Blackjack Accessories

The items presented here, which I loosely call 'Accessories', are organized into groups by location. This listing is by no means all inclusive. I'm sure there are other items that I have not encountered.

Listed below are all the 'Accessories' related to Ek Commando Knives that I am aware of.

Note the black eraser holder, which is different than the metal tubing used to attach erasers on today's pencils. This pencil was never used and is unsharpened.

Four blade blanks showing various stages of production and a finished knife are mounted on the board along with a pair of unfinshied handle slabs. All items are held on with thin wire. Each item has a leather label. There is also a large leather label at the top.

This display board is believed to have been made by Gary Ek sometime after 1974. Since it is made from authentic Hamden era parts, I've included it under the Hamden section.

Note: Another of these display boards, with examples of all the WW-II style knives, can be seen in Robert A. Buerlein's book 'Allied Military Fighting Knives And The Men Who Made Them Famous' on Page 140, Figure 214. There was also a display board in the White House in 1944 which was later taken apart. Three of the knives from that board, a Style 3 Serial 3D233, a Style 4 Serial 4D234 and a Style 5 Serial 5D235 are also shown in Buerlein's book and were later sold on ebay.

There were probably other Hamden display boards made.

The only photo I have noted of the shoulder rig can be found in Buerlein's book on Page 139, Figure 211.

The shoulder rig is very simple design. It consists of two leather straps each connected at one end by snaps to a 2 inch piece of leather and at the other ends by a buckle.To use, I believe you just undo one of the snaps, put the 2 inch leather piece through the knife sheath's belt loop and redo the snap. Then put the loop over your head onto one shoulder with the knife hanging against the body underneath the opposite arm. The buckle allows adjusting for differences in body shape and desired knife position.

Three blade blanks showing various stages of production and a finished knife are mounted on the board along with a raw handle slab and brass guard piece. All items are held on with thin wire. Each item has a leather label. There is also a larger leather label at the top. (Note that Vietnam is misspelled). The backing seems to be part of a sheet of wood paneling. The board measures 32-1/4 x 22-3/8 inches.

The board has two sets of notations on the back. 'Not For Sale / John Ek / Knives / Miami, Fla' in the upper right corner and 'Refurbished / By / Cheryl Respin / & / Gary W. Ek / 10/76' in the center at the bottom.

Note: The July-Aug. 1975 issue of Blade Magazine has an article entitled 'JOHN EK, Custom Knife Maker by Sid Latham. The article features photos of 2 other EK display boards.

Three blade blanks showing various stages of production and a finished knife are mounted on the board along with an unfinshied handle slab and brass guard piece. All items are held on with thin wire. On this display, the finished knife is removable for inspection. Each item has a leather label. There are also 4 larger leather labels at the top. The backing seems to be part of a sheet of wood panneling.

The board is dated on the back 'John Ek / Knives / Miami, FL / 1961.

This display board is odd as the left knife is a non-catalog Hamden Style 11 knife Serial 11/P??? (note the knife has a steel guard) while the other items are a Miami era green laced sheath and a Miami Style 2 Serial 2/100 knife. There is also one of the Miami red-logo silver foil labels at the top.

Probably made up by an individual rather than by John or Gary Ek.

Possibly a unique tool as these engraved stamps are expensive to produce.

Unmarked and rare as it is not a catalog item.

The coin was good for $1.00 off on the purchase of a gun from the shop.

The coin was good for $1.00 off on the purchase of a gun from the shop.

The pens were made by the US Pencil Co. NYC and is so marked on the pen's clip.

The knife length closed is 3-1/2 inches. It has a 2-1/4 inch main blade and a 1-5/8 inch small blade. The main blade is marked 'U.S.A.'.

This knife was issued in the 1975 - 1976 time period.

The Ek Cap is a baseball type cap with the Ek shield emblem embroidered on the cap's front. The picture shows the hat and T-Shirt ad from the Ek Catalog.

The 100% cotton EK T-Shirt is light gray with navy-blue print on front pocket and back. The back reads 'America's Finest Military Knives . . .Battle Proven in Three Wars'above the World War II, Korea and Vietnam service medals. The front is marked with the crossed knives Ek emblem on a left side pocket.

There are two versions of the T-Shirt and differ only in the number of service medals shown on the back. The first version shows three service medals, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The later version of the shirt has the Gulf Service medal as well.

The T-Shirt was issued in Large or Extra Large size, rolled up inside a Richmond Black Flap Box.

The 50% Polyester / 50% Cotton EK T-Shirt is white with a dark navy-blue print on the front center. The image design differs from the other two designs and is identical to the design of the Richmond Blue Patch. The back of the T-Shirt is blank.

I'm not sure if this was the first, middle or last of the three T-Shirt types.

It is a military style belt that made of dark blue, 1-1/4 inch width, webbing with brass fittings and brass slide type buckle. The buckle is marked with an crossed knives Ek emblem on the buckle front.

The belt was issued in sealed plastic inside a Richmond Black Flap Box.

These cloths were issued in the 1990-1991 years.

These blue and white patches were issued from sometime after 1982 in the Richmond era and again in the early years of the Richmond II era.

These blue and gold patches were issued only during one year, 1991.

The Blackjack Cap is a red colored baseball type cap with the Blackjack 'Ace & Jack Cards Pierced With a Dagger' logo embroidered on the cap's front. 'BLACKJACK KNIVES' is embroidered underneath the logo.

It is a Hilton Brand nylon jacket and was embroidered at some period while the Blackjack Knife Company was in Effington, IL.

The T-Shirt is dark blue with a circular printed white, black, red and yellow design.

It is a RedHead Brand hunting vest and was embroidered at some period while the Blackjack Knife Company was in Effington, IL.

Size and date are unknown. Multiplayer craps.

I've noted one of these signs autographed by Mike Stewart.

It is a Hilton Brand nylon jacket and was embroidered at some period while the Blackjack Knife Company was in Effington, IL.

The T-Shirt is dark blue with a circular printed white, black, red and yellow design.

It is a RedHead Brand hunting vest and was embroidered at some period while the Blackjack Knife Company was in Effington, IL.

Size and date are unknown. Multiplayer craps.

I've noted one of these signs autographed by Mike Stewart.

Although I've seen corrected artwork of the 6-Wars design in print, I'm not sure that a corrected cloth patch was ever issued as I've never noted one.

They were issued with sheaths from late 2007 up to the sale of Ek Knives to KA-BAR in 2014.

This is an aftermarket item that was sold by NDZperformance.com. The part number is DOGTAG-STD-BLK-927. The 927 is the image number.

This is an aftermarket item.

The patch is made of PVC plastic and has a velcro back. The patches are made in China and originally sold for $7.50