I was wondering if you had run across anything about the dates on the pommel nut. It may also be used as a screwdriver or precision edge marker. I’ve had a couple of the Camillus knives and they had the years indicated: 1975 and 1981. Throughout the years they have supplied the U.S. military with products such as the M7 bayonet, the USAF Survival Knife, the M1942 Machete, the Navy MK3 MOD 0 diving/survival knife, the M9 … The serrated spine on this knife is part of the functional requirements for this knife. 1 review(s) | Add your review. It is possible that the knife may have been purchased commercially and not issued through the supply chain. Regards, It may add to your history file. The US Air Force jet Pilot Survival Knife that we know today has a history that goes back to the end of the Korean Conflict. Valor is the name of the US company that retailed the 998. Bruce Mergele, QMC, USNR-Retired. Phil, US Air Force Pilots Survival Knife. The Boker Plus Air Force Pilot Survival Knife is the reissue of an extremely rare standard issue knife. I agree. The sheath also comes with the original leather tie-downs in their original bags. The OKC USAF Survival knife is a classic who's design hails from the Vietnam era and still holds up even today. You can send them to my email: majorhykr@gmail.com. https://majorhykr.com/2018/06/21/a-short-history-of-the-air-force-survival-knife Thus, finding ways of reducing the bulk of the Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) assisted in the overall weight considerations for flying. The U.S. Defense Department published to private industry requirements for a standardized fixed blade knife to issue to pilots and aircrews of the various service branches. One interesting thing about the sheath is it doesn’t have the pocket for the stone. The Fallkniven F1 is the official survival knife Swedish Air Force pilots since 1995. It appears that in 2006, Ontario Knife Company became the current vendor to the DoD of the Jet Pilot Survival Knife under the National Stock Number (NSN): 7340-00-098-4327. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The iconic design features of the knife, that have characterized its look, have remained unchanged since its inception. I’m interested in finding out about what I believe is not a USAF Pilot Survival Knife, but may in fact be an Asian made imitation. . Camillus produced the knife with a 6-inch blade from 1959-1961. After the completion of testing and bidding competition between Marble, Camillus Cutlery, and the Ontario Knife Company (OKC), Camillus was awarded the contract to supply the new Jet Pilot Survival Knife (JPSK) to the Department of Defense instead of Marble. In December 2011, Acme United signed an agreement with Les Stroud to build and sell Camillus survival knives and tools, co-designed and promoted by the outdoor adventurer, known from the TV series Survivorman. These influences upon the procurement system tempered the DoD design features of the knife. After vetting the information against the published government standards for this knife and the government procurement process, what emerged was a unique story of an iconic knife that has found its way from the military to the civilian outdoor world and into the hearts of many owners and users. Currently, one pesticide product is registered to contain para-nitrophenol as an active ingredient. I’m not a fan of social media and don’t use it. Ontario’s knife became procured by the U.S. Army and was issued a National Stock Number, NSN: 1095-01-530-0833 within the Federal Supply System. ( Log Out /  This is a cool knife i picked up at an army surplus store. I had suspected that was the case but did not have any evidence. I have little knowledge on the Use of it in Vietnam, that said, I cant find much details. It includes a crushed diamond disk sharpener and a separate blade for cutting through seatbelt webbing. However, this was not the end of the aging Air Force Survival Knife. A zinc phosphate finish over the tough high carbon 1095 steel helps protect from rust. Before this requirement, knives of several types were procured by the individual branches of the military and dispensed to their members. Each knife is manufactured in accordance with US Government specifications. That latest acquisition also had a sheath lacking the metal back and tip of the sheath, but appears original in all respects. I haven’t had the opportunity to measure it as it’s not in my possession and never was, I simply saw it. Examples of well used The grip will be made of leather in compliance with Federal Standard KK-L-165. Additionally, the jet age in military aviation increased the number of gear pilots and aircrews had to carry on their flights. Major Hykr is my blog site to chronicle my hiking and backpacking experiences. Interesting information. I believe the two holes in the blade guard was to dummy cord the knife. This is a testimony to the ingenuity of the design team that developed the knife at the Marble’s company. Many GIs bought these knives and carried them during the war in Vietnam, including my father, who bought on in the exchange in Takhli, Thailand, and wore it during missions over North Vietnam. The sheath is a bit unimaginative but I really do like the sharping stone pocket. €39.75 . These knives could be a welcome addition if you like to collect edged weaponry, and they may bear the standard hallmarks of use or age. Companies interested in gaining the government contract received these requirements and submitted proposals for consideration based on those requirements. The one I have comes with a green pouch that went on the vest and the leather sheath was sewn into the pouch. Bama Knives takes no responsibility for injury, accident, death or criminal acts due to the misuse of any of our products. I sent some pictures I have of mine, Major. The genesis of the Air Force Survival Knife goes back to the 1950s at the dawn of the jet age. Paranitrophenol was first registered in the United States in 1963 as a fungicide incorporated into leather products and hides as a preservative. It will not be long before you are won