Picked these 2 items up at an antique place

[Patriot474]

One is a U.S. Military trench knife, I cant really identify if its out of World War II or sometime after. What searching I did found me a couple knifes that looked like it, 2 was from the Vietnam Era, the other was World War II.

The other item is probably a little unrelated with this site, but I thought it might of been a rare item of interest.

Its a L.S.U. Student Handbook from 1935-1936 and its in beautiful condition with the exception being the top left corner has a ding, at first I thought this was a reprint but could find no where inside the book stating it was a reproduction. Its something totally unique that Ive never seen before and havent found one online anywhere, truthfully dont know what it is or how they were distributed.

Going back to the Military Knife, its a U.S. Camillias or however it is spelled.

 

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[Marchas45]

Looks like Vietnam one to me as I had one.

 

[Patriot474]

Looks like Vietnam one to me as I had one.

What I kind of thought, but I could never match up the guard of the knife to anything, I found one like it that was straight, but the guard on this knife curves on both sides.

 

[High Plains Digger]

I have one that I purchased from an old guy at a garage sale. Just assumed from the leather handle it was WWII. My guard thingies are not curved like yours. Are they bent? The guy ground off the "black" that the blade had. Mine is my digging tool.

 

[Patriot474]

Not sure if its bent or not, dont look like it.

I saw one like it somewhere online though that had one side curved and the other side was straight.

 

[GaRebel1861]

I've got the same knife marked "U.S. Camillus NY" I was told when I got this knife (I was a kid), it was from WWII. But just like a lot of other military stuff it was likely used by the military for later conflicts too. I use mine as a digging tool as well.

 

[High Plains Digger]

I also have a second one that is pretty much the same as the first, also marked Camillus. It is in a fiberglass? or some kind of strange plastic sheath marked USN and grey in color. My second hunting knife. Love the quality of the steel. Just checked my original knife/digging tool, the guards are absolutely straight and no visible markings on the blade. But as I said, it has been ground.

 

[Retired Sarge]

The knife is what is referred to as the Mk 2 Fighting Knife or Combat Knife, this style as mentioned was used from WWII on up to the present. The key to aging these things come down to the markings, sheath, and construction.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[NaturalJWL]

Can anyone recommend a good site for identifying these knifes >?

I also found one a couple weeks ago that I thought may be reproduction,

I have since been told that Onterio Knife, used some blades stamped japan.

Air Force survival type, lug nut, threaded tang, leather handle, leather sheath non-metal tip.

 

[Retired Sarge]

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ is a great site for US Military gear. I take it you are taking about the USAF 5 inch pilot survival knife? If so they are normally dated on either the blade, or on the bolt depending on when they were made.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[High Plains Digger]

So, ffuries, are the guards on these supposed to be straight, or one side bent or both sides bent like the subject? I have two that say "unbent". I was hoping you would chime in as we can always count on you for good info.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I've seen them straight, one curved, and but never both curved....now whether they were bent in use or what I couldn't tell you. Then again us GI's like to customize our gear to our liking, so you never know.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[High Plains Digger]

Well, I think that this style of knife is a total studmaster. It just looks tough, and the leather handle is too much to "handle". And I suspect that the large round butt on the knife is designed to be the perfect skull cracker. I know that I have almost abused my digging knife to it's limit, but man is it tough!

So mike, when they customized a knife, is it true that they sharpened the top inch and a half from the point for a more effective "up slash"?

 

[Retired Sarge]

That I couldn't tell you, I was an Aircrew Survival/Aircrew Life Support guy, I just took care of the survival gear and flight gear, and taught them how to use everything, and how to survive in the ocean, woods, jungles, desert, etc. The crews weren't allowed to do things like that. We actaully had procedures on how to inspect knives and determine if they were serviceable or unserviceable. I have actually condemned knives as funny as it sounds!

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[kenley]

Looks like a K-Bar with a bent lower hand guard.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Mike: Bad knife. Bad knife. After you condemned them, did you have to evict, also?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Patriot474 ~

Someone else had questions about a similar knife and discussed it here ...

Link: http://www.network54.com/Forum/417256/thread/1287195843/KaBar+USN+Mark+2+combat+knife

Does yours have any marks on it?

SBB

 

[Retired Sarge]

HPD no evictions, but we got to keep them. A few years ago I gave an ammo-can full of the 5 inch hunting knives, aka pilot knives away. There must have been 20 or so of them in the can. Found a few more here recently and gave another one away, there are 3 more laying in a box in the garage.

Mike
USAF Retired

 

[Patriot474]

Patriot474 ~

Someone else had questions about a similar knife and discussed it here ...

Link: http://www.network54.com/Forum/417256/thread/1287195843/KaBar+USN+Mark+2+combat+knife

Does yours have any marks on it?

SBB

It just says U.S. Camillius or whatever, hard to make out. Just above the Guard.

It has some black tap at the top under the guard on the handle, behind it is some white tape, quite sticky.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Mike: Want my address and some mail money??

SBB: your link is exactly what my knife and scabbard looks like. Mine is also like the subject in that it says Camillus and maybe some other things. I haven't dug it out yet, but I remember that part.

Patriot: So are you saying you have black tape over white tape over the leather stacked handle? I hope the leather is all there as the tape can be cleaned up if it is. I am suspecting but keeping my fingers crossed that you may be missing a piece or two of the stacked leather. Can you show us a photo with more light on your knife?