There are things you carry with you as a soldier — some tangible, some not. For me, one of those things has always been Kilroy.
When we set out to create the 2025 Special Edition Spartan-Harsey Folder, I knew I wanted to do more than just release another incredible knife. I wanted to tell a story — one about grit, resilience, and the quiet, defiant humor that lives in every warfighter. That story is captured in three simple words: Kilroy was here.
If you’ve ever served, especially downrange, you know the little things that boost morale — an inside joke, a nickname, a scribble on a wall. For me, and for generations of American warfighters, Kilroy was that symbol. He showed up in the wildest places, peeking over a wall with his long nose and bald head, fingers gripping the edge — as if to say, “We’ve been here. We’ve got your back.”
No one really knows exactly who started it. Some say it was a shipyard inspector in Massachusetts. Others credit a sick airman in Florida. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Kilroy became a rallying cry — a badge of brotherhood and an irreverent thumb in the eye of fear.
One of the most widely accepted stories goes back to James J. Kilroy, a rivet inspector at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, during World War II. His job was to check the integrity of armor plating and structure inside ships being rushed into production for war.
Back then, riveters were paid by the rivet, and some were known to erase chalk marks that showed their work had been counted, doubling their pay for the same job. To prevent that, Kilroy started writing “Kilroy was here” in big, unmistakable letters where he had completed inspections. It wasn’t meant to be famous — it was practical. But since the interiors of many ships weren’t painted before launch, thousands of GIs crossing the ocean found that same message scrawled inside tanks, hulls, and bulkheads — often in places no ordinary person could have reached.
To the troops, it felt like someone had gotten there first. Someone watching over them. Someone who had done the job right.
The idea stuck. And from then on, Kilroy wasn’t just an inspector — he was a myth, a symbol of readiness, reliability, and a quiet presence in hard places.
The legend spread so widely, in fact, that it confused even our enemies.
During the war, Allied troops began to notice Kilroy popping up in newly captured areas — bunkers, buildings, even enemy-held territory. According to some reports, the phrase showed up so frequently and in such secure locations that Axis intelligence grew concerned. They believed "Kilroy" was some sort of elite Allied spy or unit leaving his mark wherever he went. It’s even said that German officers launched formal investigations to identify and track down this mysterious figure — not realizing he was nothing more than an inside joke and morale booster among the troops.
That’s the power of a symbol. A doodle. A message passed from hand to hand across continents.
During my years in the U.S. Army Special Forces and later as a Private Military Contractor, I didn’t just spot Kilroy — I added him to the landscape. I used to draw that little guy on whiteboards all over Iraq and Afghanistan — ops rooms, team houses, even inside the CIA headquarters in-country. Yeah, he even made it behind the wire.
Sometimes we’d be prepping for a mission or debriefing one, and someone would notice Kilroy on the board — a tiny smirk would crack through the tension. It was our inside joke. A quiet reminder: We’re here. We’ve got this.
If you ever visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., walk around to the back. You’ll see him there — Kilroy, carved into the granite, forever peeking out like he always did. The government doesn’t immortalize jokes. But they did this one. Because Kilroy wasn’t just a punchline — he was proof. Proof that Americans were there. That they endured.
And now, we’ve taken that symbol and put it somewhere just as lasting: in titanium and steel.
The Kilroy Spartan-Harsey Folder
Our 2025 Spartan-Harsey Folder Special Edition carries the Kilroy engraving as a tribute — not just to those who came before us, but to those still writing their stories today. This isn’t just a knife. It’s a piece of history. It’s a statement. It’s a reminder of who we are.
Crafted in collaboration with our good friend and legendary knifemaker Bill Harsey, this blade combines practical design with deep meaning. Whether you're active duty, a veteran, or someone who values legacy and toughness, this one’s for you.
When I look at this knife, I don’t just see a tool — I see the boots that came before mine. I hear the voices of the guys I served with. I feel the weight of a legacy that I’m proud to carry. And now, you can carry it too.
Because Kilroy was here.
Because we were here.
And with this knife in your pocket, that story continues.
See you on the objective,
– Curtis V. Iovito
Special Forces Veteran
Co-Founder, Spartan Blades