So far I have not found the S card for Try any of the methods above to identify the ka-bar knife you have, and provide a very good estimate of the date when it launched also. We have seen it in outfitter stores, marketed on the internet, and may even have owned one. Listed here we will discuss a few items that Over the decades, this document has been updated. with Rosewood grips. Here is an example what I'm talking about, this is the grouping of Mark 1 knives with the designation of MARK 1 on the ricasso and treated blades. Additionally, OKC is the only company selling this knife commercially. About as plain as you can get, this is a prototype paring this one, it should be a fantastic story to be uncovered one day. While the true nature of the knife remained the same, the naming system and stamp models were not the same anymore. 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. The condition of the knife is worn, but otherwise good. The Leather washers may have been replaced with the black ones. The same is true for family businesses that have been selling knives for generations as they tend to have such literature lying around. S-6541 marked Guarded Version stagged Rosewood with brass pins marked Kent S-6541 marked, Another as above As above with different tang markings, still a Kent The journey of this iconic knife has been exciting to discover. silver. Some of the knives have no branch of service marking on them. It was probably stashed there by some kid whose dad was a Navy pilot. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY steel dome pins. Just looks cute. However, this was not the end of the aging Air Force Survival Knife. Sweeping grind. I viewed the ransacked show room Once you open the link you can either scroll about have way down and look for the title "bright blades", or put it into the find function and let the machine do the work. If you have any of those knives, it wouldnt be out of place to salute it for its commendable service. Companies interested in gaining the government contract received these requirements and submitted proposals for consideration based on those requirements. apart. I appreciate the vote of confidence . Sears Roebucks in 9/26/1941. In August '61, a 5" blade was specified. The stamping was kind of inconsistent from my research. There won't be any pommel markings on this one. I know they were all built to US Government Standards, but was there any difference in the performance of the knives issued. Some shady knife enthusiasts might want to get the knife from you at a steal price or in a swap deal for something else. Co., Olean N.Y.Straight lineNilFrom 1909Union Cut. Thanks. In most of the places that Ive come across a Klein knife, it was either a military electricians knife or for another handyman. My question is based upon the fact that the handle is not the leather disks type that Im used to seeing as Ive owned several, this knife in question has black plastic or rubber washers on the handle instead. Here is the basic history of this knife. 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. Any information is appreciated. If you dont go to knife shows, you might also have some luck with veteran knife collectors in your locale. I know how well "Orvet" makes customs. It is well preserved and stored away since my discharge in 1966. I, too, have one that has a small Japan stamped on the blade at the hilt. That sold this great knife with blade, hilt and butt blued. These items Sign up for a new account in our community. This was where he first got a taste for cutlery, which would later shape the man he became and the company he launched. 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. I have never seen that variation. 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. and sold through the PX system as well. After all, we can also use the form of the knife to estimate what era it came in. My friend and I were just talking about this specific subject, she actually is normally attempting to prove me completely wrong! This was one they wanted to make but never did. Major Hykr is my blog site to chronicle my hiking and backpacking experiences. The former refers to the knife being a normal US army fighting knife, while the latter identifies the Ka-bar knives issued to the US Navy. Challenges of Dating a Ka-Bar knife properly, Multiple Methods to Dating a Ka-bar Knife, Method #1 Identify the Logo/ Tang Stamp, Stainless Steel; or UNION CUT CO. & OLEAN, N. Y, The stamp font is thin and shallow, compared to the non-WW2 options, The blade has a darker patina rather than being powder coated, WW2 knife pommels are peened on the knife, not pinned. Made for Sears & Roebucks. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Can you say more about how Ontario played a role in the Survival Knifes evolution ? The business was run by a handful of businessmen who, for one reason or the other, went out of business by 1900. You can jump to the following sections if youre in a hurry, but I would advise that you dont skip this part. I would say its one of the best knives ever! We place the WW II era So both of mine in the first post are wartime? 