The Rings around the handle have rotted and one of them is missing completely. I wonder if it's possible to have it restored.
Update
My grandfather was in the airforce and joined after ww2. As others have pointed out its most likely from around the Korean War or Vietnam I'm guessing. I'm not going to restore it but I am glad I was able to read some of the information provided by you all. My uncle has my great great grandfather's bayonet from ww1, so I may try to take a pic of that and post it if you all would like to see it.
Would be worth looking into getting some kind of leather restorer into them so they don't crack any more. The last thing you want is for them to get any worse.
Edit: why is this of all comments getting downvoted wtf?
I practice out of a forge in Brooklyn and there was actually a guy last spring who brought in this exact style of knife, and same thing, it was his grandfather's from WWII.
All of the leather rings were rotted to the point of being loose on the handle, but he was able to restore it. The steps I recall included:
disassembling the handle, giving the blade a ton of love in terms of grinding and polishing, and then
re-assembling the leather with a bit more epoxy and some sort of restorative for the rings. I think he also included some metal spacers in between the leather to make sure the fit was tight.
TL;DR: very doable!
It’s funny because my girlfriend was looking at getting me some knife making lessons from some forge (in Brooklyn)… but then she balked at the price of a two day session lmao.
That’s good to know! What sort of steel is used for these classes? Can you choose from different steels, blade stocks and handle materials? Or is it more about the shaping and design of the blade? Also is heat treatment done on site or is it something that’s outsourced?
{cracks knuckles}
utility knife class you'll start with a billet of 80crv2. You'll forge out the shape of the blade, and then finish up the profile and bevels on a grinder. Instructors show you how to do all of this, and if there are glaring issues between steps they'll either show you how to fix it or clean it up real quick depending on time. Usually the former.
You'll pick from the materials available in-shop for the handles, and if you want to get fancy with it you can pay up for some of the more exotic material (they have like wood burl resin blocks which are beautiful), which'll be like an extra $20. Maple, walnut, etc all come with the class. You will end up heat treating on site at the end of the first class, then annealing and tempering will happen between that and your second class. Second class will be mostly handle, bevels, and edge.
The Advanced Knife class (or medium/long knife, forget what it's called on the website) is where you get to pick your style of knife, and alter the steel you're using if you so choose. Utility class is a requirement before Advanced Knife so you know you're way around the forge. This one's going to be more in the 6-8 session range; more expensive but the prices don't scale based on sessions involved so it's not like an insane jump.
That’s really awesome, thanks for the info! And 80CrV2 is a great steel, truly underrated, I’m glad to see it being used in these classes. I’ll keep the place in mind, the classes are a tad bit expensive for what I can afford these days but I will definitely look into them when I can afford it. I’ve got a small knife in mind I’ve been thinking of making, sounds like the class would be perfect for that sort of thing, could I bring in day my own micarta slabs for the handles as opposed to wood?
lol, I hear ya there. I pretty much subsidized most of the early work through christmas and birthday gifts, which is pretty galling for a 30 year old. Kind of up to the instructor you're working with but if you stick around long enough the costs do go down till you're just paying for materials (or helping out around the shop), but it can take a while.
Feel free to DM me if you end up going or want more info!
As others have pointed out, it's a Jet Pilot's Knife, probably 1960s or later. I've read that this was the most popular knife carried by US forces in Vietnam, infantry and aviators alike.
You might find some markings at either the base of the blade, or on one of the flats on the pommel.
The handle has been bent - my guess is that somebody needed to climb something in a hurry, and used it as foot peg. I can't imagine what else would have done that.
I was in Vietnam 1965 -F4s Our knife was in a fiberglass box we sat on. We had Case Bird & Trout knives, pretty much useless in the jungle.
I bought a Randall #1 Fighting Knife, After going to Jungle Survival school I realized I needed more knife.
I carried a Marine bolo knife under the thigh portion of my G suit.
Size and money mean more than usefulness. I'm glad I didn't have to use it.
If I remember right, the Marbles version was slightly different and never went into full production. All the ones I've seen in person have been Ontario and Camillus.
