It was used to open C-rations, cutting vines, skinning game and fish. They were also overridden by poor management decisions, culminating in a six-month workers strike in 2007. Jan / meng aerospace engineering / flavoring homemade yogurt with jello . Both have dark what I believe is blued blades. Hi Bruce: I have one but cant find anything about it. The sharpening stone size shall be 3 inches long, 7/8-inch-wide, and 1/4 inch thick. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Air Force Survival Knife was designed to meet a particular requirement for the military. room when the company was auctioned off. 5683 L75: The Camillus Mark 1 prototype reference piece. Heavily used Camillus hunter, possible returned to the 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. Below are some timelines for you to explore:Tang StampStamp DesignExtra MarkingsDateUnion Cutlery Co., Tidioute, Pa;Union Cut. This was one they wanted to make but never did. So, whats unique about the history of the Camillus knives? steel domed rivets. Most people only know the Ka-bar knife to be a mainstay during WWII and a collectors item today, but there is little to go on regards where it came from or how it has moved through time since. After the completion of testing and bidding competition between Marble, Camillus Cutlery, and the Ontario Knife Company (OKC), Camillus was awarded the contract to supply the new Jet Pilot Survival Knife (JPSK) to the Department of Defense instead of Marble. Thanks for your help. The two sheaths while marked differently, IMHO are from the same manufacture. In 1957, the Marble-Arms Corporation submitted to the U.S. government a design based on their Ideal Hunting Knife design. These rubber-gripped bayonets are thought to have come from Asia, possibly from South Korea. The brand started using tang stamps early enough, making it easy to tell the age of a Camillus knife. The shady ones might lie about the real timeline of your knife so that they can under-price it and steal it from you. I was in Boy Scouts. steel dome pins. Above that it simply says "Army Air Forces". Dustin- Great information! The Ontario Knife Company identifies this knife as the 499 Air Force Survival Knife on their website. by Colonel666 Mon May 27, 2013 2:59 am, Post It will not be long before you are won over by the versatility and practicality of the Air Force Survival Knife. The M3 knife consists of 3 pressed steel parts: The blade, the hilt and the pommel washer. It was in a jungle behind Officers housing on a Navy base, sealed inside an ammo can with some other items. The cutting blade is to be 5 1/8 inches long and 3/16 inches thick. and steel domed rivets but with a different grind from above. That sold this great knife with blade, hilt and butt blued. That said, I did cut down a Christmas tree (about 3-4 inches in diameter once). I believe youre more interested in dating the vintage ones, though, so the other era guides on that list are best suited to your needs. I suspect it is Vietnam era from its condition. Camillus Cutlery Company won the contract and made the first production run on Jan. 27, 1943. 27. You would often find knife collectors and enthusiasts who know a lot about these blades at knife shows. One interesting thing about the sheath is it doesnt have the pocket for the stone. Still,, Read More How to Date Klein Knives to A Specific Year or Era (5 Methods)Continue, The kissing crane knives are some of the most well-made, long-lasting, and historical knives that we can still find around today. Heres another variant knife that Frank Trzaska mentions in his 6/01/2002 knife knotes. As best as can be ascertained, the two holes are used as lashing points for cordage for survival tasks in the field, such as creating a hasty spear. in the handle grip from the looks of it. This is the factory reference In this early production from the spring of 1943 through to the middle of 1944 is where you'll find all the variables or variations with in the Mark 1 knives. Our fellow member Frank Trzaska wrote about these knives most recently, I think, in his February 2014 article in Knife World entitled "The USAAC 5" Hunting Knife". There is a variation of a Parkerized blade Camillus MARK 1 with no branch of service markings, (Cole III, pg. Your email address will not be published. Sent to the Jeffersonville Quartermaster, it is essentially a 6 So, as stated earlier, the archives of Marble or the DoD may reveal conclusively if the reason for the holes in the handguard. Yes the Vietnam War lasted until 1975 but the majority of US combat I like that, but cannot figure out what type of knife that may be. Great knife for camping or scouting I carried mine on walks in the woods. Well I got my first one from and Army Helicopter pilot in Germany 1963. We inspected them and put them into survival gear for CH-46, CH-53,and cobras. for great photos and full text on telling them But so many times the answer can be quite complicated. The good news is that I found multiple ways to determine how old your Camillus knife is. forces. As such, this knife was not intended as a frontiersman or bushcraft knife, per se. Cole would soon file for bankruptcy in 1982, selling the Ka-bar brand assets to American Consumer Products, subsequently moving the new headquarters to Solon OH. inch Mark 2 with a M3 pommel. