differ in detail , they all share the common characteristic of being purposely designed for military use , with their primary role as a close - quarters combat weapon . World War II . During World War II , one fighting knife designed specifically for military use in combat was the British Fairbairn - Sykes fighting knife . It was designed by William E . Fairbairn and Eric A . Sykes , two renowned former members of the Shanghai Municipal Police who trained countless soldiers in the art of close - quarters fighting . The Fairbairn - Sykes knife inspired several similar knives of the era such as the V - 42 Stiletto designed by Lt . Colonel Robert T . Frederick who commanded the joint US and Canadian First Special Service Force and the United States Marine Raider Stiletto designed by Lieutenant Colonel Clifford H . Shuey . In the USSR , the Red Army issued a series of combat knives based on a single pattern , known as the " NR Series " . In late 1942 , the U . S . Marine Corps adopted the 1219C2 , later designated the " USMC Mark 2 Combat Knife , " but better known in popular terminology as the KA - BAR . The KA - BAR differed from WWI - era U . S . combat knives in that it was purposely designed as a dual - purpose weapon , adapted for both combat and as a utility knife . It also differed from some earlier USMC knives such as the Marine Raider Stiletto in that the new knife used a stout , wide blade with clip point that facilitated slashing attacks as well as blade thrusts . Subsequent reports on the effectiveness of the new knife in jungle combat substantiated the Marine Corps decision to standardize the " KA - BAR " as the USMC ' s fighting knife for individual Marines . The U . S . Army adopted the M3 Trench Knife in 1943 as its standard combat knife . The M3 replaced the earlier WWI - vintage Mark I trench knife in combat service . The M3 was a true combat knife , as it was designed for solely for military use and was primarily intended as a fighting knife , though some compromises were made in the design to conserve strategic materials . When adapted to utility tasks such as opening ration tins or ammunition boxes , the limitations of the M3 quickly became apparent . In the United States , Knifemaker Bo Randall began production of the " All Purpose Fighting Knife " giving it the designation of " Number 1 " in his catalog . Between 1942 and 1945 , Randall Made Knives produced 4 , 000 of these knives for battlefield use by US troops , with approximately 1 , 058 knives additionally subcontracted to Northampton Cutlery Company in Springfield , Massachusetts to meet wartime demand . In the 1950s Randall would adopt the general pattern of the Bowie knife for several of his fighting knife designs . Post WWII . The majority of military forces today have largely standardized the types of combat knife issued to soldiers . The Chilean Commando forces , for instance , are trained in the use of the Corvo , a traditional Chilean military weapon . The Gurkha regiments favor the Kukri , a broad - bladed , curved general - purpose cutting tool and weapon that more closely resembles a machete or Filipino Bolo than a knife . In the United States Marine Corps , the standard issue combat knife since World War II has been the USMC Fighting Utility knife . Designed for military use , with input for Capt . George Ingraham , a combat surgeon in the U . S . Army ' s 94th Medical Detachment , the No . 14 Randall " Attack " Model was a popular combat knife designed for military use , and the knife was widely purchased by individual soldiers and Marines . During the conflict , Randall received feedback from Captain Ingraham , who requested serrations on the spine to cut through the fuselage of downed aircraft to rescue trapped personnel and a hollow handle to allow storage of survival gear . Randall made the changes and the result was the first of the modern survival knives . Another combat knife appearing during the Vietnam War was the Gerber Mark II , designed for military use by US Army Captain Bud Holzman and Al Mar which in turn was based on the pattern of a Roman Mainz " Gladius " or short sword . In the 1970s and 1980s a student and protégé of Fairbairn , Colonel Rex Applegate worked with knife designer Bill Harsey , Jr . to design the Applegate - Fairbairn Combat Knife , so named because it was designed as an improvement on the Fairbairn - Sykes based upon discussions Applegate and Fairbairn had during World War II to eliminate the weaknesses of the F - S knife ( e . g . , weak blade point , inability to determine orientation of blade merely by grip ) . The first of these knives were made by Al Mar Knives , based on Harsey ' s designs . Knifemaker Bill Harsey later teamed up with Chris Reeve to design the Yarborough Knife , a combat knife presented to each graduate of the United States Army Special Forces Qualification Course . In the latest step of this evolution , Bill Harsey and Chris Reeve have collaborated with the father of the Modern Army Combatives Program , Matt Larsen , to design the LHR Combat knife .