All About Pocket Knives

We are 'cleaning up' at our house to free up some space.

One of the items that came out of the storage box is a Camillus fixed blade that the local yokels insist is WWII vintage. It is pretty much the same as the current retail Kabar 'USMC' knives that sell for 40 bucks or so.

The only marking is Camillus U.S. on the tang. The sheath is unmarked. I have had it about 40 years.

I would appreciate any assistance in telling me how to determine if it is actually a military fighting knife.

I can furnish most any pic of the knife that anyone would like to see.

It looks like the military issue Mark II.

Maybe Mossdancer will happen by and date it for you.

Dale

Can you narrow down the year you got it. Was it new then or in current condition.
It looks with the stamp to be a mid 70's knife. They seem to be sold as Vietnam era knives but it is doubtful one was there. If this works check out this site. Probably one of the most knowledgeable persons around on these. http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/images/ ... _1974b.JPG
http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/Table%2 ... ntents.htm
moss

Thanks for responses.

Mossdancer: Your links worked fine. I appreciate the info and links.

I can't date the purchase, but it was 1975 or before. That sort of matches your dating.
I remember I bought it used at an estate sale in it's current condition, but I was no longer trading at that time, and did not log it.

I have assumed because there is no military markings that it is a commercial knife.

As all the obviously commercial knives I have seen have 'ornate' sheaths, and this one has no decoration,that started me thinking it might be WWII vintage. "No harm in trying"

The stamping on the model #5684 Marine Combat knife changed in 1974. Early knives were stamped "U.S." over "CAMILLUS,NY". Sometime in 1974 (I do not recall the exact date) the "NY" was dropped.

Tom Williams

Thanks Tom

That pretty much clears up the vintage.

At least I have one of the best 40$ knives I ever handled. Steel is excellent. I have used it at occasion to trim door frames, using it like a old time Fro.

Thanks to all who responded

Need help dating these knives.

The change order moving the stamps from the ricassos to the guard occurred in mid-1944, so the knife was made sometime between then and the last orders shipped out during the summer of 1945.

So both knives were made in 1944-1945?

From the last half of 1944 through the first half of 1945.

.....o.k., I just got one(12" overall) that is marked CAMILLUS,N.Y. on one side and U.S.N. MARK 2 on the other side-with metal sheath-looks like it could be WW2??....what have I got????..............

Sounds like a WW2 version from before the stamps shifted to the guard. Need pics to break the time frame down more. An all metal sheath was NOT a WW2 option. Leather or plastic BMC/VP versions were true WW2 sheath options. So more pics of that as well.

.....pictures????......"might as well be the moon"-mickey newbury-1962............. ..............

Having grown up in Camillus (left in ‘77 at 13), I recently began collecting Camillus knives. I just purchased this one at auction and would like to date it if possible. Anyone??

Plindboe wrote: ↑Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:51 pm Having grown up in Camillus (left in ‘77 at 13), I recently began collecting Camillus knives. I just purchased this one at auction and would like to date it if possible. Anyone??

Viet Nam era MIL-K-20227 - mid-1962 to January 1974. In February 1974, the Camillus stamp changed to US over Camillus. The NY was dropped from the stamp.

When the DOD changed the nomenclature from 1219C2 for the USMC and 394831 USN-MK2 to the 20227 in 1960, the only major change was to drop the branch designators from the stamp to US over "manufacturer" only. No USMC or USN-MK2. The knife became available for any government organization to purchase for its use.

Outstanding.