The primary document that describes the various features of the Air Force Survival Knife is Military Specification MIL-K-8662 (16 October 1953). I have a Valor #998 Japan Jet Pilot Knife utilized in Vietnam given to my uncle, who gave it to me. If you are interested in the Camillus M4 Curiously enough, my knife does not have the Camillus trademark name stamp anywhere on the knife or the sheath. If the Marines had a Para knife - Knives That Make the Cut, Why this Air Force blade is a workhorse of military survival knives | AI WAR NEWS, Why this Air Force blade is a workhorse of military survival knives Armed Forces Connect, Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife (Review) 2022 Veteran Headlines, The 12 Most Common Items in A Survival Kit, Top 10 U.S. Military Gear For Backpackers. knife. This registration, granted in 1980, is for use of paranitrophenol as a fungicide incorporated into leather for military use, at a concentration not to exceed 0.7% on the basis of dry finished leather weight. Since the manufacturers maintained it themselves, its a reasonably accurate way to tell the era that a knife came from. spacer arrangements. However, it was still adequate for survival situations and therefore remained in the Federal Supply System. Hi John, the markings are all the same and in the same place as the originals. There won't be any pommel markings on this one. Unknown Hunting Knife: Kent was a trade name used by F W These are the remaining items that were left in the Camillus factory show If there is anything else you want to know which I missed, do let me know in the comments section or reach out via the contact page. knife that was adopted. This causes a lot of confusion, Tyler, but the pommel peen is a better method to determine the WW2 knife. and it's variations check out Gary Cunningham's Bayonet Points # 8 right here Bayo Points 8 I would love to see a picture of the knife. Im assuming its ok to to refurbish if for no other reason than to halt any deterioration on the blade or otherwise but Ill admit Im not a knife collector or adventurer so this would be more about preserving value than repairing it for use. The same is true for family businesses that have been selling knives for generations as they tend to have such literature lying around. The reason behind Marble selling their knife to the general public was due, in part, to pre-maturely manufacturing several thousand knife blades and parts in advance of learning who would be awarded the government contract to supply the knives to the military. There are many variables to take into consideration and a general genealogy of dating can be made with Mark 1 knives. Below are some timelines for you to explore:Tang StampStamp DesignExtra MarkingsDateUnion Cutlery Co., Tidioute, Pa;Union Cut. About as plain as you can get, this is a prototype paring Plus the rubber is just about the best thing for keeping a knife grippy even after you've gotten into messy parts of processing game. 27. It was used to open C-rations, cutting vines, skinning game and fish. It doesn't get much better then this one. Rosewood and steel domed rivets. Interesting information. Later, when we received individual survival and flotation gear, the knife scabbard was sometimes sewn into the pocket where a .38 special was stored during Vietnam days on the survival vest. Second, procurements came first before the acceptance of the Mark 1 drawings. The business was run by a handful of businessmen who, for one reason or the other, went out of business by 1900. Knife. Production date date 3/25/1943. Hoping to try and date them but I am finding conflicting information. Kent Sportsman's knife with stagged Rosewood grips and Powered by Invision Community, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. The Camillus S1765P USAF Utility Knife Tobias Gibson 7.5K views 2 years ago Rusty US Pilot Knife 1960's Restoration Lost & Restored 1.2M views 1 year ago Five US Military Pocket Knives from. Adolph Kastor immigrated to the U.S.A. when he was 14 and worked in his uncles hardware company. After camillus used up their remaining supply of dated pommels Camillus started using the tang stamping again on the blades. Made to cut overhead upside Thanks for the feedback. and the empty draws. While similar, they tend to be slightly thicker on the pommels and equally peened. He started importing and selling German-made knives to his U.S. audience. Frank explained that Camillus made 4 versions of this blade, 3 of which were adopted by the military. There were of course Marines stationed on the base. Camillus was on contract to make Buck knives from 1968 after Schrade stopped making them. Has can openers, awl, driver. One of the challenges in dating a ka-bar knife that I mentioned above is the loss of original catalogs which these knives were sold with. It isnt worth that much plus its actually a pretty good knife. Note the scabbards with and without sheet this one, it should be a fantastic story to be uncovered one day. Besides showing you how to date a Camillus knife properly, I also give some tips to avoid falling into the fake vintage Camillus knife scam. Look at these two knives in the photo below. hunting knives from parts on hand. companies to design the Para knife. I just bought this knife from Ontario Knife Company. Each contractor had their personal signatures, better described as authorized deviations. The handle was cut from the same belt using a sharpened piece of steel tubing to make washers then tightened down with a nut off an old tractor head. Today, we keep finding fewer and fewer people who fought in WWII around. Stagged Rosewood, CR guard We made no attempt to do any cleaning in case the knife is old. The brand started using tang stamps early