At the start of World War II, the US Marine Corps was still using the World War I issue Trench knife. Called the knuckle knife, it was a dagger with a studded steel hand guard. The trench knife was suited for trench warfare but it did not meet the needs of the Marines in the Pacific war. The Marine Corps purchased different designs from different knife manufacturers. The Ka-Bar, however, quickly became the marine's favorite. They were made by the Union Cutlery Company (later changed to KA-BAR Cutlery Inc.). Soon other companies were under contract to produce the Ka-Bar. The main use for the Ka-Bar combat knife was hand-to-hand combat with an enemy. However, the number of enemy soldiers killed with a Ka-Bar is thought to be very small. The knife, weighing just over , had a solid pommel (the butt end of the knife) which could be used as a hammer.The knife was used to open food cans in c-rations or k-rations. It was used for cutting wires, opening crates of ammunition and other non-combat uses. 