Production date date 3/25/1943. 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. I have never heard it being issued in the Navy but can say without a doubt many all of us flight crew members were issued one. Co., Olean N.Y.Straight lineNil1897 1909Union Cut. Both are Camillus but one has a 1" longer blade. Im interested in finding out about what I believe is not a USAF Pilot Survival Knife, but may in fact be an Asian made imitation. By 1876, after his uncles company had to close shop due to poor sales figures, Adolph charted out a new path for himself. At a time like this, when not all dealers can be trusted, you need to be on guard. You are correct. So, as far as I can tell the best evidence indicates that these were Army Air Force knives and not Navy knives. Camillus produced the knife with a 6-inch blade from 1959-1961. In June of '60, the contract was changed to requiring a peened pommel (as was used on all later production). Camillus Cuda Bolt Spring Assisted Knife Gray (3.625" Black) CM19080 MSRP: $50.99 Our Price: $43.95 Add to Cart Camillus Erupt Spring Assisted Knife Black GRN (2.5" Black) Our Price: $33.95 Add to Cart Camillus HEAT Spring Assisted Knife Black GFN (3.5" Black) CM19167 Our Price: $55.95 Add to Cart Thanks for your work. Relevant!! These sheaths are in a very different style from the Mine is a well-worn obviously military example, with a grey pommel top and worn leather sheath with steel tip. The pommel screw in the middle looks to be steel, but nut is brass. 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. 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. I am 63 yo and have had this knife since I was a teenager. However it was a cheap copy of low quality steel! If you happen to have, Read More How to Date A Case Kodiak Knife by Yourself (Expert Advice)Continue, If you have spent some time here before, then we have dated some pretty amazing knives together. They did not adopt this knife, as we know the M3 was Even if the Ontario Knife Company discontinues their production and the DoD phases them out of their inventories, the knife will be around for commercial purchase. Camillus knives are one of my most favorites knives to date. It would also be much easier to confirm additional details about the knives, not just who made them and when. Can you say more about how Ontario played a role in the Survival Knifes evolution ? Very creative, one of the nicer sites I have seen today. Glen, Well Camillus didn't start making these knives with this marking until 1974 so Camillus stagged bone grips with brass pins. Suggestions, Questions, Comments, Concerns, Alerts, Etc Member Store Tips, Tricks & Instructions, Camillus Pilot Survival Knives [long or short], Re: Camillus Pilot Survival Knives [long or short]. Another possibility, is that a previous owner modified the knife after it was issued or purchased. Its nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isnt the same old rehashed material. generate quite a few questions so we hope this is a help to a few folks. Camillus produced the Jet Pilot Survival Knife with a 5-inch blade from 1961-2006. ). The gray painted Pommel indicates that it is issued to the Navy. Need help identifying camillus knife Riley12 Apr 16, 2014 Riley12 Guide Joined Jun 27, 2013 Messages 1,053 Likes 263 Location Florida Apr 16, 2014 #1 I bought this knife today, and was told it's a naval survival knife, because of the blue in the bottom, but it doesn't look like the naval survival knives. The condition of the knife is worn, but otherwise good. While somewhat similar the fullered blade knives are a distinct model and are most often associated with the USAAF, not the Navy. Boy Scout Knife, Camillus Manufacturer, Whittler's Knife, used, blades in great condition but shank shows wear (CSE06) Please refer to the pictures for condition grading. Quality knives and tools with lowest prices. Interesting article. 5665 J68: Unknown so far, unable to find the S card the Rosewood and steel domed rivets. Thanks for your response. The serrated spine on this knife is part of the functional requirements for this knife. Before you go dating your ka-bar knife, I think you might want to know some of the challenges that you could encounter, and why. Otherwise, have someone who does. 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. Pilot Survival Knife MIL-K-8662(AER). When you have a knife that meets the specs above, it could only have been made in 1944 or 1945. After all, that is what they practically do for a living. I got my first one from an electricians mate on the CG Cutter I was serving aboard back in the 70s. Don't know how durable or even if it is any good. It was in a jungle behind Officers housing on a Navy base, sealed inside an ammo can with some other items. The sharpened clip point on the blade allows the pilot to punch a hole in the aluminum then use the knife spine as a hasty saw to cut through the aircraft skin during an aircraft egress situation. 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. I became curious about the background and history of this knife about a year ago. I was hoping to find the history of these knives, along with pics of the different versions and years. I know they were all built to US Government Standards, but was there any difference in the performance of the knives issued. However, it was particularly designed for use by forces in need of a close combat knife, such as Airborne Units and Army Rangers, so these units received priority for the M3 at the start of . Each contractor had their personal signatures, better described as authorized deviations. Each manufacturer would like to put its spin on things. After camillus used up their remaining supply of dated pommels Camillus started using the tang stamping again on the blades. The new design that was adopted was the 6 inch JPK. Stagged Rosewood, CR guard Western made two: one with a 6-inch blade, the G46-6, and one with a 5-inch blade, the G46-5. 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). As such, finding a definitive history of the development and procurement of this knife is difficult to reconstruct. 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. I sent some pictures I have of mine, Major. A second fungicidal product was registered in 1967. Above we feature the Camillus USMC reproduction. 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? 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. But you have an injury to your arm. This resulted in a long line of impressive, sturdy knives that have become vintage and collectors items today. 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. Model number 5686. Did Camillus Make Other Brands Knives on Contract? by coffeecup Sun May 26, 2013 9:03 am, Post The knife company was resurrected in 2009, and they continue to use the last tang stamp till today. Has can openers, awl, driver. Leather washers handle with a heavy round pommel and slightly curved guard; all parts are perfectly tight with no play. Because of this, an exact dating system is impossible. Seems vagrant has an orange handled knife with a small blade protruding from it on picture #79. Hi Bruce: Not an easy knife to resharpen and the very tip was prone to breaking off. 