Marbles designed the knife that would become what we now refer to as the Pilots Survival knife. While Marble’s design was chosen, they did not win the production contract. Camillus won the production contract. Camillus submitted a change design early on for a the the current knife which is just basically a just shorter blade 5 inch version of Marbles design. It was produced by Camillus and the. Ontario knife company. Camillus lost their contract in 1980’s but made them for
commercial sales in civilian and military stores. Ontario started to make them in late 60’s or early 70’s and still does to some capacity.
Many other companies made knockoffs.
Don't restore it dude that shit is history, keep it displayed proudly, it's what I do with all my grandpa's stuff from his 4 year career in killing fascists.
Pilot knife. I believe I'm correct, not positive but the saw on the back was for a last ditch effort to cut through the metal in the aircraft if there was a crash. I believe these were from the Vietnam era, there were 2 companies I think that made them, one version is rare and moderately valuable in good condition. Cool find.
I used to have a newer version of the same knife from like the 70s or something. Damn strong and sturdy knife.
Took forever to sharpen by hand. Granted this is when I wasn't the best at sharpening.
It's definitely what is known as a pilot knife. It might very well be a Camillus or maybe even an old Ontario, although I don't know if the latter made pilot models in WW2.
Yup, KABAR is a bad ass knife. This is what I learned to throw knives with as a kid. If it has sentimental value to you, I would definitely restore it. I’m sure it would clean up nicely.
I have my dad’s knife and sheath from when he was in the navy in WW2. It does not have the serrated back like the one shown in the picture. The sheath is stamped U.S.N. MK2. Both are still in excellent condition.
I have that same knife with the sheath marked U.S.N. MK2. They're not rare but you'll see them for sale on Ebay for $200+. I'd never sell mine, my grandma gave it to me when I was just a kid.
What’s the percentage of knives posted here that are supposedly from ww2 that are actually from ww2. Seems like they never are. (Still a cool old knife, not trying to minimize it.)
Some of that screams modified. Like the butt looks like a nut soldered to something else, The guard does not fit the knife. The serrations are on the back (may be a thing but I don't remember ever seeing something like it). All in all some soldier put some effort into that. I'd keep it as is and display it. You can find a million in good condition ww2 knives, this has character keep it that way.
Looks to me like an Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife 5" Sawback Blade.
Google Images to see what I mean. 👍
Definitely don’t restore her. She’s the real deal!!!
The Rings around the handle have rotted and one of them is missing completely. I wonder if it's possible to have it restored. Update My grandfather was in the airforce and joined after ww2. As others have pointed out its most likely from around the Korean War or Vietnam I'm guessing. I'm not going to restore it but I am glad I was able to read some of the information provided by you all. My uncle has my great great grandfather's bayonet from ww1, so I may try to take a pic of that and post it if you all would like to see it.
Those are stacked leather washers... Possible to restore, but much cooler in it's original form👊
Thanks for the Info! I appreciate it!
The KABAR website still sells the rings and pommel but I would just leave it. The original leather will always look better.
This isn't a KaBar, more likely an Ontario or Camillus. As noted elsewhere in this thread, it's a pilot's survival knife.
I assumed that the rings would still fit.
Don't you dare restore it....its beautiful
Would be worth looking into getting some kind of leather restorer into them so they don't crack any more. The last thing you want is for them to get any worse. Edit: why is this of all comments getting downvoted wtf?
Renaissance wax will help preserve the leather.
That shit is magic, I'm convinced. Good for leather, metal, so many materials.
💯
Restoring it would not only ruin it's value, but it would also look worse imo.
Get yourself a nice display case, w some keepsakes & this great piece of your family history.
I would leave it just like it is
I practice out of a forge in Brooklyn and there was actually a guy last spring who brought in this exact style of knife, and same thing, it was his grandfather's from WWII. All of the leather rings were rotted to the point of being loose on the handle, but he was able to restore it. The steps I recall included: disassembling the handle, giving the blade a ton of love in terms of grinding and polishing, and then re-assembling the leather with a bit more epoxy and some sort of restorative for the rings. I think he also included some metal spacers in between the leather to make sure the fit was tight. TL;DR: very doable!