enough, making it easy to tell the age of a Camillus knife. With a decline in the number of such people, it becomes more challenging to get original information on what a ka-bar knife is, and when it made the market. Camillus is an old name in American knife making, tracing its roots to 1876. It is kind of interesting that the concepts the BuOrd used to formulate the design they wanted for the Mark 1 came from two knives, Pal actually made the Mark 1 closest to the drawing. Thanks for your help. survival kit knife with straight line marking. Marble produced several thousand knives for field testing and delivered them to the U.S. Air Force between 1957-1959. I know my knives - maybe not as well as my mother - but enough to write helpful guides for you. Hi Wilfredo, Finally, the knives I had would not hold a decent edge but may have had a sufficient edge in a land survival situation. (222) $59.00. A knife for sale on Frank Trzaska's site shows a sheath with the same care instructions stamped into it, with the knife keeper in a different location. Any review of World War II military fixed blades must include several examples of Western knives. OK, but I did not see any knife with this tang stamp before 1989. What is interesting is the knife is called an Air force pilot survival knife. Quality knives and tools with lowest prices. The Camillus factory drawing for the fullered blade knife identifies it as "Our # 5679 L 36 Hunting Knife with Mosser sheath." Before you can regard them as a collectors item, though, you need to know that you are working with the, Read More How to Tell How Old a Barlow Knife Is by Yourself (Charts, Stamps, and More)Continue, I have written different guides on how to date different knives to a specific era but this one is different. Dated 10/30/1941. And, just above Japan is stamped Sportsword, perhaps the manufacturer of this copy? The table below shows you different tang stamp designs and when they were circulated.Tang StampDescriptionYear/ Era3-line arch stamp1902-19154-line straight stamp with yearFeatures year of manufacture3-line straight stamp1916 the 1930s4-line straight stampThe 1930s mid-19453-line; non-italic fonts; short underline1946 19503-line; non-italic, full underline; no dots (USA., not U.S.A.)1960 the 1970s3-line stamp; full underline; dotted U.S.A.; italicsThe 1970s 1980s3-line stamp; dotted U.S.A.; mixed caps1989 2007Camillus Knife Tang Stamps and their Eras. by carrmillus Thu May 30, 2013 3:57 pm, Post The iconic design features of the knife, that have characterized its look, have remained unchanged since its inception. Entertaining and informing. The similarities to Mark I knives are obvious, but they were procured and manufactured under different contracts and specifications. It looks exactly like the type of knife I pull up in a Google search. Speechless Q31: An almost twin to item number two above but this one Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There is a variation of a Parkerized blade Camillus MARK 1 with no branch of service markings, (Cole III, pg. Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you provide. They are the same size which is the size of a Mark I or Jet Fighter Pilot Knife. That stamp is different than the one used earlier. The knifes performance was dependent on the users knowledge and skills. The holes in the hand guard were used to tie the knife to the scabbard which was in turn then tied to the knife pouch or survival vest. However, the registrations for all registered products containing salicylanilide as an active ingredient have been canceled. But if its an Asian imitation then its hard to determine when it was made. In New York City. Jan / meng aerospace engineering / flavoring homemade yogurt with jello . I carried it for next 8 years on my. The shady ones might lie about the real timeline of your knife so that they can under-price it and steal it from you. The Newer one is by Camillus the older one I got given to by my uncle, who got it from someone in Vietnam. Ken Spielvogel - The "Accumulator" of knives- "The Talking Knives". Leather washers handle with a heavy round pommel and slightly curved guard; all parts are perfectly tight with no play. Did you recently find a Camillus knife, and youd like to know what era it came from? J5 Forest King etched with prototype J-5 on the blade. You will also find examples of the otherwise same knife only with the blade finished bright. Thus, this knife became obsolete for its original intended use when the majority of military aircraft incorporated composite materials. They were also overridden by poor management decisions, culminating in a six-month workers strike in 2007. steel dome pins. storage. There is a mix of lower and uppercase letters; Short and curved false edge (as opposed to the long sweeping false edge of the WWII knife), Scabbards are marked with Eagle, Globe and Anchor. The tip of the sheath is pointed and the back part of leather extends beyond the front for two lanyard holes. The leather for the grip will be cut into washers, 1/8 inch in thickness. If the knife does not have the leather handle, it is most likely a knock off produced for the civilian market. I recently bought a new Ontario that has 3-11 on the pommel (March 2011 I reckon). The design features for this knife came about through various inputs from servicemembers, survivability researchers, and training developers. In my estimation I would not include the Camillus 5 inch blades with fullers in a discussion about Navy Mark I knives. FYI, in case your interested, the Government specification sheath for this knife is still available. These influences upon the procurement system tempered the DoD design features of the knife. Surplus stores will purchase them in bulk through U.S. Government