Case nasa knife

[UpInSmoke]

I have a CASE NASA 25th aniversary knife and i have no idea of the value. Its a limited run of 1000 and mine is numbered 99X. I know that the original knife this one was made after sells for around 500 but there were nearly 2400 of them made. Any idea of the value of this one?

Heres what it looks like: http://www.cartertown.com/images/Knives/Case/nasa2.jpg


thanks alot

 

[publiuss]

Don't know but it reminds me of the line in Crocidile Dundee, " that's not a knife, this is a KNIFE."

 

[Joe Demko]

Last time I saw one of those was about a year ago at a gunshow. The guy had it on his table marked at $400. It was still there when I left.

 

[conw]

...just in case you have to saw a tree, leg, whatever next time you're in space...

 

[Sniper X]

Or if you meet any Moon monsters I guess. Why would they need a knife, or better yet, machette on the NASA missions?

 

[hso]

Why would they need a knife, or better yet, machette on the NASA missions?

What goes up, must come down.

 

[Valkman]

Watch "Hercules and the Moon Men" and you'll understand. Pretty bad film though.

 

[HoosierQ]

I am going to presume that the thing was for escape etc. I remember when I was a kid there was a lot of press about the thing. Seems like a hand tool...but a little short for any serious bush whacking. I remember that kind of fondly from my youth. If you could get your hand on one that actually went to the moon...that would surely have collector value. I think they actually had them on the LEM when they landed.

 

[Carl Levitian]

[Quote:
Why would they need a knife, or better yet, machette on the NASA missions?

What goes up, must come down.]
__________________


But most importantly, where will it come down?


In the beginings of the Mercury program, the capsule was designed with the ability to jetisin itself from the rocket while still in a sub-orbital mode. This was in case of a problem with the rocket, and the on board astronaut had to save himself. If he did this, he could come down anywhere from the African bush, to the middle of the Indian ocean. So the astronauts were traind in all kinds of survival from jungle to water. They determined a small 12 inch machete to be the most versitile cutting tool, and it was packed in the survival kit on board the capsule. Case won the contract for the machete's.

 

[Joe Demko]

I don't remember if they carried a very key detail over into the comemorative versions: the handle scales on the original were made from a polymer that was carefully chosen for use in a high oxygen atmosphere. IIRC, it did not outgas anything that could cause problems and wasn't explosively flammable. The originals, as a by-product of the design specs, ended up white.

 

[Lone Star]

I've seen photos of the astronauts using these in jungle training. The earlier issue was the Randall Model 18 Astro. www.randallknives.com See Model 18. But only the original seven men had those, with a few spares.

Gus Grissom lost his when a hatch blew early when he landed in the ocean.
I understand that this was a result of pilot error. Grissom is reported to have panicked. I wasn't there; can't say.

NASA has also issued the Victorinox Swiss Army knife in one of the thicker versions, I think the Master Craftsman, for use on the shuttles. They have found the blades/tools to be very useful on the flights.

Lone Star

 

[SpikeBayonet]

They're worth a bit mainly because they appeal to several collector groups (knife collectors, commemorative collectors, Case collectors, space/NASA collectors etc.).

I'd suggest you try posting it on www.collectspace.com - you're sure to find some takers there...

 

[ssjones]

Do an Ebay search, than track a similar knife. (guess they sell knives on Ebay?) I'm doing that with some old fishing lures that were in my Pops basement.