Maybe one to two hundred. Really hard to say, but I don't think more than 100 war time #2's exist today and probably less than that. This is both chain link and drilled thong combined. I don't think there are more than 50 in collections and that may be a generous number.

Read here about one of the first two made:

http://www.rmkcollector.com/knives-collector-interest/bo-s-first-stiletto

I picked up this 1964 era 2-8 about a month ago. Tonight I talked to the original owner by phone (two thousand miles away from me) the knife spent 64 and 69 in Vietnam, (Phu Bai, Pleiku) then liason work for tow years in Thailand. Intresting story, I hope I can get it wrote up in the Knife Knews. I'll add this... he ordered it and received it in Vietnam in 1964, and verified the sheath as the one it came in, in 1964.

Wally,
Nice find!!

:-)Rocky

Way to bird dog that one Wally. Good work!

Now that's a great looking Model 2!

Wally this further reinforces my position that "SS" stamping lasted for a very short time. Starting sometime in 1963 it could have ended in 1963 or into 1964. In any case it was probably only a matter of months in duration.

http://www.rmkcollector.com/the-randall-...-randall-blades

Yes, I think it's a good example for a couple of things, the sheath has a west facing stamp, good lord knows I don't want to create a controversy, but with the center snap it's safe (?) to say, earlier than east facing stamps and side placed retaining snaps. SGM (ret) Rodden told me he ordered and received the knife in 1964. It could have been in this type sheath, a known Johnson brown button, or a baby dot, all would be "correct". Anyway, it's great to solidify information by getting it from the horses (or original owners) mouth!

Wally -

the sheath is an HKL irrespective of stamp orientation or snap location. Just look at it. I don't find it surprising the sheath was available from the shop for a 2-8. Viet Nam had not cranked up to what it would become, and a 2-8 probably wasn't in hight demand. It took some time for the shop to exhaust the supply of many of the HKL sheaths with some remaining for many years. They were socked away as I believe the Johnson with the baby dot snap was deemed a more durable product.

It is a valid point you made that any one of the three could be correct, although I would be suspect of a Heiser marked sheath. Not impossible, but improbable. Perhaps a field knife would be more likely.

Tom Clinton bought a bunch of old brown button sheaths from the shop I think it was in the 80's or 90's.

Another HKL, horizontal stamp, is the direction of the stamp insignificant, or did one appear perhaps before the other?

I am not gonna get into the discussion of stamp orientation again only to say there was a standard with Heiser being horizontal with their oval logo. That standard carried over to the initial HKL sheath with an RMK stamp as shown in your photo.