All About Pocket Knives

So today I bought an unissued Camillus Pilot Knife circa 1983, for $54.00 including shipping. Ive been wanting one for awhile and I think the price was right. It will be a carry knife that I will be using for some upcoming camping exursursuons in the Adirondacks. I know that this knife has a long rich history as many Camillus knives do. I also know that during that long rich history there are changes made in the design and sometimes functionality. Are there major changes between the 1983 knife I bought compared to that of one produced during WW2 and or Vietnam? I would had bought a Vietnam era issued knife but I didn't want to use a collectors piece for camping. I think eventually I will buy an older knife purely for the sake of having one.

The JPSK, or Jet Pilot Survival Knife, with its hexagonal pommel, did not come out until 1957, so no WW2 versions exist.

Marble made the "prototypes" to "fix" issues with the then-current Pilot's knives, which were fixed blades by Imperial, Camillus and Schrade. Marble ended up making about 500 or so before Camillus took over manufacturing them since Marble couldn't meet the demand.

The first JPSKs, by Marbles and Camillus, had 6 inch blades. The first Camillus versions had screw-on pommels. Later (1958 or 1959), a shift was made to peened pommels.

After complaints about the knife being too long in the cramped jet cockpits, in late 1961, the blade was shortened to 5 inches.

On November 28, 1966, a change order shifted the stamp to the pommel, consisting of the manufacturer's name, adding the month/year of manufacture. All knives made between 28 November 1966 and 31 January 1967 are stamped "01-67".

Camillus lost the military contract in 1984, but still supplied the knives to the exchange system until 1987. Camillus shifted the stamp back to the blade after they ran out of pre-stamped pommels. Camillus continued to make the knives until 2006, the last year they made any knives.

Ontario took over the military contract in 1984 and still makes the knives to this day. Small contracts were let to MILPAR and Nordac and Utica for some unknown (political???) reason.

The knife was so popular, many companies made copies - I've seen models stamped Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, GCCO, PIC, Valor, Taylor, and Top. There are probably other brands I haven't seen

Wow. Thanks for the info. Ive seen the Ontario 1400 knife and I gotta tell ya I much prefer the Camillus. The Camillus just feels better. Not a big fan of the rubber grip.

Seems the knife went unchanged for years, the sheath was improved, over the years. Most notably the metal backs wrapping around the tip.

Here are pics of the first Camillus screwed-pommel version.

The second 6” peened version. Lower knife.
The upper is a 5” sterile version, Utica I think, with the upper guard removed.