Ek Commando Knife Co.

Ek Knives
Product typeCombat knife
OwnerKa-Bar
Introduced1941 (1941)
Previous ownersEk Commando Knife Co.
Ek Commando Knife Co.
Founded1941 (1941) in Hamden, Connecticut
FounderJohn Ek
Defunct1997 (1997)
FateParent company bankrupt; Brand later acquired by Ka-Bar
ParentBlackjack Knives (1993-1997)

Ek Commando Knife Co. or Ek Knives is an American combat knife brand produced by several different companies since the original founded by John Ek in 1941. In May 2014 the Ek brand was purchased by Ka-Bar, which began selling its versions of Ek knife designs in 2015. Although not officially issued gear, Ek Knives have seen use by US forces in six major conflicts: World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, both wars in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. Ek Knives manufactures Bowie-style blades, daggers, and a Fairbairn-Sykes MkII. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Clark Gable, and General George S. Patton have been identified as Ek knife owners.