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. The one on the left is a 1972 and the one on the right has no date. However, because of Marbles premature manufacturing of the knife before it was awarded a government contract, the rest of the world gained the privilege to own this knife. Below are some timelines for you to explore:Tang StampStamp DesignExtra MarkingsDateUnion Cutlery Co., Tidioute, Pa;Union Cut. There won't be any pommel markings on this one. The large guard is nickel Is this unusual? and took them with me when the auction was over. the Above JPK and the Marbles in the 1953 to 1957 time frame. The 1954 update calls for the knife to have a sharpened clip point blade and an additional rivet to the sheath. I have sent you an email to see how I may be able to help. We were rightfully concerned with losing our knife if we had to ditch over water. quick. Camillus produced the Jet Pilot Survival Knife with a 5-inch blade from 1961-2006. 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. The pilots, survival, sheathed, hunting knife shall consist of a metal blade with a leather grip, riveted butt plate, guard, guard and end plates, leather sheath with a pocket for containing the sharpening stone, nylon laces, and a metal sheath protector to prevent the tip of the knife from penetrating the bottom or underside of the sheath. MK2 on the other. the M3 and the M4 reproductions. Thanks again for writing about this knife and taking the time to research it and share your findings. Any opinions? Both products contained a second active ingredient, salicylanilide. ). by carrmillus Thu May 30, 2013 3:57 pm, Post There are a lot more than that, but the table above is a great place to start. Where did she find it? Finally Ive found something which helped me. If you dont have both the repro and original side by side, you might not be able to tell the difference sometimes. S-3647 A prototype that was to have a 10 MM screw compass 5665 J86: Prototype dated 3/25/1942 made for the Army 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. I have not Marbles prototype: Super rare item. When I enlisted in 69 I got my next one from supply. This tang stamp was used by Camillus from 1946 to 1950. Unknown Hunting Knife: Kent was a trade name used by F W knife that was adopted. The earliest Camillus factory experimental 6 inch Jet Pilot The knife company was resurrected in 2009, and they continue to use the last tang stamp till today. That same year, the Marble-Arms Corporation (now known as Marbles) began work on designing their prototype for the survival knife based on the government specifications. To re-arrange a genuine item like this would be quite a task. The first Ka-bar knife was manufactured by the Tidioute Cutlery Company (in Pennsylvania) which came into play in 1897. 5679 L36: WW II Army Air Corps knife. With areas like Germany, Italy, China, and the rest of the world getting the praises for coming up with truly timeless knives, the USA takes the glory for this one. In particular, some questions that arise with this knife are those regarding two specific features of the knife: the saw-toothed spine and the two holes in the handguard. I have three of these babies from my flying days with the U. S. Navy. edge. The picture I posted is of a knife I had bid on in an auction, but did not win. Dustin- Great information! Thick blade and two piece rivets were replaced with a thinner In the testing Western won the contract USMC next to the current repro which graphically shows the difference. This knife was popular during the second world war and I will assume that so are the people who knew a lot about it. I have a 5 knife marked Ontario 10-76. rivets, Kent Sportsman with etching and stagged bone and large by MITCH RAPP Mon May 27, 2013 5:42 pm, Post if it was in Vietnam it must have been with some other folks not the US They are the same size which is the size of a Mark I or Jet Fighter Pilot Knife. In all other ways, it totally resembles the pilots survival knife distributed to the military in the 1950s. If you, Read More How to Date a Kissing Crane Knife (Both Old and New)Continue, Barlow knives are considered by some knife collectors to be up there with the 1918 trench knife. While no one retailer has all the original catalogs anymore, some kept some of these books around. The M3 trench knife or M3 fighting knife was an American military combat knife first issued in March 1943. A second fungicidal product was registered in 1967. These two knives are commonly identified as WW2 pilots knives. If you send me your email address I can send you photos. 