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Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:14 pm
by galvanic1882
I have what I think is a rare Navy Pilot knife. I have seen them marked Camillus and Colonial. This one is marked Cattaraugus and I’ve never seen another one marked that way, I got the knife in a batch of knives I’m selling for the grandson of the last President of Cattaraugus Cutlery. No brass on the knife I believe the liners are nickel silver. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Mike
Re: Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:20 pm
by treefarmer
I can't help you other than to say, that one is a prize!
Like you, the Colonial and Camillus are the ones I've seen and they all had some sort of black handle material.
That is way out of my league, but it would be great to see how that one ends up.
Treefarmer
Re: Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:01 pm
by herbva
Very interesting knife Mike! I am certainly no expert on these, but I have worked on quite a few of the Colonials and at least one or more of the United WW2 pilot's survival knives, and all of them have had the black composite textured handle scales, and all of them had the maker's stamp in the center of the mark side of the blade. I've never seen one like yours with a Cattaraugus tang stamp or wood scales. So it is likely a rare bird. Just one observation though, from you pictures, to me the blades appear to be in much better condition than the steel bolsters (which look quite normal for the age of this knife).
Re: Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:09 pm
by galvanic1882
herbva wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:01 pm
Very interesting knife Mike! I am certainly no expert on these, but I have worked on quite a few of the Colonials and at least one or more of the United WW2 pilot's survival knives, and all of them have had the black composite textured handle scales, and all of them had the maker's stamp in the center of the mark side of the blade. I've never seen one like yours with a Cattaraugus tang stamp or wood scales. So it is likely a rare bird. Just one observation though, from you pictures, to me the blades appear to be in much better condition than the steel bolsters (which look quite normal for the age of this knife).
Thanks for the input, the bolsters are that way because they had rust from a knife in the roll that was gassing out. I put oil on them to stop the rust but the result is what you see, the knife is unused.
Re: Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:26 am
by eveled
I’ve never seen one like it either. Very interesting indeed.
Re: Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:14 pm
by 1967redrider
Very cool, Mike. Any chance this could have been a "salesman's sample" contract knife that Cattaraugus didn't win?
Re: Help Navy pilot knife?
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:39 pm
by galvanic1882
1967redrider wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:14 pm
Very cool, Mike. Any chance this could have been a "salesman's sample" contract knife that Cattaraugus didn't win?
Ok that is what I am thinking also but wanted to see if there are any more out there. I am selling a collection of knives that were owned by the last President of Cattaraugus and this was in the batch.
Check out the Cattaraugus thread, I'll be listing some pictures there.
Mike