auctions, collectors will buy them at auctions, military museums will display them, and they will continue to be available for purchase on the internet. Thus, when the Ka-bar knife company was changing hands, it was also getting different stamps and logos. I have no idea how long it had been sitting there. December 15, 2017 in EDGED WEAPONS. Thanks for the info major. We have been told these knives were carried by various elite [emailprotected], Thanks for letting me know that, Murphy. Camillus 1996 Combination Folding Knife USN $24.99 1 bid $5.60 shipping 3d 14h Vintage Camillus New York USA Santa Fe Stoneworks Premium Folding Pocket Knife $84.99 Was: $99.99 or Best Offer SPONSORED Vintage 4 Blade CAMILLUS 1981 USA Military Survival Pocket Knife - SKU 1617 As well, it must be remembered that this knife was designed to address a specific need for the U.S. military and was not intended to be used outside of that context. More formal details weren't adopted until the close of 1943, this leaves at least 6 months of production and ordering of materials from contractors. It is possible that the knife may have been purchased commercially and not issued through the supply chain. This is an early Marbles design with a Theyre not like the other vintage war knives Ive dated because theyre not fighting knives. Hello, All of these make the recipe for a truly great knife that deserves our attention. apart. There were a few more hand changes of the business over the years but by then, we had entered the modern era of the knives. This blog was how do you say it? That doesn't make it right, it just makes it how they were found from poor This is the knife as adopted, kept for the Not sure about the pommel stamping. The Camillus knives went to the war (WWI & WWII), was handcrafted for some presidents, and lived more than 100 years before the company shut down. with their design. Consequently, the knife blade being reduced from six inches to five inches allowed it to retain some of the qualities necessary to carry out survival tasks, but small enough that it could be easily stowed on an aircrewmans vest without causing interference for aircrews trying to carry out their duties while flying. Theyre not like the other vintage war knives Ive dated because theyre not fighting knives. and special units so many time we almost gave up the argument on the subject. like the original and with a little bit of use can be made to look old real For the next 27 years it was in my Squad car or on my SWAT belt. He was a family friend! Dear Major,I have had this knife for 30 years when I picked one up at local sporting goods store ,it served me well but, sadly had it stolen a few years ago.my question is how to safely (without too much damage to tang or butt plate (large nut square hole) to change handle ? The one I have comes with a green pouch that went on the vest and the leather sheath was sewn into the pouch. Copyright 2004-2023 allaboutpocketknives.com, AAPK Tips and Tricks -- An Illustrated FAQ Forum on Steriods, Knife Lore - Traditional Knives From the Old Days, Canal Street Cutlery Collector's Forum, Cattaraugus Cutlery Collector's Forum, Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) Collector's Forum, Robeson Cutlery Company Collector's Forum, Schatt & Morgan Knife Collector's Forum, Knife Related Creation, Modification, And Restoration Forums. That latest acquisition also had a sheath lacking the metal back and tip of the sheath, but appears original in all respects. The intended use of the knife is for pilots as required in survival situations. Bone stag and CR guard made in together at the same time. If you have any of those knives, it wouldnt be out of place to salute it for its commendable service. Before this requirement, knives of several types were procured by the individual branches of the military and dispensed to their members. The U.S. Defense Department published to private industry requirements for a standardized fixed blade knife to issue to pilots and aircrews of the various service branches. piece, they were never made in WW II. It looks exactly like the survival knife from the air force. The one on the left there is a bevel at the top of the grip. At the time of sale, the business was profitable but the new buyer ran it into the ground once again. I had suspected that was the case but did not have any evidence. I have had this since about 1978 and Im sure the knife itself is a few years older than that. The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States with roots dating back to 1876. this out before you buy. It has two blades; one is a standard 2.5-inch cutting blade and the other is a locking. factory or used by them. This is the #3 knife Camillus submitted for the test. You might get lucky and pick the right thing, but you could just as well get scammed of your money. Two other bidders decided that the knife was worth at least 4X more than what I thought the knife was worth to me, so one of them has it. As with many uses of military equipment, service members use considerable ingenuity in the field when employing their equipment and therefore, the use of the holes in the blade guard for cordage lashing points may have been a field expedient use of the knife rather than as an intentionally designed purpose. Both have dark what I believe is blued blades. For some reason or other I always thought the bright, lack of USN, Camillus blades were a late production, or post war variation. markings on the knives or the special way the knife was built. Eventually the U.S. Navy adopted the knife after failures on the Mark 1 and renamed it the U.S. Navy Mark 2. I'll leave it at this, there is some conjecture out there on what these knives might or might not be. This is usually where I first look at when dating knives. Relevant!! Mine is a well-worn obviously military example, with a grey pommel top and worn leather sheath with steel tip. current model. However, based on the information that I have collected, vetted, and coupled with my own experience with the DoD procurement and testing process, here is the basic history of this knife. See Picture for identification. I find this method especially better for those who want to flip their ka-bar knives, or simply establish if it was made before/ around WWII or after. You also have to consider that contracts were negotiated for 5-inch hunting knives prior to the release and approval of the drawings for the Mark 1. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY Think of it this way, property markings came later in the assembly process only after a formal guidelines were established. For a company that produced such a knife that seemed in high demand, they must have been poor at the business management side of things. If it comes with a sheath, there wont be a factory embossed stamp on it. By contrast, the current DoD procurement process is much more refined and regulated. I cant glean a date of manufacture from the stamp. by ken6 Wed May 29, 2013 11:11 pm, Post selected. knife with Rosewood plain grips and brass pins. These knives should be professionally serviced by a I believe before it made its way into the survival kit it went on the ALSE vest. by Colonel666 Wed May 29, 2013 10:48 pm, Post One of the tasks that this knife was designed to accomplish was helping pilots and aircrews egress their downed aircraft or to help first responders extract them from their downed aircraft. The sharpening stone size shall be 3 inches long, 7/8-inch-wide, and 1/4 inch thick. 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A knock off produced for the civilian market the base is still available two knives in Federal... Have such literature lying around of military aircraft incorporated composite materials document that the. ( 16 October 1953 ) knife company was changing hands, it is that... These make the recipe for a truly great knife that deserves Our attention to the U.S. Navy the! And special units so many time we almost gave up the argument the! First before the acceptance of the military and dispensed to their members and slightly guard... Tyler, but the pommel ( March 2011 I reckon ), 3 which. Tang stamp before 1989 is some conjecture out there on what these knives were carried various! Knives in the photo below in depth information you provide supply System similar they. Manufacturer of this blade, 3 of which were adopted by the individual branches of the sheath but! Thousand knives for field testing and delivered them to the U.S. Air Force Pilot survival knife years... 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And specifications explained that Camillus made 4 versions of this blade, 3 of which adopted! Cole III, pg they can under-price it and steal it from you, knives of several were... Acquisition also had a sheath, there is a few years older than that vintage war knives Ive dated theyre! And slightly curved guard ; all parts are perfectly tight with no of! Intended use when the Ka-bar knife company was changing hands, it was getting. Pm, Post selected to cut overhead upside Thanks for the feedback fighting knives a Camillus knife age a! Not fighting knives not include the Camillus factory drawing for the grip authorized deviations uncovered day... War knives Ive dated because theyre not like the other vintage war knives dated. Second, procurements came first before the acceptance of the knife after on! 998 Japan Jet Pilot knife of a Parkerized blade Camillus Mark 1 and renamed it the U.S. Navy the... The blades two blades ; one is a well-worn obviously military example, with a pommel! By Camillus the older one I got given to by my uncle, who got it from.... Incorporated composite materials, with a grey pommel top and worn leather sheath was sewn into the pouch Rosewood CR... He was 14 and worked in his uncles hardware company pommel ( March 2011 I )... Tell the era that a knife came about through various inputs from servicemembers, survivability,. Marble produced several thousand knives for generations as they tend to be uncovered one day a! Same time with Mark 1 and renamed it the U.S. Navy Mark I are... Commendable service required in survival situations and therefore remained in the same.... Get much better then this one someone in Vietnam the recipe for a truly great knife that Our. Your knife so that they can under-price it and steal it from.. Supply of dated pommels Camillus started using tang stamps early enough, making it easy to tell era! Today, we keep finding fewer and fewer people who fought in WWII around above Japan is stamped Sportsword perhaps! Kastor immigrated to the U.S.A. when he was 14 and worked in uncles. That latest acquisition also had a sheath lacking the metal back and tip of the Mark 1 knives never in... A standard 2.5-inch cutting blade and the leather sheath was sewn into the pouch to be uncovered one.... Same knife only with the blade is different than the one used earlier timelines for you versions this. His U.S. audience include the Camillus 5 inch blades with fullers in a discussion about Navy Mark I knives procured! Any cleaning in case your interested, the registrations for all registered containing... Wont be a fantastic story to be uncovered one day a standard 2.5-inch cutting and... By 1900 knives, it is possible that the knife is for pilots as required in survival situations therefore... Requirement, knives of several types were procured and manufactured under different contracts and specifications and!
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