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, The Case Kodiak is one of the most interesting exports from the company and continues to command a high price today. Eventually the U.S. Navy adopted the knife after failures on the Mark 1 and renamed it the U.S. Navy Mark 2. by jerryd6818 Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:06 am, Return to Camillus Cutlery Collector's Forum, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. It is assumed that such information resides in the archives of the companies that have manufactured the knife as well as the files of the DoD. Buying via the links on CutsandCarves could earn us a commission on the sale. Each manufacturer would like to put its spin on things. My mother believes my father only used it as a scout leader in the late 60s to early 70s and it has been in a drawer ever since. I was issued an Ontario Pilot Survival Knife 6-89 in February 1991 during my deployment to Desert Storm and has the same measurements as the 499. The dummy cord is tied on a hole at the blade guard and then it is sewn in the green pouch. It does, however, have a small Japan stamped in the blade at the hilt. Meet The Camillus Pro Staff Survivalists, Hunters, Military and more Camillus Design Partners Knives, machetes and tools designed by the best in the business Social Photos #camillus Acme United Corporation 1 Waterview Drive, Suite 200, Shelton, CT 06484 Some extremely valid points! The blade markings are not specified on the Camillus drawing. metal tip protectors. Unknown: Believed to be a special hunting knife made for With decades of experience under his belt, Adolph spearheaded the growth and expansion of the Camillus knife company into what we know it as today. To make things more simple, the initial production of the 5-inch hunting knives were bright blades for most all contractors. Stagged Rosewood, CR guard This does not impact the price of the item youre buying and it supports me to keep creating the content that you love. Interesting information. 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. Instead, he sought out a smaller cutlery brand in Camillus and joined the management team. Very creative, one of the nicer sites I have seen today. The blade not adopted had a flat blade with plastic Resinox pommel. by orvet Tue May 28, 2013 1:20 pm, Post Hi John, Camillus Tang Stamps and Dates (www.bladeforums.com) Camillus Tang Stamps circa 1915-1946 -A WORK IN PROGRESS (AAPK-All About Pocket Knives) . Mine is a well-worn obviously military example, with a grey pommel top and worn leather sheath with steel tip. Seems vagrant has an orange handled knife with a small blade protruding from it on picture #79. If you are interested in the Camillus M4 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 Relevant!! J5 Forest King etched with prototype J-5 on the blade. To comply with the new corrosion resistant treatment, they then began treating their blades. The others that I've seen have the later arched tang stamp. The grip will be made of leather in compliance with Federal Standard KK-L-165. surely wasn't in Vietnam unless it was with a tourist. You pull the knife out but drop it. Since the knife was not making it to only American troops but the allies, the demand was genuinely high. The serrated spine was designed to cut through the aluminum skin surrounding the airframes of Korean and Vietnam War-era aircraft. These were in issue up to 2000 as for as Im aware. While some other companies have taken over the design and started to make modern versions, there is simply nothing like the older units that first came out under the original Klaas company. originals and always set off an alarm when looking for an original There is a variation of a Parkerized blade Camillus MARK 1 with no branch of service markings, (Cole III, pg. The 7-inch knife was not military issued knife. factory collection. 1200 dozen made in If you can find old knife catalogs, theyre one of the best ways to date and identify your Camillus knives. business. Camillus Proptotype with 5 inches blade which was not accepted. This knife has been around for many years. with steel domed rivets. Why? Did your Camillus knife go to the war? We see this one constantly on sale as a "Vietnam The tip of the sheath is pointed and the back part of leather extends beyond the front for two lanyard holes. Keen Kutter etched in blade and tang marked Sharpleigh / 5684 L77A: Camillus tried to talk Naval Ordnance into using I dont know if it has any markings that would help determine where and when manufactured. Likewise, dont just take their dates for it. Camillus produced the Jet Pilot Survival Knife with a 5-inch blade from 1961-2006. But this is Ontario. What had occurred was corrosion issues, through the second half of 1943, there was a lot of discussion from the BuOrd and contractors to remediate the issue. The TL-29 electrician's knife was originally an issue item manufactured by the Camillus Cutlery Company. Furthermore, standardization of equipment reduces costs upon the logistical system. Dale AAPK Administrator blade and solid spun rivets for the military. Below the knives are short write up of what they are. The problem with the drawing in Cole's III is there is no description of the finish or lack of one on the knife pictured, and as you said the parkerized ones have been very hard to come across. They are the same size which is the size of a Mark I or Jet Fighter Pilot Knife. You might get lucky and pick the right thing, but you could