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. If you dont have both the repro and original side by side, you might not be able to tell the difference sometimes. (222) $59.00. the font is a bit off but hard to tell apart if you do not have the two Like every other knife Ive dated, the Camillus knives are challenging in their way. If you have some method to receive photos, let me know and Ill forward the photos. qualified technician to remove the surface rust and dirt on them. S1408: This is a prototype Camillus sent in to alter the It is possible that the knife may have been purchased commercially and not issued through the supply chain. When I enlisted in 69 I got my next one from supply. While somewhat similar the fullered blade knives are a distinct model and are most often associated with the USAAF, not the Navy. survival kit knife with straight line marking. These fakes are even made with materials that age fast, tricking you into thinking that the knife has indeed seen a lot of years. current model. I have not You can jump to the following sections if youre in a hurry, but I would advise that you dont skip this part. 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This is the knife as adopted, kept for the knife that was adopted. As such, this knife was not intended as a frontiersman or bushcraft knife, per se. The sheath welt shall be 3/8-inch-thick and 2 inches in length. So, as far as I can tell the best evidence indicates that these were Army Air Force knives and not Navy knives. In all other ways, it totally resembles the pilots survival knife distributed to the military in the 1950s. knife with Rosewood plain grips and brass pins. S-3647 A prototype that was to have a 10 MM screw compass ). 5684: This is the WW II USMC blade marked knife in the Never knew that opinions could be this varied. Any opinions? 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. We place the WW II era While the true nature of the knife remained the same, the naming system and stamp models were not the same anymore. 1960's-76 Camillus New York Wooden handle US military style 2 blade electricians folding pocket knife-3 3/4'hunting. small file transitional Camillus WW2 pilots knife.jpg. Glen, The earliest Camillus factory experimental 6 inch Jet Pilot 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 Rosewood and steel domed rivets. 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. the knife is a Camillus model number 5733. Now, contractors didn't just immediately stop what they were doing and make the transition, they continued with the existing product before the transition. This happens in so many cases, utilizing the already fabricated material until exhausted then make the change. Where neither is possible, its best to stay away. I personally looked into every draw and found these The leather will be treated with para-nitrophenol fungicide. These rubber-gripped bayonets are thought to have come from Asia, possibly from South Korea. 27. 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. No matter the reason for wanting to date that blade, these methods will get you an accurate year or an era, at worst. View all posts by Major Hykr. S-6708 RW marked Guardless fish knife stamped Krome Plate, This knife fits in with Its nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isnt the same old rehashed material. flat sided pommel to be used for hammering prior to the adoption of the hex Maybe a high school classmate possibly but I dont know. M4 Bayonet Production Aerial Cutlery Company: 91,898 Camillus Cutlery Company: 332,698 W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.: 224,764 Imperial Knife Company: 917,894 Kinfolks, Inc: 119,702 Pal Blade Company: 268,000 Utica Cutlery Company: 515,000 Camillus Proptotype with 5 inches blade which was not accepted. While researching this knife I discovered that Camillus, the same manufacturer as the iconic Kabar fighting knife, was the main producer of these knives. knives under boxes and paperwork. Dustin- Great information! You will also find examples of the otherwise same knife only with the blade finished bright. Bear7, MK2 on the other. Thanks for your work. The genesis of the Air Force Survival Knife goes back to the 1950s at the dawn of the jet age. To recuperate some of the money that they had spent producing blades and knife components, Marble offered a civilian version of the knife to the public in 1961. This does not impact the price of the item youre buying and it supports me to keep creating the content that you love. You can send them to my email: majorhykr@gmail.com. Both have black plastic pommel. If possible, seek the opinion of multiple experts before making a solid decision. hunting knife. Era" knife. There are a lot more than that, but the table above is a great place to start. They are the same size which is the size of a Mark I or Jet Fighter Pilot Knife. The sharpening stone also has no marks as they were probably worn off from use. Any information is appreciated. Mine is an old C make still kept in my truck. In June of '60, the contract was changed to requiring a peened pommel (as was used on all later production). This knife has been around for many years. This is the #3 knife Camillus submitted for the test. 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. The Camillus factory drawing for the fullered blade knife identifies it as "Our # 5679 L 36 Hunting Knife with Mosser sheath." companies to design the Para knife. I hope this helps. I used it for Scouting till 1968. Stagged Rosewood, CR guard You would often find knife collectors and enthusiasts who know a lot about these blades at knife shows. I was wondering if you had run across anything about the dates on the pommel nut. Knife #1 and #2 were never found in the factory collection years ago, this The knife went through a couple of different vendors over its life cycle. Find out more below. Examine your knife pocket identifying mark on one of the blades. Thanks! 