Old Official & Non-Official Folding Military Pocket Knives

[orvet]

Thanks Eric!

That is a sweet NYK Dimitri!

[paulsvintage]

thats a great old one Dimitri !
one 4 line old Camillus, looks unused

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks for the compliments on my knife everyone

Paul, that is a real clean old Camillus

[Miller Bro's]

Anyone pick any old military folders?

[TripleF]

How about this rascal....

[Miller Bro's]

All three of those are nice Scott

[tjmurphy]

Here's a 4-line Camillus U.S. Army/Air Corps utility that I have.

[Miller Bro's]

Quite a while back I seen this old WWI Navy rope knife for sale on fleabay. It had a big chip out of the front handle and the bail was missing. The blade looked to be full but the rope blade had a black substance on it and some corrosion and a dark patina from age.

I put in a fairly low bid and walked away, to my surprise I won the auction. The knife showed up several days later, I looked it over, oiled the joints and threw it in my parts box.

I was cleaning stuff up around here and I seen this knife sitting in the box and thought what a shame the bone is chipped off, it is not your usual jigging pattern you see from Schrade. Now most people would get out the steel wool, compound, or maybe they have a Dremel or buffing wheel and would "clean" it up. Believe me I too have done it before I knew any better I looked at the master blade and the stuff on there was a hardened material, so I gently took a q-tip and with some chemicals started to soften up the material and remove it. After about a half hour the "stuff" was gone, and to my surprise an old acid etch revealed itself

Boldly across the blade was clearly etched U.S. Navy. I then headed for Silvey`s book to see if he had one pictured, instead I found a copy of an original 1926 catalog cut showing the knife with the blade etch.

As I read the paragraph Silvey states "Many of these knives have been observed over the years but I know of none noted to have such an etching".

The moral of the story is think twice or even three times before you whip ,out the polishing compound or buffer when it comes to a vintage knife, what you save could be important history itself.

P.S. if anyone has a bail for this knife please contact me

[johnnierotten]

Great find, Dimitri.

[tjmurphy]

A great find and a great story. I've not paid too much attention to the rope knives but I know I've never seen one with that etch ::tu::Something to look for now.

[Miller Bro's]

Thank you gentlemen

[Iron Hoarder]

I would have bought that one too. Very nice.

[Miller Bro's]

27 views in 5 days

Man, Knife Lore is dying a slow death

[Owd Wullie]

27 views in 5 days

Man, Knife Lore is dying a slow death

I check it every day.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Once a day, Willie? I check it multiple times daily.

I just don't always write something.

Charlie Noyes

[johnnierotten]

I just don't always write something.

Charlie...I do the same also.

[Iron Hoarder]

Here's a few I've found and then sold on or traded. All English aside from a couple civilian repro's with that odd green plastic one that no one is sure what army it came from.

[jerryd6818]

Robert, are the WWII BAK's easy to come by over there (and cheap)?

[RobesonsRme.com]

I love that first one. Looks like cattle horn handles.

If that is the case, does that make it WWI vintage?

Beautiful knife, that.

The rest are good too, BTW.

Charlie Noyes

[paulsvintage]

nice Bob..don't see much of them here

[Old Hunter]

Bob, the emblem molded on the handle of your green knife is pretty small, but it reminds me of the Italian Army symbol I remember from NATO exercises in the 1980's - a emblem very much like that was embossed in their belt buckles. I have one of the Italian Army belt/buckles somewhere but cannot remember where it is right now.

[Iron Hoarder]

The debate about that emblem ended up being either Spain or Italy but we have no idea who made it.

The UK Military knives are rather easy and cheap (depending upon your definition of cheap) to find. I pay between £1 and £10 each for them depending upon condition. That's for the black ones. The larger WWI era knives are more I'll pay up to £40 for really good ones. The Navy knives go for between £5 and £30. That is what I pay for them. I sell them for a modest profit. I spend a lot of time, gas and shoe leather finding them at flea markets and paying shipping on auction lots.

[Miller Bro's]

I picked up another one of these

[Iron Hoarder]

Wouldn't mind finding one of those.

[johnnierotten]

Nice one ,Dimitri.

Heres a NOS 1967 Imperial US utility knife I bought...