Switch blades made for the paratroopers in world war 2

[wasteland16354]

I was talking to a guy about the switchblades and told me about the one the paratroopers carried in world war 2. He said one was made by Queen Cutlery and two other companies (but don't remember the names). I was wondering if anyone any information on this and maybe some pics?

[Aimus Moses]

Maybe Camillus and one from Mr. Schrade???

[wazu013]

Here is one example of a Schrade. There are others but this is the most common.
http://cgi.ebay.com/schrade-walden-milt ... RCH:US:101

[roger007]

Here is one example of a Schrade. There are others but this is the most common.
http://cgi.ebay.com/schrade-walden-milt ... RCH:US:101

I am thinking these orange handles were more in the Vietnam era, paratroopers with the parachute cord line cutter blades. Do a AAPK search for Schrade switchblades and a lot of posts will come up.

[Mossdancer]

wasteland16354:
The MC-1 was not officially issued till 1957, that is not to say some earlier ones may be found. The WWII paratrooper was the M2 as pictured. roger007: You are more or less correct regarding the MC-1 as Viet Nam is listed from Later 50's to 1975. I purchased a new Camillus shortly before they closed their doors from our host here at AAPK. Schrade and Schrade Walden both made one along with Camillus and Logan/Smythe. Camillus produced the unmarked Hook blade without the Clip.
moss

[RobesonsRme.com]

I'm certainly no authority on U.S. military knives, but I'm going to explain those MC-1 orange handled switchblades with the cord cutting blade as a secondary, as I understand them.

I'm on an internet site with six hundred + former and some active duty, U.S. Army Special Forces Soldiers, many of whom have served multiple duty times in other airborne divisions.

I ran these orange handled knives through them a couple of years ago. I was thinking that if they were an issue item while I was active duty (67-70), even though I was never issued one, I might just pick one up someday in my knife travels.

Not one single guy, in that group of six hundred, stated they were ever issued such a knife. Everyone that responded stated they had never been issued such a knife.

They all knew what they were, though, and stated the only military personnel they had ever seen with the knives were parachute Riggers.

I, personally, think the knives are more useful to Riggers in the rigging shop, than to paratroopers. Cutting cord in the rigging shop is a repetitive step in packing a 'chute.

However, if one gets tangled up in the trees after a jump, they don't extricate themselves by cutting the cords. That's about the last thing one would do. They would deploy their reserve parachute and let it dangle down beneath them. Then wrap their arms and legs around that, open their harness, and slide down the reserve to the ground. It would take a tall tree to exceed the combined length of both the main and reserve parachutes. And, if, after deploying the reserve, it did not reach the ground, then one could sever about one half the cords, at the harness level, let those fall down below the reserve canopy, extending the length that much further, then shimmying down that.

I suppose if that didn't get you to the ground, you'd just have to drop the rest of the way and attempt to execute a good PLF, "parachute landing fall" when you hit the ground.

Never had to do that. Only went into the trees once, but after much crashing and pine cone eating made it to the ground anyway.

Charlie Noyes

[junebug]

WOW!! great research/info there Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank ya sir

[junebug]

k sooo as i was postin' above had lil' bro on line .....he is currently in the airforce,and just got back the other day from 2nd deployment in iraq....so i ask of any thing he was issued......he says a gerber 06 fast par/ serrated and a benchmade cord cutter......these are seperate...also i am on my way ta p/u (2) of the benchmade cutters from him,one in orig. pkg......i will post pix asap...........