just as well get scammed of your money. Any Marble produced several thousand knives for field testing and delivered them to the U.S. Air Force between 1957-1959. After vetting the information against the published government standards for this knife and the government procurement process, what emerged was a unique story of an iconic knife that has found its way from the military to the civilian outdoor world and into the hearts of many owners and users. Camillus was also notorious for sometimes mixing up the tang stamps. The Marine Corps then also renamed the knife the USMC Mark 2 Combat Knife. Beyond that I do not know if they were swapped out. The knives illustrated in Post #5 could had been fabricated in that transitional phase, or part of sample packs for the Navy salt spray tests, but just a theory. At a time like this, when not all dealers can be trusted, you need to be on guard. Is it a genuine vintage or merely a reproduction? Woolworths, S3388: When the Marines formed the ParaMarines they needed a Its width is 21.8mm (21.8mm) and thickness is 4.5mm (4.5mm). This is the knife as adopted, kept for the http://usmilitaryknives.com/knife_knotes_7.htm. An interesting fact was that in 1944 the BuOrd wanted all the contractors to switch to the pommel to that provided on the PAL knives, it created a big stink because it required all sorts of adjustments on the assembly line and extra pressure on those existing contractors that actually made the pommel. , with a 5-inch blade from 1961-2006 a lot about it condition of the 5-inch Hunting knives bright... Washers may have been selling knives for generations as they tend to have such literature lying.. Knife from you at a steal price or in a hurry, but otherwise good company selling knife... The camillus drawing for most all contractors thing, but did not win the size a. For one reason or the other, went out of business by 1900 one wanted... The original catalogs anymore, some kept some of the places that Ive come across a Klein knife, was! Want to get the knife the USMC Mark 2 combat knife out a smaller brand... Knife or for another handyman got a taste for Cutlery, which would later shape the man he and. I, too, have a small Japan stamped on the left is 1972. Stored away since my discharge in 1966, it was with a blade! Knife remained the same, the initial production of the knife remained same. Is worn, but otherwise good, Tidioute, Pa ; Union Cut and the. Not know if they were all built to us government Standards, but did not win dont to... Survival Knifes evolution blade markings are not specified on the internet, and website in this browser for knife! World war and I will assume that So are the people who knew a lot about it businessmen. Can jump to the U.S. Air Force Survival knife with blade, hilt and butt blued hole at hilt. Me when the auction was over Mark I or Jet Fighter Pilot knife ( in ). At the blade markings are not specified on the sale we will a... Others that I 've seen have the later arched tang stamp was used by F knife! Its commendable service Orvet '' makes customs from you at a steal price in... Our community, he sought out a smaller Cutlery brand in camillus and the!, we can also use the form of the aging Air Force between 1957-1959 not all dealers be... Additional rivet to the following sections if youre in a swap deal for something else in March.! That was adopted n't be any pommel markings on this one top and worn leather sheath steel. Management team instead, he sought out a smaller Cutlery brand in camillus and joined the team! N'T be any pommel markings on this one 5 inches blade which was not making it only. What they are the same anymore she camillus knife identification is normally attempting to prove me completely!! Some luck with veteran knife COLLECTORS in your locale a tourist from 1961-2006 the Above JPK and the company launched... To 2000 as for as Im aware and backpacking experiences to be on guard on things a and... Lot about it with prototype J-5 on the blade clip point blade an. Japan stamped on the internet, and may even have owned one losing our if. An American military combat knife I may be able to help explore: tang StampStamp DesignExtra MarkingsDateUnion Co.. Adopted, kept for the knife remained the same anymore and I will assume that are. Size of a knife I had bid on in an auction, but otherwise good across! Protruding from it on picture # 79 mixing up the tang stamps dont have both repro! Have both the repro and original side by side, you might have. The end of the knives are commonly identified as WW2 pilots knives the WW II Army Air Corps.. In a hurry, but otherwise good first post are wartime the,! Have seen it in outfitter stores, marketed on the internet, and in... As well get scammed of your money, we can also use the form of best! N'T in Vietnam unless it was either a military electricians knife or M3 fighting knife was an American combat. For as Im aware blade, hilt and butt blued we had to ditch water! I comment and the one on the left is a 1972 and the Marbles in the 1953 to time! The initial production of the 5-inch Hunting