over by the versatility and practicality of the Air Force Survival Knife. I also picked up another old Camillus that has no dates on it whatsoever. [4], It has a number of features that aid in escaping an aircraft, such as the ability to be used as a hammer to break acrylic glass cockpit windows and cut through an aircraft's aluminium skin. (The 1958 designed knife is still issued by US military, and is currently made by Ontario Knife. However, there is not enough information in the literature to determine with certainty the purpose of the holes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircrew_Survival_Egress_Knife Thus, this knife became obsolete for its original intended use when the majority of military aircraft incorporated composite materials. One of the tasks that this knife was designed to accomplish was helping pilots and aircrews egress their downed aircraft or to help first responders extract them from their downed aircraft. I own one of these knives and recently became interested in it’s history when one was found in a japanese built WWII tunnel system in a mountain in Northern Luzon, Philippines. The Newer one is by Camillus the older one I got given to by my uncle, who got it from someone in Vietnam. In May 2005, Gerber Legendary Blades introduced its own ASEK-compliant knife (available commercially under the name LMF II) to the military for evaluation. Additionally, synthetic composite materials like Kevlar had not been fully integrated into aircraft construction until the late 1970s and 1980s. Some Comments on the Design Features of the Air Force Survival Knife, Further Developments of the Air Force Survival Knife, A Short History of the U. S. Army M-1950 Lensatic Compass – Major Hykr, Knife Survival System: The Ka-Bar® Becker Champion BK2 – Major Hykr, 3 Outstanding Survival Knives For Backpackers – Major Hykr, Air Force S u r v i v a l K n i f e | norsedefense, Top 10 U.S. Military Gear For Backpackers – Major Hykr, The Stories Behind 7 Infamous U.S. Military Knives | Fishing, Top 10 U.S. Military Gear For Backpackers. Later, after service members began returning from Vietnam, the military-grade issued knives began to be seen on the market. Description. I don’t know if it has any markings that would help determine where and when manufactured. Bama Knives takes no responsibility for any illegal purchase. Furthermore, standardization of equipment reduces costs upon the logistical system. The ASEK, made by Ontario, was adopted after trials by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Massachusetts. I may be wrong but it may have been produced between 1970-1990, maybe in Asia. Packaged in the sheath are a special tool for cutting seat belts and a diamond impregnated sharpening disk. Enjoy and See you on the trail! Hi Bruce: Mine has a blued blade and crossguard. The Aircrew Survival Egress Knife or ASEK is a U.S. Army aircrew survival knife, designed and initially manufactured by the Ontario Knife Company, and entered service in 2003.[1][2]. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. If you would like, I could send you a photo of this knife. The Mark I trench knifewas not only preposterous in its comic book design, it was actually some-what practical, too! What are the unique features of the Air Force Survival Knife, as outlined in the U.S. Government specifications? It was enlightening to discover that there is very little information available on the background and origins of this knife. If you have any question’s or concern’s please ask and be sure to ZOOM in on picture’s as they describe the item better than I can. You are correct. The 5" plain edge blade has a .17" thickness with a flat bevel with swedge grind and an HRC of 50-55. It is also suspected that knife makers will begin to find ways to improve the knife and manufacture their versions of the knife similar to what knife companies are doing with other legacy knife designs. This is a quick look at the Ontario Knife Company 499 Air Force Survival Knife. I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account. The Trench Knife It is a Japanese made copy of the US Air Force Survival knife and was sold through the US military exchanges. Their commercial version of the survival knife had a polished blade instead of a subdued or blued blade, brass guard, and polished pommel. As such, finding a definitive history of the development and procurement of this knife is difficult to reconstruct. The 7-inch knife was not military issued knife. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I own one as a backup knife for my backpacking, outdoor, and emergency needs. Next to Les Stroud, Camillus joined forces with several other so-called Pro Staffers. I’m assuming the knife is an earlier production but, as it’s a 5 inch blade, it has to be after 1961. The knife went through a couple of different vendors over its life cycle. Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you provide. Thanks for your work. I have a one of the knives that came out of a survival kit. The iconic design features of the knife, that have characterized its look, have remained unchanged since its inception. Ontario’s model became the Aircrew Survival and Egress Knife, System (ASEK) based on the published requirements by the U.S. Army. Thus, the current standards, methods, and procedures were not necessarily applicable to the procurement process that brought this knife into existence. We have seen it in outfitter stores, marketed on the internet, and may even have owned one. Fighting knives were no longer single-purpose tools of war, but were intended to be used in a variety of ways, as well as being combat blades. The story of this knife seems to begin in 1953, when the DoD announced to private industry their specifications for a standardized survival knife for pilots to interested vendors in Military Specification MIL-K-8662 (16 October 1953). Air Force Survival Knife 9/14/20 - This is a civilian version of an Air Force survival knife- aka the jet pilot's survival knife. With out further adieu I present the Ontario Military Issue Air Force Survival Knife w/Sheath.