WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

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AREMINGTONSEDGE
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by AREMINGTONSEDGE »

Thanks TJ, very nice knife...I like yours better! ::tu::
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tjmurphy
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by tjmurphy »

Tanx Rocky ::tu:: It seems that there were two versions of this knife: The Navy version with the bail and the USAAC without the bail. Not exactly sure which one mine was since I am pretty sure that it had been taken apart before.
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bonehead
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by bonehead »

TJ,

Now that's a knife. ::woot:: They were blued, Called Blackened in the Day as Philco mentioned. As in your hand you know it was a knife that many including myself would pick over many, as a knife to have as a survival knife, that includes anything made today. I have one like it and would choose it over any other knife I have if I was to be out there and could take only one. Nice work Bob....

BH
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tjmurphy
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by tjmurphy »

Thanks BH. At 6" closed length it is a lotta knife. Don't think that there would be too much that would get in it's way.
"There are none so blind as those that refuse to see"

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Elvis
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by Elvis »

Judging from the thickness of what I removed, I think the sawzall blade idea will work. You'd need to drill two holes in it, so make sure you have some carbide bits handy, but that's about the only special tools you'd need. Those things really are built like a tank. Disassembly is the hardest part of working on one of these. Those steel pins were made to stay put and they do a real good job of doing it. After working on Tom's knife I couldn't help myself so I picked one up on fleabay at a fairly reasonable price. Now I just have to decide if I want to keep the saw. ::shrug::
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bonehead
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by bonehead »

Keep It Bob!!! It is what it is :D Very hard workin knife here. Catt just picked one up too. Seems to be very popular at this time...

Anyway, Nice work on TJ's Looks good, Works Good. A nice knife to have when in trouble ::super_happy:: Bonehead
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by 1967redrider »

Great restoration job on one behemoth of a folder! ::groove::
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orvet
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by orvet »

Elvis wrote: After working on Tom's knife I couldn't help myself so I picked one up on fleabay at a fairly reasonable price. Now I just have to decide if I want to keep the saw. ::shrug::

Bob,
If you have a full saw and decide to remove it, I KNOW we can do a trade/swap/sumpin' for that saw blade that would leave us both smilin'! ::tu::

Just let me know! :mrgreen:
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Elvis
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by Elvis »

orvet wrote:
Bob,
If you have a full saw and decide to remove it, I KNOW we can do a trade/swap/sumpin' for that saw blade that would leave us both smilin'! ::tu::

Just let me know! :mrgreen:
I thought about leaving it until the knife arrived yesterday. The liner for the liner-lock is broken at the end that keeps the blade locked open so it looks like she will have to come apart so I can make a new one from Titanium. While it's apart I may as well slim it down.
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by SteelMyHeart85420 »

Has anyone developed the idea of saw blade replacement w/ Sawzall blades or the like? I have 2/3 of a saw blade, and it takes pliers to access it. I 'd rather a wood-type saw blade on it, if it's going to be there. Removal entirely could be an option, too. Help me crank the gears....
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just bob
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by just bob »

I'm pretty sure what you're suggesting would work. The big thing is the thickness of the saw would have to be the same as the old blade and that may be hard to match. The blade is probably more than .0100 thick and I doubt a sawzall blade is near that thick. Maybe better to find an old saw blade from a knife. Lay the stub of your old blade on top and see is it lines up. If you can find an old saw blade that is the right thickness it would be a pc of cake to line it up with your old stub, drill the hole and reassemble.
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orvet
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by orvet »

You might get by with the saw blade from a 225OT "Son-of-a-Gun.
The tang on the 225OT is about 0.125" and the length is good for the Pilots knife. The knife frame is 5-1/4"

The saw on the Pilots knife has a thin saw blade with a piece of steel on either side that the saw blade is clamped between which acts as the tang. The thickness of the Pilots knife "tang assembly" is 0.145".
You might be able to thin the spring out .005" to .008" and get the 225OT blade to work.

The 225OT blade has aggressive teeth for wood or maybe bone.
It would probably be of a lot more use to a hunter or outdoorsman that the metal cutting blade originally in the Pilots knife.

pic borrowed from past ebay sale-
225OT.jpg
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wazu013
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Re: WWII Pilot's Survival Knife Restoration

Post by wazu013 »

This thread needs a picture. I remember reading that the saw blade on this knife is able to cut through metal like the hull of an airplane if needed.
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