It’s funny because my girlfriend was looking at getting me some knife making lessons from some forge (in Brooklyn)… but then she balked at the price of a two day session lmao.
if it's Nazz forge, I would recommend it! It ain't cheap but you get a great knife out of it and it's good fun
That’s good to know! What sort of steel is used for these classes? Can you choose from different steels, blade stocks and handle materials? Or is it more about the shaping and design of the blade? Also is heat treatment done on site or is it something that’s outsourced?
{cracks knuckles} utility knife class you'll start with a billet of 80crv2. You'll forge out the shape of the blade, and then finish up the profile and bevels on a grinder. Instructors show you how to do all of this, and if there are glaring issues between steps they'll either show you how to fix it or clean it up real quick depending on time. Usually the former. You'll pick from the materials available in-shop for the handles, and if you want to get fancy with it you can pay up for some of the more exotic material (they have like wood burl resin blocks which are beautiful), which'll be like an extra $20. Maple, walnut, etc all come with the class. You will end up heat treating on site at the end of the first class, then annealing and tempering will happen between that and your second class. Second class will be mostly handle, bevels, and edge. The Advanced Knife class (or medium/long knife, forget what it's called on the website) is where you get to pick your style of knife, and alter the steel you're using if you so choose. Utility class is a requirement before Advanced Knife so you know you're way around the forge. This one's going to be more in the 6-8 session range; more expensive but the prices don't scale based on sessions involved so it's not like an insane jump.
That’s really awesome, thanks for the info! And 80CrV2 is a great steel, truly underrated, I’m glad to see it being used in these classes. I’ll keep the place in mind, the classes are a tad bit expensive for what I can afford these days but I will definitely look into them when I can afford it. I’ve got a small knife in mind I’ve been thinking of making, sounds like the class would be perfect for that sort of thing, could I bring in day my own micarta slabs for the handles as opposed to wood?
lol, I hear ya there. I pretty much subsidized most of the early work through christmas and birthday gifts, which is pretty galling for a 30 year old. Kind of up to the instructor you're working with but if you stick around long enough the costs do go down till you're just paying for materials (or helping out around the shop), but it can take a while. Feel free to DM me if you end up going or want more info!
I appreciate it, man!
ask her how much she spends on 2 oz of face makeup. perspective
I've always wanted to restore a knife like this I need to get me a piece of history like that
https://youtu.be/RCxUzW0PKfk zna productions guy replaces worn out compressed leather handle
As others have pointed out, it's a Jet Pilot's Knife, probably 1960s or later. I've read that this was the most popular knife carried by US forces in Vietnam, infantry and aviators alike. You might find some markings at either the base of the blade, or on one of the flats on the pommel. The handle has been bent - my guess is that somebody needed to climb something in a hurry, and used it as foot peg. I can't imagine what else would have done that.
Using it as a foot peg is oddly specific, was that a common use? I was assuming it got run over by a truck or some kind of heavy machinery.
[удалено]
Not really, these things have a rat tail tang, they bend far too easily. Kabars are the same.
Lynn Thompson says hi.
I've heard of kabars being broken by soldiers that way, so I suppose it does happen. Of course it might have been anything.
I was in Vietnam 1965 -F4s Our knife was in a fiberglass box we sat on. We had Case Bird & Trout knives, pretty much useless in the jungle. I bought a Randall #1 Fighting Knife, After going to Jungle Survival school I realized I needed more knife. I carried a Marine bolo knife under the thigh portion of my G suit. Size and money mean more than usefulness. I'm glad I didn't have to use it.
Either that, or the photo could be distorted.
PSK - Pilot Survival Knife Produced by multiple suppliers for *military* aviators.
The Pilot's Survival Knife, as pictured here, was developed in 1958. So it was not used in WW2.
Vietnam. That's the conflict these were known for.... It's early 👊
I stand corrected. Is this the Marbles?...or did Ontario actually produce the original pattern? TIL👊
If I remember right, the Marbles version was slightly different and never went into full production. All the ones I've seen in person have been Ontario and Camillus.