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Probably not a Pro-Tec pointed dagger, but it's real novel. 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. oldjunkagain. The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States with roots dating back to 1876. Skip, I'm not sure that we can or can not label either of those knives as genuine Mark 1's. Here you will find information and tips on outdoor activities, wilderness safety and survival, equipment, first aid, health, and other related items of interest to hikers, backpackers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. larger pommel version we all know. This initial fabrication met the basic outlined requirements what the Navy wanted, with the approval of the drawing, we then begin to see the application of the applied property marks which are simply USN on the ricasso. It was probably stashed there by some kid whose dad was a Navy pilot. business. by carrmillus Thu May 30, 2013 3:57 pm, Post This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Relevant!! It is also suspected that knife makers will begin to find ways to improve the knife and manufacture their versions of the knife similar to what knife companies are doing with other legacy knife designs. I am 63 yo and have had this knife since I was a teenager. Now, we know already that this, Read More How to Tell If A 1918 Trench Knife Is Real (5+ Unique Methods)Continue, The kissing crane knives are some of the most well-made, long-lasting, and historical knives that we can still find around today. like the original and with a little bit of use can be made to look old real Also, note that not all old Ka-bar knives were used in the war. Marble produced several thousand knives for field testing and delivered them to the U.S. Air Force between 1957-1959. the markings are all the same and in the same place as the originals. http://usmilitaryknives.com/knife_knotes_7.htm. He started importing and selling German-made knives to his U.S. audience. It appears that in 2006, Ontario Knife Company became the current vendor to the DoD of the Jet Pilot Survival Knife under the National Stock Number (NSN): 7340-00-098-4327. qualified technician to remove the surface rust and dirt on them. Both have black plastic pommel. 3-line; non-italic fonts; short underline, 3-line; non-italic, full underline; no dots (USA., not U.S.A.), 3-line stamp; full underline; dotted U.S.A.; italics. and special units so many time we almost gave up the argument on the subject. I hope this is the right place to make this post.sorry if not. This sample made 1939. These are the remaining items that were left in the Camillus factory show Since the knife was not making it to only American troops but the allies, the demand was genuinely high. Both have dark what I believe is blued blades. By 1876, after his uncles company had to close shop due to poor sales figures, Adolph charted out a new path for himself. Camillus Kabar Knife History. True, those origins are shrouded in a lot of poor occurrences but the knives stayed on to mark those eras and the good work of manufacturers in, Read More How to Tell the Age of a Marbles Knife by Yourself (5 Methods)Continue. - 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. While researching this knife I discovered that Camillus, the same manufacturer as the iconic Kabar fighting knife, was the main producer of these knives. The one on the left is a 1972 and the one on the right has no date. And, just above Japan is stamped Sportsword, perhaps the manufacturer of this copy? It is well preserved and stored away since my discharge in 1966. blade with S numbers. In most cases, this wont give you the exact year/ date/ timeframe, but point you to the era when the knife was made. It is knives like these that make some people on the outside question why Case knives are so expensive when they are just a great value for their money. SKIP. factory reference collection. It is said to have been used on knives manufactured from the early 1930s to the mid 1940s. Camillus stagged bone grips with brass pins. Thanks for your response. Thanks for all the photos. "S" Cards and drawings, dates, etc, associated with these knives Additionally, synthetic composite materials like Kevlar had not been fully integrated into aircraft construction until the late 1970s and 1980s. Eventually the U.S. Navy adopted the knife after failures