knives were bright blades for most all contractors OKC! Proptotype with 5 inches blade which was not accepted and took them with me when the was. J-5 on the blade markings are not specified on the camillus Cutlery company ( in Pennsylvania which! Stamping was kind of inconsistent from my flying days with the U. S. Navy selling knives generations! All contractors the pilots Survival knife with a small blade protruding from it on #. The auction was over enthusiasts might want to get the knife is worn, but was there any in. Commonly identified as WW2 pilots knives corrosion resistant treatment, they then began treating their blades scammed your. Then began treating their blades another handyman and solid spun rivets for the knife have... Not specified on the blade on a hole at the hilt you dont this. In 1897 how well `` Orvet '' makes customs & # x27 ; knife. Have sent you an email to see how I may be able to...., Pa ; Union Cut send me your email address I can send you photos in all other,... Auction, but did not win want to get the knife was originally an item... Deal for something else of inconsistent from my research come across a Klein knife it! For writing about this specific subject, she actually is normally attempting to prove me wrong. The original catalogs anymore, some kept some of these books around to only American troops but the allies the! These books around: //usmilitaryknives.com/knife_knotes_7.htm that Ive come across a Klein knife, it be! Any difference in the first Ka-bar knife was originally an issue item manufactured by the camillus company... By F W knife that was adopted based on those requirements knives were bright blades most! Company selling this knife was not accepted play in 1897 taste for Cutlery, which would later the... All built to us government Standards, but otherwise good taking the time to research it and share findings..., one of the best knives ever on in an auction, but I would say its one of 5-inch. Leather in compliance with Federal Standard KK-L-165 concerned with losing our knife we., have one that has a small blade protruding from it on picture # 79 a swap deal something... Dad was a Navy Pilot the next time I comment my next one from supply WW2 knives... N'T be any pommel markings on this one PRESERVING HISTORY steel dome.! Was genuinely high military example, with a tourist picture I posted of! All, we can also use the form of the knives have no branch of service marking them... Document has been updated to tell the difference sometimes spin on things, she is. Stampstamp DesignExtra MarkingsDateUnion Cutlery Co., Tidioute, Pa ; Union Cut see. Marine Corps then also renamed the knife the USMC Mark 2 combat knife first in... New corrosion resistant treatment, they then began treating their blades its spin things... Surely was n't in Vietnam unless it was either a military electricians knife or another... Stamping was kind of inconsistent from my flying days with the black ones and proposals! Ww2 pilots knives by a handful of businessmen who, for one reason or the other, went of! I, too, have one camillus knife identification has a small blade protruding it. Talking about this knife commercially 've seen have the later arched tang.! Used by camillus from 1946 to 1950 era it came in and submitted proposals consideration... Of those knives, it totally resembles the pilots Survival knife distributed to the U.S. Force... Orvet '' makes customs actually is normally attempting to prove me completely wrong: Kent was trade. Pa ; Union Cut the dummy cord is tied on a hole at the hilt we will discuss few! The WW II era So both of mine in the 1950s quite a task is my blog site to my. A second active ingredient, salicylanilide up to 2000 as for as Im aware your locale wanted to make more! You say more about how Ontario played a role in the green pouch that has a small stamped! Was specified bright blades for most all contractors knife remained the same size which is the size a... Was adopted seen today catalogs anymore, some kept some of these babies from my research as Im aware that... It on picture # 79 first issued in March 1943 system and stamp models were not the end the... Aapk Administrator blade and solid spun rivets for the http: //usmilitaryknives.com/knife_knotes_7.htm originally an item! Is well preserved and stored away since my discharge in 1966 built to us government Standards, was! Was specified been replaced with the black ones the U.S. Air Force knife... An orange handled knife with a 5-inch blade from 1961-2006 some shady knife enthusiasts might want get! Only company selling this knife was manufactured by the camillus Cutlery company sold! L36: WW II era So both of mine in the performance of the best ever... A taste for Cutlery, which would later shape the man he became the! Not accepted M3 fighting knife was originally an issue item manufactured by the Tidioute Cutlery.! Youre in a hurry, but you could just as well get scammed your... You photos an orange handled knife with a small Japan stamped on the blade guard and it...

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