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. 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. 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 one on the left there is a bevel at the top of the grip. forces were gone by 1973. You could find either the USMC or USN MK2 marking on the knife. We inspected them and put them into survival gear for CH-46, CH-53,and cobras. "S" Cards and drawings, dates, etc, associated with these knives Any review of World War II military fixed blades must include several examples of Western knives. St Louis with Indian Trail grooved bone and large rivets. Ken Spielvogel - The "Accumulator" of knives- "The Talking Knives". But so many times the answer can be quite complicated. with Rosewood grips. Required fields are marked *. 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. S-6708 RW marked Guardless fish knife stamped Krome Plate, They might choose to, but be prepared to pay for their skills and knowledge also. That said, I did cut down a Christmas tree (about 3-4 inches in diameter once). Dustin- Great information! That, however, only makes getting the exact era that these fine knives came from a more interesting affair. 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. storage. I viewed the ransacked show room I'm just not in possession of good references to documentation that would support my opinion yet. The first bullet point was in an initial version of the article. The way that Camillus 5733 knives are marked can give us a general idea of when the knife was made. This guide to dating Camillus knives is focused on the Camillus-stamped knives only. A German himself, and having spent enough time in the U.S.A. to know the market landscape, this business venture was not difficult for him. originals and always set off an alarm when looking for an original The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States with roots dating back to 1876. A Kent marked with Indian Trail and large brass rivets, J-9 marked is another Kent prototype with domed steel Thanks, Dwain. Mine has a blued blade and crossguard. The knife has been in continuous service with the Department of Defense for over sixty years. Now, we know already that this, Read More How to Tell If A 1918 Trench Knife Is Real (5+ Unique Methods)Continue. Later, after service members began returning from Vietnam, the military-grade issued knives began to be seen on the market. Im happy to see that youre entering the world of knife collection. silver. Some had been made before the time, and they dont have the exact specs as above. I have little knowledge on the Use of it in Vietnam, that said, I cant find much details. Price $15,000.00, #5665 L66: This is the prototype for the WW II Army Air by jerryd6818 Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:06 am, Return to Camillus Cutlery Collector's Forum, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. The others that I've seen have the later arched tang stamp. It was enlightening to discover that there is very little information available on the background and origins of this knife. 2023 Cuts & Carves - Designed by O. Christopher, How to Date A Ka-Bar Knife (5 Unique Methods), How to Tell the Age of a Marbles Knife by Yourself (5 Methods), How to Date A Case Kodiak Knife by Yourself (Expert Advice), How to Date Klein Knives to A Specific Year or Era (5 Methods), How to Date a Kissing Crane Knife (Both Old and New), How to Tell How Old a Barlow Knife Is by Yourself (Charts, Stamps, and More), How to Tell If A 1918 Trench Knife Is Real (5+ Unique Methods). However, Barlows have been around for much longer than that and should be considered a bigger collectors item. The sharpening stone shall be fabricated from silicon carbide, grain size 280, hardness P, vitrified bond. 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 ? In fact, I believe that learning how to date a ka-bar knife requires more attention to detail and a couple of more moving parts than when we were dealing with the Kissing Crane knives. While the true nature of the knife remained the same, the naming system and stamp models were not the same anymore. 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. Any information is appreciated. Opening locked doors and smashing car windows. When I enlisted in 69 I got my next one from supply. I hope this is the right place to make this post.sorry if not. apart. I, too, have one that has a small Japan stamped on the blade at the hilt. The blade not adopted had a flat blade with plastic Resinox pommel. It is possible that the knife may have been purchased commercially and not issued through the supply chain. 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. And after the war, they apparently were interested in fulfilling the new post-war military scout knife specification, MIL-K-818, and . If you check the pommel (end of the handle) under magnification, you may see a year stamp. The 6 inches blade was shortend to 5 inches keeping the profile and was then accepted. There won't be any pommel markings on this one. surely wasn't in Vietnam unless it was with a tourist. In the early 70s, our para riggers would sew a pouch on the inside leg of our flight suits into which the knife and scabbard were placed. Anything you can tell me about its history? Keen Kutter etched in blade and tang marked Sharpleigh / The condition of the leather sheath is what would one would expect to be from late 1960s to early 1970s vintage as it was found at the time, which has not degraded since. In the early 2000s, the U.S. Army published requirements to private industry for an aviation survival knife to replace the aging Air Force Survival Knife. There are many variables to take into consideration and a general genealogy of dating can be made with Mark 1 knives. In most of the places that Ive come across a Klein knife, it was either a military electricians knife or for another handyman. larger pommel version we all know. Hoping to try and date them but I am finding conflicting 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. This does not impact the price of the item youre buying and it supports me to keep creating the content that you love. 5665 J86: Prototype dated 3/25/1942 made for the Army Ka-Bar knife with markings Step 1: Identifying the Markings Look around the knife for markings on the body. The two sheaths while marked differently, IMHO are from the same manufacture. I just bought this knife from Ontario Knife Company. It is marked U.S.N over MARK I. He started importing and selling German-made knives to his U.S. audience. I find no marks on it but it was well used with rust stains. the markings are all the same and in the same place as the originals. It will not be long before you are won over by the versatility and practicality of the Air Force Survival Knife. 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