SS pocket knife

[Rottonj]

Good afternoon and Happy Holidays. New member here, have carried knives my whole life. I have a decent collection, but am a novice collector and not any kind of expert on anything. I have done some searches, found some threads with great information. Picked up a knife recently, didn't pay much and looking for thoughts on this knife. I am guessing it may be a Kingston, but it has no identifying marks on the blade or the bail. It has brass spacers, Not looking for a value, just like my knives organized by maker. I own a newer version made by Marbles which I like and had a previous version made by Camillus in the 80s. Any help or if someone could point to a definitive thread that would be great. I am not sure the correct way to post a picture, trying this. Thank you.

https://ibb.co/8DzTt7N

[eveled]

Carbon steel indicates WW2. I think your hunch is correct. pretty sure the unmarked ones were made by “Kingston”.

[Rottonj]

Thank you for the quick reply, glad I was on the right track.

[Gunsil]

The first knives of that type were made late in the war by Kingston and Stevenson and both can be found unmarked. I have seen more unmarked Stevensons though, or at least think they were since I've had quite a few Kingstons all marked on the bail. Brass liners and carbon do not indicate WW2, the Ulster 1948 and Camillus 1949 have brass liners and I think carbon blades, they are not marked stainless. Also, the handles on the WW2 versions are not stainless steel, they are monel.

[Rottonj]

The first knives of that type were made late in the war by Kingston and Stevenson and both can be found unmarked. I have seen more unmarked Stevensons though, or at least think they were since I've had quite a few Kingstons all marked on the bail. Brass liners and carbon do not indicate WW2, the Ulster 1948 and Camillus 1949 have brass liners and I think carbon blades, they are not marked stainless. Also, the handles on the WW2 versions are not stainless steel, they are monel.

So do you think this is a WW2 knife? How can I tell what the handle is made of? To me it doesn't matter if it is Kingston or Stevenson, just hoping to figure it out. Thank you for the reply, its appreciated.

[Miller Bro's]

Picture of OP knife.

[Rottonj]

Thank you for adding that, I couldn't figure the best way to show it.

[eveled]

Gunsil is correct of course about the steel blades not being definitive that it’s a WW2 piece. But the two he mentioned are rare knives and the OP’s is not one of those. So I still think WW2 but as gunsil points out they arrived late in the war anyway.

Probably the more accurate statement would be Pre Korean War possibly as early as WW2.

[eveled]

Close up of the can opener on the OP’s knife. I think this stamp is the key. I wonder who had the patent on this style can opener?

Why does it say Pat. Pend? Would that indicate the earliest of these knives?

[eveled]

The Stevenson bail marked knives have a different can opener stamp.

The 2 I have with can openers like the OP’s are unmarked but one of them is handle stamped. U. S. MARINE CORPS.

The Kingston marked knives I have the can openers are unmarked.

[eveled]

AFAIK all the US MARINE CORPS knives were made by Kingston. The OP knife has the same pat pending can opener. It also has the master and the screw driver on the same end. Sometimes called a first arrangement.

So the OP,s knife is a first arrangement Kingston made for the Army contract during WW2.

Possibly they aren’t marked Kingston because Kingston wasn’t formed yet? The way I understand it. Kingston was a joint effort between imperial and Ulster for the war effort. All the unmarked ones I have observed looked like Kingston to me. I think all the Stevenson ones were marked. Of course if the bail is missing we can’t really call it unmarked.

[Rottonj]

Wow, I wasn't really sure I would even get any replies. Your information and research is appreciated. Didn't think it would be that old. Thank you for your help.

[eveled]

It was my pleasure. I forgot to say the consensus is that the first arrangement knives are from 1944.

[Rottonj]

That's good to know. I found myself with time to pull out a few of my knives today I needed some help with, 1 down. I posted a couple other questions in the Boker and Schrade forums, feel free to take a look lol. Thanks again, much appreciated!

[Rottonj]

Found this eBay listing if anyone needs one, looks a little rough and appears to have been apart.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-LOT-OF ... 632-2357-0

[eveled]

One to keep an eye out for, is a real mystery piece.

It’s identical to yours but has a small blade instead of the awl. From what i gather it matches the spec for a knife from the USN, but the order was never placed.

Its the one in my picture above, here is a picture of it opened

Until now i thought it was a post war variant. Because of this thread I realize it is a first arrangement with the pat pending can opener making it from 1944?