rcmodel
Member in memoriam
The stainless steel MIL-K-818 was introduced in 1944, and continued to be issued at least up until 1986, and maybe still today??
Can anyone with recent military service shed any light on that?
It is estimated that well over 10 million of them have been made.
The knife contains a 2 3/4" spear-point blade, can opener, screwdriver, cap lifter, and leather awl. It also has a handle bale for attaching a laynard.
Anyway, the “Eagle Beak can opener” in the knife was invented and patented by Imperial during the war, and since it was thought nobody would have a clue what it was for, it was deeply marked “CAN OPENER” on the blade!
Another feature on the knives made between 1944 and 1972 is a serrated stud projecting from the side of the screwdriver/cap lifter blade.
For years nobody, including most of the manufactures, knew exactly what it was for.
Some suggested it was to keep dimes from sticking between the blades.
Others thought it was to open the screwdriver/cap lifter blade.
But if either were the case, why didn’t the can opener on the other end have the serrated pin too??
Finally, some obscure WWII document was found in the Camillus factory archives stating the stud was
”To Assist in Taking Down Small Arms.”
It turns out the serrated non-slip stud is perfect for prying the extractor off an 03 Springfield bolt, punching the pins out of a 1911 pistol, M1 Garand, or M1 Carbine trigger group, holding down the stock band retainer spring on M-1 Carbines and 03 Springfield’s, and a host of other uses, on a host of other weapons of the time.
Some unknown designer really did his homework on that little feature right there!
Anyway, the handy dandy pin-punch was eliminated on the 1972 contract, and never seen again.
The knives were officially made by:
Camillus, Imperial, Queen, Ulster, & Schrade.
But it seems I have a U.S. marked Western I picked up somewhere!
Maybe it is a commercial version??
Imperial with stud:
Western without stud:
They are very useful knives for a solder, and Pvt. MacGyver could probably build a GT-40 Ford out of beer cans and a dead monkey with one.
I should have one from each maker, but 30 years ago, my two young sons kept using and losing them faster than I could get them.
rc
Can anyone with recent military service shed any light on that?
It is estimated that well over 10 million of them have been made.
The knife contains a 2 3/4" spear-point blade, can opener, screwdriver, cap lifter, and leather awl. It also has a handle bale for attaching a laynard.
Anyway, the “Eagle Beak can opener” in the knife was invented and patented by Imperial during the war, and since it was thought nobody would have a clue what it was for, it was deeply marked “CAN OPENER” on the blade!
Another feature on the knives made between 1944 and 1972 is a serrated stud projecting from the side of the screwdriver/cap lifter blade.
For years nobody, including most of the manufactures, knew exactly what it was for.
Some suggested it was to keep dimes from sticking between the blades.
Others thought it was to open the screwdriver/cap lifter blade.
But if either were the case, why didn’t the can opener on the other end have the serrated pin too??
Finally, some obscure WWII document was found in the Camillus factory archives stating the stud was
”To Assist in Taking Down Small Arms.”
It turns out the serrated non-slip stud is perfect for prying the extractor off an 03 Springfield bolt, punching the pins out of a 1911 pistol, M1 Garand, or M1 Carbine trigger group, holding down the stock band retainer spring on M-1 Carbines and 03 Springfield’s, and a host of other uses, on a host of other weapons of the time.
Some unknown designer really did his homework on that little feature right there!
Anyway, the handy dandy pin-punch was eliminated on the 1972 contract, and never seen again.
The knives were officially made by:
Camillus, Imperial, Queen, Ulster, & Schrade.
But it seems I have a U.S. marked Western I picked up somewhere!
Maybe it is a commercial version??
Imperial with stud:
Western without stud:
They are very useful knives for a solder, and Pvt. MacGyver could probably build a GT-40 Ford out of beer cans and a dead monkey with one.
I should have one from each maker, but 30 years ago, my two young sons kept using and losing them faster than I could get them.
rc