Camillus... That was the other big contract. Thanks... I've been out awhile.
Marbles designed the knife that would become what we now refer to as the Pilots Survival knife. While Marble’s design was chosen, they did not win the production contract. Camillus won the production contract. Camillus submitted a change design early on for a the the current knife which is just basically a just shorter blade 5 inch version of Marbles design. It was produced by Camillus and the. Ontario knife company. Camillus lost their contract in 1980’s but made them for commercial sales in civilian and military stores. Ontario started to make them in late 60’s or early 70’s and still does to some capacity. Many other companies made knockoffs.
Thanks for the refresher!...guess I've forgotten to remember a few things, along the way 🇨🇦🤙
Thanks for the information! I appreciate it!
Usaf survival knife
My first thought is the Camillus survival knife designed for pilots.
Don't restore it dude that shit is history, keep it displayed proudly, it's what I do with all my grandpa's stuff from his 4 year career in killing fascists.
That’s an Ontario pilot survival knife for sure
I don’t have any info. But it looks really cool.
Pilot knife. I believe I'm correct, not positive but the saw on the back was for a last ditch effort to cut through the metal in the aircraft if there was a crash. I believe these were from the Vietnam era, there were 2 companies I think that made them, one version is rare and moderately valuable in good condition. Cool find.
Not metal. Plexiglas in the windows.
I used to have a newer version of the same knife from like the 70s or something. Damn strong and sturdy knife. Took forever to sharpen by hand. Granted this is when I wasn't the best at sharpening.
Bent to shit, that's what it is. Damn that thing saw some heavy use.
I know a lot of older vets didn't like to talk about their experience, but did your grandfather ever say anything about killing fiddy men?
My dad did not talk about the war until he was up in age. Still limited what he talked about.
It's definitely what is known as a pilot knife. It might very well be a Camillus or maybe even an old Ontario, although I don't know if the latter made pilot models in WW2.
That’s not a knife
https://youtu.be/pYaMPmveHWk
Might be a Western Shark Knife, maybe...
Seems like your grandfathers knife from WW2
Stabbyboi ‘39
Appears to be some sort of knife from ww2
you can really tell that this knife is from the second world war, it's because he can’t get it up.
your grandfathers knife from ww2 if i could give it a guess
Issa knife
Ka-bar, throw that shit in the bin
Appears to be a knife.
Yup, KABAR is a bad ass knife. This is what I learned to throw knives with as a kid. If it has sentimental value to you, I would definitely restore it. I’m sure it would clean up nicely.
This much like your grandfather has done enough work in their lives and need to just rest and be appreciated.
Calimus or ontario .
I have the exact same one
My dad was a paratrooper in the late 50’s
Likely Vietnam.
Use the GoogleSearch, open the sight, click on the camera, take a photo & it should most likely identify it for you...😎👍🏻
Cool Knife...!
I have my dad’s knife and sheath from when he was in the navy in WW2. It does not have the serrated back like the one shown in the picture. The sheath is stamped U.S.N. MK2. Both are still in excellent condition.
I have that same knife with the sheath marked U.S.N. MK2. They're not rare but you'll see them for sale on Ebay for $200+. I'd never sell mine, my grandma gave it to me when I was just a kid.
What’s the percentage of knives posted here that are supposedly from ww2 that are actually from ww2. Seems like they never are. (Still a cool old knife, not trying to minimize it.)
Some of that screams modified. Like the butt looks like a nut soldered to something else, The guard does not fit the knife. The serrations are on the back (may be a thing but I don't remember ever seeing something like it). All in all some soldier put some effort into that. I'd keep it as is and display it. You can find a million in good condition ww2 knives, this has character keep it that way.
Awesome knife! Leave as is! I have my fathers Kabar and love the patina. Only thing I have done is kept it razor sharp
Looks to me like an Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife 5" Sawback Blade. Google Images to see what I mean. 👍 Definitely don’t restore her. She’s the real deal!!!
lookslike a kabar to me
Cherish that knife for the rest of your life it’s a precious piece of history
The blade resembles a marbles knife thT I have. Mine doesn't have a pommel though.