All About Pocket Knives

Got this Kutmaster MD USN etched knife out of the bay. I believe it to be post WW2 as it has brass liners. The etch is very faint. Anyway am pleased to get it. The bone handle is cracked but my bones aren't in much better shape. Thanks for looking.

doglegg wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 11:08 pm Got this Kutmaster MD USN etched knife out of the bay. I believe it to be post WW2 as it has brass liners. The etch is very faint. Anyway am pleased to get it. The bone handle is cracked but my bones aren't in much better shape. Thanks for looking. ::DSCN6770.JPGDSCN6779.JPGDSCN6777.JPGDSCN6778.JPG

Great piece!! Really like the long pull and those lovely handles . Nicely done, thanks for sharing

Thanks JP.

doglegg wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 11:08 pm Got.....

By time you get done Floyd,
the bay will be fished out.

Skip, my bait supply will probably run out first.

Good find Floyd.

That’s a nice one to be sure!

Not a bad crack, Floyd; looks fixed.
Love that thick, hell for stout, center liner.
You got a keeper.

That is a nice knife. The long pull is exceptional!

Bob

What's not to like about that knife?

That is one heck of an fine ole navy knife, thanks for sharing (and rescuing) him Floyd. Now go stick 'em in your pocket, that's an order squirt!

Thanks Jerry, Wade, redrider, FRJ (yes it isn't bad at all and love those bones and it is built like a tank) ,Bob, (I'm a fan of long pulls as well), WillyC (it will probably never see my pocket, I usually only carry my old 72 and a Benchmade Fecas. I wanted this one to remind me of my corpsman friend who recently passed away. Ed Silva, served in Korea and Viet Nam, a Christian gentleman who saved multiple lives in his career.) Thanks again.

Great knife. It’s a great way to remember your friend Ed.

I was unaware of that one, I have the newer one with the shield stamped MD USN.

Camillus was still making one after the war for a while. During the war Kutmaster, utica (I think) and Camillus made them. With it not being steel liners I assume this one is post war. I have seen those with the shield and thought they were Korean war but I'm really not sure. Thanks.

I always thought the ones with that style can opener and the two piece ones were from before the war. Once the hook style was invented they stopped using the older styles? Am I way off?

You probably know a lot more than me. Thanks.

eveled, I found another knife like this one from an old ebay listing that had black handles. It had the same can opener. Also looking at mine, it appears that it once had a bail that has been removed.

eveled, Silvey does show the knife as being a WW2 knife on page 58 with the blade etch. Thanks for correcting my assumption. I guess early knives would have had the brass liners. Thanks for getting me to look a little deeper.

It’s fun to learn about these old knives. Especially the military pocket knives. They get over looked, the combat knives get all the glory.

I agree yours probably lost it’s bail along the way. Most if not all 4 blade camp/scout style knives have bails.

I always wondered why the USN marked their 4 blade knives with the MD it’s the same knife the other branches gave everyone. Then had a USN marked 3 blade knife for the sailors when nobody else even issued a 3 blade knife. It’s strange.

All the bone handled ones I have have brass liners and two piece can openers. (Except for the Mountain division model with a hook can opener, but it’s different than the ones after the war)I think they are early or Pre ww2.

I don’t have any with blade etches or a can opener like yours. It’s a great knife to have.

After ww2 they all had the one piece hook can opener. ((AFAIK)

Thank you Sir for the information and what a great group you have. I read that the MD USN knives were part of medical kits including gauze, bandage, iodine etc. I saw a couple of list of what was included. I also read that the original specs stated shield stamped MD USN but allowed the absence of a shield if there was a blade etch. Thanks again for the information and the wonderful pics of yours.

Also to have one of the Mountain division knives is a treasure. Yours looks good.

I just found this on line pretty interesting document. Thanks for the kind words. The mountain division knife, is a tough one to get, mine looks good from this side but is damaged on the other. Still it’s a neat knife. The flat bail, the Phillips bit, the clip point master and sheep’s foot all make it unique.

The reading I’ve done on the mountain division knives all indicate mine is the last version because of its eagle beak can opener (I’ve been calling it a hook style). That’s why I use the can opener to estimate the age of these knives, and why I think yours is early or prewar.

eveled wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:52 pm I just found this on line pretty interesting document. 1E78011E-FD6D-4B25-B1D8-74EBD9268349.jpeg

Thanks for the kind words. The mountain division knife, is a tough one to get, mine looks good from this side but is damaged on the other. Still it’s a neat knife. The flat bail, the Phillips bit, the clip point master and sheep’s foot all make it unique.

The reading I’ve done on the mountain division knives all indicate mine is the last version because of its eagle beak can opener (I’ve been calling it a hook style). That’s why I use the can opener to estimate the age of these knives, and why I think yours is early or prewar.

eveled, I missed this until just now. And it is an interesting document. One day I'll find one of those mountain division knives that I can afford. Thanks for the info.

Awesome find Floyd

Thanks Paul. Any WW 2 knives floating around England?

Hi all. Well I have dipped into the US WWII pocket knife pool. I was lucky enough to find a M.D. U.S.N. knife in my local area. It's a Camillus 4 line. Steel liners and spacer. Unfortunately when I got there there was another. An Imperial tang stamped MD USN knife, also steel liners and spacer. Good snap in both. Nice that the Camillus is engraved on the bolster as well.

These are pretty hard to find in Canada so really happy to have them. I look forward to tracking down some more...