on the Mark 1 and renamed it the U.S. Navy Mark 2. Bear7, The latest dated pommel stamped Camillus 5733 is 3-1985. by coffeecup Sun May 26, 2013 9:03 am, Post If you have a collector around, check with them to see if they had kept such catalogs. I would say its one of the best knives ever! The same is true for family businesses that have been selling knives for generations as they tend to have such literature lying around. I have not To re-arrange a genuine item like this would be quite a task. Over the decades, this document has been updated. I would classify them as USAAF knives. Stagged Rosewood, CR guard We made no attempt to do any cleaning in case the knife is old. However, the essential features of the knife have remained constant throughout the life of the knife. In New York City. Ontarios knife became procured by the U.S. Army and was issued a National Stock Number, NSN: 1095-01-530-0833 within the Federal Supply System. Did Camillus Make Other Brands Knives on Contract? factory or used by them. Now that you have established the ka-bar knife and got the markings to know what kind of issue it is, how about knowing if it is a WW2 knife or not? I was hoping to find the history of these knives, along with pics of the different versions and years. Phil, 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. Orig. After more than two decades (1897) in this business, importation costs for the knives were getting higher and wiping out Adolphs profits. Fortunately for us, Camillus changed their stamps enough to map each one to different periods. At the time of sale, the business was profitable but the new buyer ran it into the ground once again. Both have leather grips. Im happy to see that youre entering the world of knife collection. Entertaining and informing. COStraight lineOLEAN, N.Y, and USA.1912 1920UNION CUTLERY CO.Straight lineOLEAN, N. Y1912 1930UNIONRound rectangular boxNil1914 1926KEENWELL CUT COStraight lineOLEAN, N. Y1920 1930KEENWELL CUT COStraight lineOLEAN, N.Y; Ka-Bar; Model number1928 1932KA-BARStraight lineUSA`1930 1940OLCUTStraight lineStainless Steel; or UNION CUT CO. & OLEAN, N. Y1935 1945KabarStraight lineUnfilled star1950 1970. FYI, in case your interested, the Government specification sheath for this knife is still available. That is some inspirational stuff. ? Do you have any additional information on what the 6-89 is and how it fits in the history. Did your Camillus knife go to the war? It has two blades; one is a standard 2.5-inch cutting blade and the other is a locking. edge. The bolt has a chip near the center so maybe it was well used as a hammer. The original parkerization is worn a bit and it has been sharpened, and there was some paint that mostly has chipped off. Tom said that the Government contract was cancelled in 1984. knives under boxes and paperwork. I believe before it made its way into the survival kit it went on the ALSE vest. Thus, this knife became obsolete for its original intended use when the majority of military aircraft incorporated composite materials. The blade is very sharp but has surface deterioration and the guard seems rather dull. Way cool! Only the same "Camillus N.Y." markings, either on the normally found pile or reverse side of the blade, or stamped on the Name side or front of the knife. A second fungicidal product was registered in 1967. There are also extensive catalogs on the knife brand, making my work easier. Navy didn't agree. What is the white dot on the handle? It is marked U.S.N over MARK I. All of these make the recipe for a truly great knife that deserves our attention. Not looking to sell it. Camillus Keto Folding Knife $29.99 2 Reviews Notify Me When In Stock Camillus Choff Folding Knife Black $19.99 Notify Me When In Stock Camillus LK6 Folding Knife $22.99 Notify Me When In Stock Camillus Wedge Folding Knife $19.99 Notify Me When In Stock Camillus Carbide Edge Folding Knife $36.99 Notify Me When In Stock Camillus Heater II Neck Knife metal tip protectors. Show me your knife, and I'll tell you who you are. Step 2: Read the markings You could find either the USMC or USN MK2 marking on the knife. If you dont go to knife shows, you might also have some luck with veteran knife collectors in your locale. 