All About Pocket Knives

I dont know anything about Military fixed blades and would apreciate any info such as year and value.

Tangs read US Conetta

They measure 12" end to end

According to LG-2 (1989) they were made in Stamford,Conn. c1961 and were valued at $30 in 1989 .

Bob

If they're real Conetta and not SARCO, speculation is they might be Viet Nam era. Conetta didn't start business until 1946 so they can't be WWII.

The fellow who has USMilitaryknives.com spoke to Pete Conetta in person. A quote from USMilitaryknives.com says - "The blades were all sold to a fellow in New Jersey" during a closing sale when they shut down the Conetta plant. (no closing date available) The "fellow in New Jersey" was SARCO who has sold these knives through the Shotgun News for many years.

"The Conetta Manufacturing Company of Stamford, Conn. was a large machine shop owned by Mr. Louis Conetta. Mr. Conetta obtained a government contract under the name of Dynetics Corp for the M7 bayonet in 1966. This led to another contract for the Knife, Combat, MIL-K-20277c as it was then called. We do not know the number of Conetta knives delivered but by the numbers now seen it was not an overly large contract. The knives themselves conform to the basic specification set in 1962 with the Parkerized steel parts and the coated and treated handles and scabbards. They were well made knives for a company that did not make knives. As can be observed on many Conetta knives the machine marks are on some of the blades. A conversation I had a few years ago with Pete Conetta at the Bren-Dan plant in Stamford brought back many memories of producing the knives and bayonets in that period. Inspectors came up from Brooklyn to check on the items being made. It was a running joke in the plant that they were making M4 bayonets, the rifle for which, the M1 Carbine, had been obsolete for many years! No doubt those M4 bayonets were headed for Vietnam and the South Vietnamese Army which favored the Carbine for the lightweight and mild recoil. Pete did recall that they made the knives and bayonets over several years so we can conclude that additional contracts were let over several years of production. He also showed me a cabinet that was filled with leather washers for knife handles. The leather was treated which still carried the smell and dark in color but not black, an effect of the treatment not a dye. The Conetta made knives are easy to describe and remember as that firm only made one type. The only stamping Conetta used was U.S. / Conetta as described in the specifications. All the knives are Ox-Blood and have an Ox-Blood scabbard mated with them. Conetta did not make the scabbards so the knife was mated with an A.E. Burgess Leather scabbard." Frank Trzaska

Thanks guys.

Any way of telling if they are Conetta or Sarco?

gino wrote:Any way of telling if they are Conetta or sarco?

"The Conetta made knives are easy to describe and remember as that firm only made one type. The only stamping Conetta used was U.S. / Conetta as described in the specifications. All the knives are Ox-Blood and have an Ox-Blood scabbard mated with them. Conetta did not make the scabbards so the knife was mated with an A.E. Burgess Leather scabbard."

All I know is what I found online.

Thanks Jerry

The bottom knife looks right, it appear's to have a pinned pommel...if so late 60's. Can't tell on the top one.
Sarco bought all Conetta parts in the 80's and made bayonets and Mark ll type's with the blade's.
I believe on all their Mark ll knives the tang was peened.

They are both pinned.

Hard to tell for sure from the pictures but to me, both knife handles have that Ox-Blood look to them. Since you have them in hand, what say you?

Jerry, Im not real sure on what ox blood is? After taking a closer look they do have a dark redish brown color to them. Is this ox blood?

gino wrote:Jerry, Im not real sure on what ox blood is? After taking a closer look they do have a dark redish brown color to them. Is this ox blod?

Yes. Oxblood is a dark brownish-red color.

Jerry, after all the help from you and Catt it seems they are original knives and sheaths. I couldnt be more happy!
I apreciate all the help

I took some better pictures in the daylight today (well better for my picture taking skills).

Definitely ox-blood Gino...very nice pair of knives....

Thanks Bob, these are my first two military fixed blades. I think they are pretty cool too.

From what I've read on them, they date to around '66 or '67.