Old knife

[the lone gunman]

This knife is stamped on one side of the blade.." CIMILLUS N.Y. " I am 50 yrs old now and I found this knife on my parents farm. They where doing some digging for a new gas pad. This was in a pile of dirt. I think maybe I was 10 at the time. The handle was rotted away but the blade was in good shape, I did some cleaning on it and used some cold blue. I made the new handle from some leather I had.. Very study knife and takes an edge well. anyone have any info on this knife. It is 10 inches long with a 5 inch blade. Thanks all. ....Dale

 

[p35]

Looks like the old Air Force pilot survival knife. Is there a date stamped into the pommel? I think there usually was on the military issue ones.

Anyway, you're a lucky SOB- it's a nice knife and I wish I found stuff like that laying around!

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I remember finding the blade to a similar knife buried in a park in odessa.

 

[Rupestris]

Agreed. Air Force Pilot Survival Knife. Its a shortened version of the standard Ka-Bar type combat knife.

I had a 1968 that I found stuck under the seat of an old Chevy Pick-Up I bought some years ago. It was rusty but the handle was nice and tight.

It was my primary fixed blade for a long time. I turned it over to my son when he was in his mid teens. It lasted about a year and never made it back from a camping trip to WV. I think it was left it on the wood pile where the stained handle and worn sheath kinda blended in with its surroundings.

I hope someone else found it and is using it today.

Nice find and glad its still serving you well.

Chris

 

[the lone gunman]

Thanks guys for the info. cant find any date stamp on it, unless I covered it up with the new leather I put on it,1968 or 69 was probably around the year i found it and i would guess it had been there for quite some time. thanks again..Dale

 

[Rupestris]

If it were GI, the date would be obvious. Mine was stamped "4-1968" right on one of the flats of the pommel.

Wish I could offer more.

 

[sixgunner455]

Yep, Pilot's Survival Knife. Some were issue, some were sold in Exchanges, and some have been sold to civilians.

Ontario Cutlery has the contract for this knife now.

 

[hso]

Here's what it would have looked like new.

 

[Slamfire]

I would guess the manufacturer was Camillus Knives.

They went bankrupt last year.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070302-1303-camilluscutleryclosed.html

The blade on your knife is probably 1095 steel. This is a good high carbon steel, I know it was used on the Kabar, so it was probably used on the Pilot knife.

 

[rcmodel]

1968 or 69 was probably around the year i found it and i would guess it had been there for quite some time.

Couldn't have been there very much longer.
Camillus didn't start making the 5" version until 1962. And they all went to the military at that point in time.
By 1967, they were no longer blade marked, and had the manufacture & date on the butt cap flat.

So, some GI had to have time to get drafted, steal it, bring it home, and lose it between 1962-67, and when you found it.

rcmodel

 

[The Highlander]

Is the pommel peened or screw-off?

 

[the lone gunman]

it is peened on.

 

[The Highlander]

So you have post WWII Cimillus Airforce Pilot Survival Knife. I'm with rcmodel, you have an early vietnam era blade.