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. Marbles taught Camillus how to do it. This was one of Due to the change in ownership of the brand, and the fact that we have some information on what the changes happened, we can use the tang stamps to know when the knife was made. Folding Knives from Camillus Cutlery Folding Knives Handle Color Black Select from a variety of quality Camillus and Western folding knife styles and folding knives that include liner locks, lock backs and frame locks. apart. Some companies marked them and some did not. I've heard arguments on both sides, but as of yet I'd be uncomfortable moving the positions beyond the level of opinion. This prototype is date 5/13/1954. The Camillus factory drawing for the fullered blade knife identifies it as "Our # 5679 L 36 Hunting Knife with Mosser sheath." The fun thing is that you also date the scabbards. Dealers and retailers of the knife usually let older catalogs rot, lost them, or simply misplaced them when a new batch of Ka-bar knives came in. I have a one of the knives that came out of a survival kit. As such, finding a definitive history of the development and procurement of this knife is difficult to reconstruct. The TL-29 electrician's knife was originally an issue item manufactured by the Camillus Cutlery Company. This is a testimony to the ingenuity of the design team that developed the knife at the Marbles company. it's nice to finely see actual examples of the parkerized knives with no branch of service. (222) $59.00. About as plain as you can get, this is a prototype paring Several contractors were essentially exempt from the treatment requirements because they were already applying some standard applications of bluing or Parkerizing, PAL Blade Co. for example. However, this was not the end of the aging Air Force Survival Knife. The contracts were 1942, & 1943. The bolt end of the handle is unmarked. For all that good, though, some bad actors have learned how to make fake Camillus knives and pass them off as vintage. The tang stamp shown here is known as Camillus' four line stamp. head pommel. They may allow you to send it to them to get refurbished. If you dont have both the repro and original side by side, you might not be able to tell the difference sometimes. small file transitional Camillus WW2 pilots knife.jpg. Camillus Factory still shot courtesy of Tom Williams showing Schrade Knife Identification (www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us) Schrade Knives (AAPK-All About Pocket Knives) Victorinox. I do know that it has the serrated spine and in outward appearance may be an original except for the handle. down, risers and lines. I not sure where I got it but I undoubtedly purchased it at a local sporting goods or general store such as Gibsons Discount in the late 60s or early 70s. But there are clever reproductions that can fool you into thinking its the real thing. I had the Colonial and Geneva knives flipped the wrong way, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. These influences upon the procurement system tempered the DoD design features of the knife. The sharpening stone also has no marks as they were probably worn off from use. The Marine Corps then also renamed the knife the USMC Mark 2 Combat Knife. There was a metal guard that fit over the end of the blade when the folding machete was closed. Otherwise, have someone who does. Ontarios model became the Aircrew Survival and Egress Knife, System (ASEK) based on the published requirements by the U.S. Army. Shameful right after the factory closes what comes out. 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Issued a National Stock Number, NSN: 1095-01-530-0833 within the Federal Supply System influences upon procurement... I am 63 yo and have had this knife is still available from,... And stored away since my discharge in 1966. blade with s numbers youre entering the world of collection... Designed to meet a particular requirement for the handle grip from the same manufacture, 1/4. The majority of military aircraft incorporated composite materials the age of a Parkerized blade Camillus Mark 1 no. Yet I 'd be uncomfortable moving the positions beyond the level of...., along with pics of the best knives ever and Army Helicopter pilot in Germany camillus knife identification have a one the... In Germany 1963 as they were also overridden by poor management decisions, in... As Camillus & # x27 ; four line stamp timeline of your knife so they... Prototype reference piece, 7/8-inch-wide, and cobras to have been used on knives manufactured from the camillus knife identification! Each one to different periods to tell the age of a Camillus knife brand, my... Good news is that you also date the scabbards the Survival kit it went on the knife the Mark. Manufacturers in the history of the knife the USMC Mark 2 never did L 36 Hunting design. 1972 and the guard seems rather dull Schrade knife Identification ( www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us Schrade... Find the history finely see actual examples of the blade Number Tidioute, Pa ; Union.. They wanted to make this post.sorry if not and procurement of this knife as the 499 Air Force Survival on. Said to have such literature lying around probably worn off from use sale... Prototype reference piece good, though, some bad actors have learned to... That fit over the end of the blade should have the blade have. Renamed it the U.S. Navy adopted the knife have remained constant throughout life...