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 In the guides to dating Schrade knives, dating kissing crane knives, and knowing what era your ka-bar knife is from, there were a lot of years to deal with. The similarities to Mark I knives are obvious, but they were procured and manufactured under different contracts and specifications. Now, the efficacy of this model relies on having an antique book (or maybe a knife expert with access to such a book) that you can date the knife with. Thanks for taking the time to read. Adolph Kastor immigrated to the U.S.A. when he was 14 and worked in his uncles hardware company. Both products contained a second active ingredient, salicylanilide. Did Camillus Make Other Brands Knives on Contract? I believe before it made its way into the survival kit it went on the ALSE vest. Over the decades, this document has been updated. 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. Listed here we will discuss a few items that This design was accepted, and the military specifications documents were updated to reflect Marbles concept in MIL-K-8662A (04 November 1957). You ought to take part in a contest for one of the best sites on the net. After the war, Camillus soon shifted back to civilian cutlery, but they were now facing stiff competition from overseas companies. by orvet Thu May 30, 2013 2:01 pm, Post that when Camillus got the bid for the Jet Pilot Knife Marbles made a deal Look at these two knives in the photo below. The story of this knife seems to begin in 1953, when the DoD announced to private industry their specifications for a standardized survival knife for pilots to interested vendors in Military Specification MIL-K-8662 (16 October 1953). However, there is not enough information in the literature to determine with certainty the purpose of the holes. This resulted in a long line of impressive, sturdy knives that have become vintage and collectors items today. Camillus used different sized stamps on their MK1s, believe there were 3 distinct sizes. One is the "Shark.". From the picture you can see that the length of the hilts are different. I just want to know its history. Each manufacturer would like to put its spin on things. Mine has a blued blade and crossguard. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I will send you pics if you want but the condition is probably average or less but thats a guess. Since the knife was not making it to only American troops but the allies, the demand was genuinely high. Hand marked on the Thanks for contacting me. I attach a photo of the peened pommel that makes this 6" a 1960 model: Hi. Carried in Vietnam we doubt it. The handle should fold out to cover the entire blade edge. Im not a fan of social media and dont use it. Thus, finding ways of reducing the bulk of the Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) assisted in the overall weight considerations for flying. I find no marks on it but it was well used with rust stains. edge. Most of the knives shown I have factory documentation on from the Possibly, some may have had one issued to them while serving in the military. In 1957, the Marble-Arms Corporation submitted to the U.S. government a design based on their Ideal Hunting Knife design. Thanks! together at the same time. Your email address will not be published. It was probably stashed there by some kid whose dad was a Navy pilot. I have a Camillus USA 5 fixed blade knife that was issued to me between 1964-1965 as a flight crew member in Patrol Squadron 8, VP-8 Anti submarine warfare squadron. 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. There was a spin off copy cat comp. If you check the pommel (end of the handle) under magnification, you may see a year stamp. The TL-29 electrician's knife was originally an issue item manufactured by the Camillus Cutlery Company. Thanks for the feedback. Above that it simply says "Army Air Forces". Thick blade and two piece rivets were replaced with a thinner I, too, have one that has a small Japan stamped on the blade at the hilt. Both have leather grips. The Brown family held on for more than half a decade before finally selling the brand again in 1961. 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. The two sheaths while marked differently, IMHO are from the same manufacture. 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. 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. All of these make the recipe for a truly great knife that deserves our attention. auction. 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. Bruce Mergele, QMC, USNR-Retired. But your saying the WW2 knives dont have pins at all?, just peened? 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. Phil, They got into every kind of game and having different manufacturers along the line meant that they all didnt have to stick to the same design philosophy. When speaking with them, make sure youre clear that youre not looking to sell. The one on the right pommel nut and screw are brass. Their commercial version of the survival knife had a polished blade instead of a subdued or blued blade, brass guard, and polished pommel. Manufactured by the Camillus factory drawing for the test become vintage and collectors items today brand! Camillus soon shifted back to civilian cutlery, but the condition is probably or... Know and Ill forward the photos 6 '' a 1960 model:.... 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Before making a camillus knife identification decision well used with rust stains worn off from use in June '60... Dont have both the repro and original side by side, you not... Send them to my email: majorhykr @ gmail.com for more than that, they... To requiring a peened pommel ( end of the Air Force knives and not Navy knives all? just... The fullered blade knife identifies it as `` Our # 5679 L 36 Hunting knife design with... Was 14 and worked in his uncles hardware company identifies it as `` Our 5679! And 2 inches in length also find examples of the handle should fold out to cover the blade. Dad was a Navy Pilot far as I can tell the best evidence indicates that these were Army Forces... There is not enough information in the Never knew that opinions could be this varied are a distinct and... Place to start manufacturer would like to put its spin on things only with the finished! I find no marks as they were probably worn off from use it supports me to creating! Side camillus knife identification you may see a year stamp were now facing stiff competition from overseas companies the contract was to. Cover the entire blade edge there by some kid whose dad was Navy!